BY TORI GRAY- STAFF WRITER
Even though being stuck with your family during COVID-19 can be stressful, there are plenty of activities that can be light-hearted and lead to some family bonding. Whether you live in an apartment building, a single family home or a townhouse, families can take advantage of this time together. Instead of playing cards, watching movies or sitting around doing nothing, there are now internet challenges to pass the time. Tiktok has gotten really popular since COVID-19 has started and one of the most trending topics is “Quarantine Olympics.”
Tyler Klein, 22, is back home with his mom and sister in Brooklyn, New York. When the quarantine was put in place, Klein dreaded staying in his apartment with his family everyday. One of the first thoughts that passed through Klein’s mind was, “When you’re stuck at home with two girls, what are you supposed to do?” With all the challenges being posted on Tiktok, the “Ping Pong Pan Challenge” caught Klein’s attention the most.
“We set up a bunch of pans diagonally from each other and a cup on the opposite side of where we are standing,” explains Klein. “Then we go back and forth to see who can complete each obstacle course that we set up, winning if we can get the ball into the cup.” Klein finally found activities that made his time stuck at home enjoyable.
Ariana Rodriguez, 21, is home from college with her mother and father. Rodriguez usually spends her time tanning and swimming when she's home in Miami, Florida, but with the restrictions in place, she is stuck in her townhouse.
“One of my favorite Quarantine Olympic games is definitely the ‘Fruit Roll Up Challenge,’” said Rodriguez. In this challenge, each person in your family holds the tip of the fruit roll up in their mouth and it’s timed to see who can eat it the fastest. “Everyone in my family is super competitive, so this game lets us go head to head against each other and have some fun at the same time.”
Lyndsey Meadows, 18, lives in Towson, Maryland with her mother, father, brother and two-year-old sister. Meadows is starting her first year at Auburn University in the Fall, so she was looking forward to the extra time with her family before heading down South.
“When quarantine was announced, my mom went out and bought all the toilet paper and paper towels that she could find,” said Meadows. “I then saw this challenge on Tiktok where you line up the paper towels in a row and jump over them.” As each person passes a level, another level of paper towels are added and each person takes another turn. “Before we started doing these challenges, all we did was play cards or watch movies. I was so excited to try new games and spend some time with my family.”
These activities are just a few ways that families can take advantage of this time in the house. If you are looking for more fun games to do during COVID-19, Quarantine Olympics are still trending and adding new ideas every day.