How are you coping with COVID-19 as a parent? Within a matter of weeks, we’ve seen every aspect of our lives change for our families. With both work and school now blended at home, we’re spending more time with the people we live with than ever before, and our concept of free time together looks very different. Although our situation has changed, our priorities haven’t: we still crave quality time, the opportunity to learn something new, and to create memories with those we love.
At Blueboard, our Experience Curation team has responded to our new reality of life, creating hundreds of exciting and unique In-Home experiences for our reward recipients to choose from. To help homebound parents connect with their families, we’re sharing our top five favorite In-Home experiences, which we hope will inspire you to use your Blueboard reward towards an engaging experience for your family! And if your company is not yet celebrating above and beyond moments with Blueboard, we can work on that together here :).
#1 Butterfly Discovery Experience
While we’re spending most of our days inside, it’s important to get outdoors and soak in our much-needed fix of sunshine and fresh air! You’ll be setting up a butterfly discovery center in your backyard, so butterflies native to your neighborhood can come to visit this sanctuary. You and your family will also be raising your own butterflies inside the discovery center, and your kids will watch first-hand as the little caterpillars crystalize into cocoons and emerge as beautiful butterflies.
As a parent, this experience provides many teachable moments for you to share with your kids. There is no better way for kids to learn about the world than to see it transform before their eyes!
If you’re inspired to spread your wings and try this at home, check out one of our favorite Caterpillar to Butterfly Kits online here.
#2 Bake Together
A great way to spark your kids’ culinary curiosity is to get them in the kitchen. For this experience, your family will receive a three-month baking kit subscription box, which includes non-perishable ingredients needed to whip up that month’s dessert. Each month will bring a new sweet surprise; previous recipes include Strawberries and Cream and Mocha Eclairs, Coconut Nest Cupcakes, and Toasted Lemon Meringue Cupcakes.
Baking a delicious pastry is an opportunity to bring everyone together, and build your kids’ confidence in contributing something meaningful to the whole family. Plus, your children can get comfortable following a recipe, learning proportions, mixing and melting, and of course, tasting!
Can’t wait to start baking with your family? Dust off your apron and try out these delicious dessert boxes here.
#3 Backyard Camping
Camping is the ultimate outdoor summer experience. Although you may need to postpone your trip to your family’s favorite campsite, you can still create wonderful memories camping in your own backyard. We’ll send you all of the necessary camping gear, letting you create the at-home camping trip of your dreams. You can explore your backyard, climb trees, spot animals, and play games. After a tasty meal, your family can sit around a campfire enjoying s’mores and telling stories, and spend the rest of the night stargazing.
This is the perfect low-maintenance experience that has the outdoors, family, and fun all wrapped into one. Sure to create cherished memories, backyard camping may become a new family tradition!
If you’re ready to have some happy campers, head here to rent camping gear for the whole family. For smiles all around, snag a complete s’mores kit here.
#4 Laser Tag Mission
If your kids are bouncing off the walls with pent-up energy, we can help you set up a fun day of laser tag games! For this experience, your family will get to enjoy laser tag gun rentals for up to six people. With a bit of creativity, you can create your own laser tag missions and run, duck, hide, and shoot in your backyard.
Along with the excitement of the game, you get the perks of all the space in your yard and playing with your most favorite people outside. After this action-packed day, your kids are bound to be tuckered out and sleeping through the night.
Kids can’t sit still? If you and your family are looking to have a blast in your backyard, check out these high-quality laser tag rentals here.
#5 Show Your Little Ones the World
While international travel may be on pause, learning never ceases. You don’t need to hop on a plane to teach your kids about different cultures - they can discover the world from the comfort of home. This experience brings the world to your kids’ fingertips with exploration boxes full of activities, souvenirs, visual learning aids, and letters from international pen pals. Each country in the world is special in its own unique way, whether through food, music, their people, landscapes, or all of the above.
Across our big blue world, there is an endless supply of fascinating discoveries. You’ll get to experience the joy of watching your kiddos expand their minds, broaden their sense of unique cultures, and possibly even learn something new and exciting yourself!
If your kids just can't wait to set sail around the world, head here to bring the world to them.
And there’s much more…
We’ve shared our top five favorites, but can’t wait to pass along this treasure trove of ideas for parents working remotely with home. Check out this COVID 19 Parent Survival Guide, a compiled doc of greatness, with games, toys, online learning and other parenting resources. This doc was shared with love from our awesome client Genevieve Biedron, Sr. HR Manager at Proctor & Gamble.
As we are all adapting our daily lives, fostering strong relationships is important for everyone in your family’s well being. While these interactive in-home experiences help to switch up the day-to-day, more importantly, they allow us to bond with our families over shared experiences.
From learning to cook together, embarking on a top secret laser tag mission, to traveling around the world from home, these activities create lasting memories for each member of your family. While we are all home together, we can take this as an opportunity to focus on what really matters - spending time with those we love.
If you’re looking to expand your recognition and rewards programs with experiential rewards that are meaningful, right now, we’d love to connect here and we’ll be looking forward to learning more about your goals and needs.
Stay well,
Melanie
