Tuesday, June 9, 2020

Pandemic Fun: Building a Barn

Well, the summer of 2020 just seems to be dragging on and on, doesn't it? Things are still closed, people are still home from work, and kids haven't been able to go to school for months. A pandemic will do that, and it can become increasingly difficult to keep children entertained.


We are incredibly lucky here, and we know it. We haven't been hit as hard as some areas, and our government responded quickly and efficiently. Everything was shut down and people stayed home, so our active caseload is under 10 at the time of this writing. We're doing well.


But staying home all the time is hard on the kids. So we need projects. We live in the country and have the ability to have a variety of animals, so we're lucky again. Building a Barn became our next project.


Well, my kids built the barn. Now 12 and 14, they're growing up and getting bigger. So we ordered a barn package and they got to work. They read the directions, nailed boards together, attached paneling, and even erected the walls. There were moments of hilarity, frustration, and a fun moment where the kids practically dropped a wall on me. Two kids and their mom building a barn does lead to some interesting moments.


I fully realize not every family can build a barn during quarantine. But everyone can do something. Try to find a useful and fun project to do with the kids. Maybe you can't build a barn, but how about making a bed for the cat? No cat? Well, it doesn't have to be pet related. You could decorate dishes with a dishwasher and food safe paint and varnish. Buy white dishes and brightly colored paints. The kids will enjoy themselves and you'll have plates you can use for years.


There are dozens of project ideas out there. But the best ones will be projects you can see for years to come. They'll remind you of the time your spent months upon months with your children while they couldn't go to school and most activities were shut down. And that's not necessarily a bad thing.

Tuesday, June 2, 2020

Pandemic Fun: Building a Rabbit Hutch

Well, it's summer of 2020 and kids have been off school where I live for almost 3 months. They'll be off school for another 3 months. That's nearly 6 months at home. Nothing is open because of the COVID-19 pandemic, so we can't exactly take the kids to the zoo or sign them up for summer camp. With the kids home for an entire spring and summer, we had to come up with some projects to do.


Our first project was conceived of for two distinct reasons. First, the kids were off school before spring break. Spring break, at least where I live, is a terrible time of year. Snow and wind and rain and slush. Occasional blizzards. Getting snowed in. It's not usually a fun time of year. So the weather prevented us from starting a large outdoor project at that particular time.


But the kitchen was also mid-renovation, so inside activities sucked. That meant the garage was our option. Fun times. We had to do something, and it needed to be something fun. And useful. After a little discussion with my two boys, who are 11 and 13, we decided to build a new rabbit hutch. My younger son has 3 rex rabbits outside, and they needed a new house anywhere. The old one just wasn't good enough. So building a rabbit hutch it was.


But this would be tricky for a couple reasons. First, getting the materials during the pandemic proved to be a little bit of a challenge. Even though hardware and lumber stores were open, they had limited hours, were allowing only a few people in at a time, and had strict rules. Those rules meant I couldn't take the kids with me. We had to make a list and I had to buy everything without them actually being there. Okay. I bought wood, paint, screws, and some of the hardware we'd need.


Turns out I'd be short on wood, but that only mattered until my older son found some extra wood in the basement. So we had wood. I'd also forgotten paintbrushes, but I stole a few from my neighbor. So we had everything we needed.


The building was fun, though I ended up banned. My older son was afraid I would cut off my fingers so he manned the saw. My younger son got tired of me measuring wrong and took over that job. So they built it under my direction and using the blueprints I'd drawn for them. They're great kids and the hutch looks great. It took 2 weeks to finish because it was cold out and we needed to wait for the weather to warm a little before painting. But they did it.


My talented boys completed their first quarantine project. They worked hard, worked smart, and made something the rabbits love. They still intend to add a gambrel roof to the top so it looks more like a barn, but they're happy with it.


Quarantine projects have become a necessity. Whether it's building a rabbit hutch or painting a bedroom, giving your children something productive to do can be a lifesaver. They can learn new skills and have some fun.


And we ended up with a rabbit hutch out of it.