Some people prepare for possible national calamities and pandemics by stockpiling canned goods, bottled water, and medical supplies. In contrast, I have been accumulating craft supplies since the mid-1990s for precisely this kind of occasion. Many of us find ourselves suddenly at home with small children, and, with schools closed and social alienation in full force, we’re searching for activities to keep them occupied. I’ve put together a list of things you may do at home, or what I call “quarantivities,” to help you get through this. I’m assuming that we will all soon have an abundance of possible crafts supplies, considering the quantity of toilet paper and paper towel rolls that have been sold in the last few weeks. Create tunnel systems for toy cars, marble runs, and telescopes by using tape and empty tubes. Not only can you make forts out of those Amazon boxes, but you can also use them to make cardboard dwellings for stuffed animals and targets for Nerf weapons. Collage art projects are a great way to use magazines, junk mail, and brochures from trips you are no longer taking. Save the tops of food pouches if you have a kid in the house. They make great beads for statement jewelry that you can wear only when you’re under quarantine.
