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Trapped at home with cabin fever and coronavirus fears, many Americans are finding solace in Netflix, Hulu and not-so-optimal diet choices. Nielsen Corporation data for the week ending March 14 showed a 55-percent uptick in alcoholic beverage sales. One week earlier, the research firm cited drastically increased sales of popcorn (48%), pretzels (47%) and potato chips (30%)—compared to the same time period in 2019.
Instead of seeking solace in lousy habits you’ll want to break later, why not add a new skill to your repertoire? Psychologists say skill-building does more than while away the quarantine hours. It also boosts brain health—and may even ward off dementia.
The human brain is uniquely capable of forming and strengthening neurological connections at almost any age. This process, called “neurogenesis,” is kickstarted when we push our mental limits or practice complex skills. In addition to increasing brainpower, neurogenesis may stave off and treat conditions like Alzheimer’s and memory loss. (And that’s WAY more than we can say for Oreos.)
With lockdown hours to spare, choose a learning activity or skill you’ve always wanted to master. Encourage other family members to join you—and set aside practice time. Scheduling a daily dose of intentional skill-building is a great way to expand your horizons and avoid chronic time-wasters.
Scratch and Scratch Jr., free computer coding apps for ages 5 to 16, teach kids basic coding literacy while they create animations, games, art, music and interactive stories. Developed by MIT Media Lab’s Lifelong Kindergarten Group, the Scratch platform helps users become more proficient in critical thinking, creativity and collaborative work. According to the MIT Media Lab, Scratch students gain an understanding of mathematical and computational ideas while participating in facets of the design process (prototyping, experimenting, debugging, testing, revising).
Parents: Code alongside your kids! Enroll in FREE Harvard University online programming courses that include video game development, Python and JavaScript programming, and computer science basics.
Whether you’re a budding artist or master doodler, you’ll find author-illustrator Rob Biddulph’s weekly draw-along videos fun and simple. Biddulph created the Draw with Rob series to help families and homeschool students pass the quarantine hours. Artists of all ages follow his step-by-step direction to create characters like Fred the Bear, Penguin Blue, Sonic the Hedgehog and more. When art time is over, don’t forget to post photos of your masterpiece on social media—and include the hashtag #DrawWithRob.
Dig the artist’s life? Check out these free and premium Skillshare classes for drawing, sketching and painting.
Explore.org is a philanthropic multi-media organization and division of the Annenberg Foundation. The website is home to an exhaustive library of global photography, animal field guides, nature lesson plans and dozens of animal live-cams.
The Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute also offers a slew of educational resources for homeschool parents and animal enthusiasts. Check out the museum’s zoo career FAQs to learn what it takes to become a conservationist, zoologist or vet.
We’d love to hear about your pandemic learning adventures. Drop us a line or post a photo to Facebook, and don’t forget to tag us @PerformanceSigns!
And remember, our Charlottesville sign shop is considered an “essential business” by the Commonwealth of Virginia. That means we’re here for you as you navigate COVID-19 and its implications for your small business. Just contact our C’ville team to discuss a project, schedule contactless dropoff, or inquire about sign, banner and fleet wrap services!