by Lauren Loveless, Marketing Assistant

With social distancing guidelines in place and the continuation of the COVID-19 pandemic, our plans for this coming summer need to be modified. However, not all hope is lost; there’s plenty of fun activities to delve into beyond spending a day at Six Flags or SeaWorld.

1. Family Cookout
I know that cookouts may seem cliche, however, they make for a fantastic quarantine activity. With all this staying in doors and deprivation from many sit-in restaurants, spending an evening outdoors cooking smores, grilling hot dogs, and reminiscing on the good ol’ days sounds very appealing. So far, my family has enjoyed two casual cookouts and found them the most pleasurable out of any other activity; binging Netflix just can’t satisfy you forever.

2. Pick up an old sport
We all have an abundance of spare time right now and don’t know what to do with it, so we have to find anything slightly productive to pass the hours, and what’s more productive then playing a sport? Honestly, picking up a sport you used to play is a fantastic idea; it tackles the need of exercise and enjoyment at the same time. Although your body may protest at first and you’ll realize your skills are not what they used to be, it can be thrilling to touch on a sport you haven’t played in ages. Personally, I’ve been playing more volleyball and have realized that I missed it more than I thought.

3. Lengthy tabletop games
– Dungeons and Dragons: Now before you call me a nerd, hear me out on this. D&D is an amazingly fun activity to play with a creative family that enjoys problem solving and character building; it’s better for families with older children, but it’s thrilling nonetheless. It’s very tedious and takes hours upon hours to complete a single dungeon (session), depending on how the dungeon master designs the game, and can even take days to finish. However, if you’re able to make time for it and spare a bit of patience, you’ll find that it’s one of the most riveting game experiences that never gets old.

– Warhammer: A bit of a cousin to Dungeons and Dragons, but much more expensive, Warhammer is an intense tabletop RPG. Outside of the actual gameplay, it focuses primarily on the high quality miniatures that can be bought online or in a shop. Said miniatures can be painted, built, and crafted to fit your ideal taste in characters. However, due to the superior quality of the game and the features in it, Warhammer is quite pricey and not for the faint of heart. I’ve heard it’s very fun, and surely passes the time, but it takes commitment.

– Monopoly: Has anyone actually ever finished a game of monopoly? Because I sure haven’t, however I’d love to now since I have the time to play it thoroughly. Monopoly is one of those games you don’t touch much outside of your childhood, but it’s honestly kind of confusing and deals with a lot of real-world metaphors. So, since we’ve got the time, why not challenge your family to completing a game of monopoly?

4. Go on a hike
I’m aware that San Antonio, Texas is extremely hot in the summer, unbearably so, however, if you’re willing to wake up early enough to catch the morning breeze, a visit to a park is a pleasant activity. There’s plenty of parks in the SA area with gorgeous views, and they’re worth crawling out of bed for. As a child, my family would always take me out to Eisenhower park; we’d pack lunch, climb up the rocks, and perch ourselves near the peak of the hike. There’s something nostalgic about going on a hike with your family, so it’s a worthwhile activity to indulge in.

5. Gardening and landscaping
Have you noticed that your neighbor’s lawns and landscaping are looking more pristine? Well that’s probably because they’ve picked up the increasingly popular hobby of gardening. I see it all over social media–even celebrities are getting in touch with their green thumb–and it’s wonderful to see. If you like getting down and dirty, having your hands covered in plant soil, then gardening is right up your alley. Although it may seem difficult when in the beginning, once you start seeing your precious baby plants grow, you’ll feel a burst of pride and find that you cannot stop buying new plants. It’s a great hobby to pick up during quarantine, and will definitely keep you busy.