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Easy College Meals to Prepare in Advance
CollegiateParent
The coronavirus pandemic has been challenging for everyone, including our college students.
First, their campuses and residence halls closed. Then their graduation ceremonies were cancelled. And now, internships and summer jobs are up in the air.
No one knows exactly when life will get back to normal, or how this summer will unfold. One thing we do know is that it won’t be a typical summer of baseball games, outdoor concerts, travel, and trips to theme parks or even the cineplex.
How can your family use this time to still get the break you all deserve?
A staycation is exactly what it sounds like: figuring out how to enjoy the luxuries of a vacation while staying at home.
You already have the “stay” part down solid, but what about the “cation”? You may not be able to go on a cruise or fly to Mexico this summer, but there’s a lot you can do right at home to make the season special.
Here are some summer ideas for college students and their families to enjoy together at home:
Everyone’s idea of “self-care” is different — the point is to have a day where you don’t work, you don’t have a to-do list, and you stay off social media and out of your email.
For your student, a self-care day might mean a video game marathon without any obligations. Or it could be setting aside time to give themselves a mini spa day, or baking all their favorite treats. To each their own!
A free app like Duolingo makes learning a new language a lot of fun, in addition to exercising your brain in a rewarding and productive way.
Other language learning apps include:
Sign up for an online writing workshop to try your hand at a memoir, fiction writing, poetry, scriptwriting and more! A few options to consider:
With restaurants closed around the world, chefs are turning to social media to connect with hungry foodies.
On Instagram Live, New York Times Cooking hosts cook-alongs or pre-scheduled dinner parties that thousands of people can participate in together from home.
Instagram is the social media home base of thousands of fantastic artists, many who lead free drawing classes through live video streams on the platform. Some of our favorites include:
If you or your college student are facing a lot of stress and anxiety right now, yoga might be the perfect at-home exercise. All you need is a simple mat, which you can order online. You’ll find hundreds of free and paid yoga courses on the internet.
Here’s a great place to start with free classes on YouTube >
Many world-class museums and art galleries make their collections available online. Google Arts & Culture is an amazing resource that provides 3D walk-throughs of hundreds of museums, close-up looks at famous paintings, views of national parks, and more.
You can also use Google Street View to explore entire new cities “on foot.”
The Explore.org Live Nature Cams YouTube channel is a fantastic collection of high-definition, live stream video from remote wildlife sites around the world. Watch sharks in tropical reefs, baby bald eagles in high-up nests, and more, all from the comfort of your couch.
Or how about taking a video walk through some of Yellowstone's most iconic vistas, or enjoying virtual tours of other national parks?
Has that pile of books next to your bed been collecting dust? There’s never been a better time to catch up. If you need new titles, visit your local library’s website. The library itself may be closed, but you can still rent audiobooks and eBooks online.
When your student was younger, they probably loved Candy Land and Monopoly. If their tastes have matured since then, don’t worry — board games have kept up. There are thousands to choose from, from silly to serious, and you can order online to have them shipped to your house.
Bonus fun: a lot of games have online or app versions that you and your student can play with friends and family over the internet.
As springtime comes into full bloom, it’s time to start thinking about your garden. If in the past you were too busy to stay on top of watering and weeding, this just might be the year you develop your green thumb.
If you don’t have space for a garden, you can nurture potted vegetable plants and herbs in the window or on your patio or balcony. It’s a fun hobby that you and your student can do together.
Plus, if all goes well, the fruits of your labor might just make a star appearance at your dinner table later this summer. Who’s hungry?
Keep in mind that a staycation doesn’t necessarily have to mean staying inside your house all summer.
As states start to relax stay-at-home orders, there are opportunities for you and your family to safely explore your local area.
State and national parks with lots of space are especially good candidates for local day trips that are amenable to social distancing. Camping, hiking, cycling and fishing are all ways to take advantage of the outdoors while staying safe.
As always, be careful to avoid crowded parking lots and any other hotspots that make maintaining a 6-foot distance between yourself others impossible. Wear masks if needed, travel with disinfecting wipes, avoid touching your face, and clean your hands often.
More guidance on coronavirus safety is available on the CDC website >
Cancelled trips and postponed outings are no fun. One thing that can make it all a little easier to swallow is planning your next trip now.
If you're not ready to dive in and book flights and hotels, start by taking virtual tours of places you want to visit, picking out the sites you’ll see, the food you’ll devour, and the activities you’ll enjoy.
There’s a light at the end of the tunnel!
In the meantime, there’s a lot of other things on your plate, like figuring out what going back to college will look like in the fall.
CollegiateParent is focused on providing resources for parents of college students to make these uncertain times a little bit easier.
