Daily Picks for Metro Detroit and Ann Arbor Families At Home: June 29-July 3

As Michigan slowly returns to life before COVID-19, many Detroit- and Ann Arbor-area families are staying close to home for their safety and practicing social distancing.

We understand that this a challenging time for everyone, especially those with young kids, and we want to help by providing families a weekly list of our “daily picks” filled with virtual events, indoor activities and other fun things to do with your kids while at home.

Are you sharing your at-home activities on Instagram? Tag us @MetroParentMag or use our community hashtag #MPMoment.

Monday, June 29

At-home activities

• Take a virtual roller coaster ride: Missing Cedar Point? Break your adrenaline drought with a virtual ride on Millennium Force, Raptor and others.
• Get cooking: Teach the kids some age-appropriate kitchen skills and make a meal you’ll both love.
• Make a lava lamp: This groovy experiment by LTU will keep kids entertained and interested in science this summer.

Tuesday, June 30

At-home activities

• Visit a local u-pick orchard: Strawberries, blueberries and raspberries oh MI! They’re in season and ripe for the picking at these spots.
• Make a TikTok: Get the lowdown on the video-sharing app and how you can enjoy it with your kids.
• Clean out the closets: Take a little time to organize some of the stuff you’ve collected over quarantine. This handy checklist can help.

Wednesday, July 1

At-home activities

• Take in a drive-in movie: Movie theaters have just opened but a drive-in movie offers an entirely different experience.
• Bake some cinnamon rolls: You’ll score some serious brownie points with this sweet recipe.
• Make an ice cream bin: Cotton balls, an ice cream scoop and a few sprinkles are all you need to make this cool sensory bin.

Weekly must-read

• America has a long history with racism and there’s still a lot of work to be done. Introduce your kids to the Black Lives Matter movement and the work that it’s doing with a book about racism.

Thursday, July 2

Photo one from ‘Despicable Me.’ Photo two via thriftynorthwestmom.com.

At-home activities

• Watch Despicable Me: And enjoy some activities based on the hit flick.
• Go on a family walk: It can be around your neighborhood or on a local hiking trail.
• Have a picnic: End your walk at one of the local picnic spots in metro Detroit and Ann Arbor.

Friday, July 3

At-home activities

• Go Fish: No, not the card game. Hit up a local fishing hole and see what you can catch — just make sure you have your fishing license, first.
• Throw an at-home Fourth of July party: We’ve got decor ideas, menu items and more to help you throw the perfect party.
• Discover your perfect staycation: Vacation cancelled? Looking for something fun to do this summer? Take our quiz to find your perfect staycation option.
• Check out the Metro Parent calendar: It’s full of virtual events to help you plan next week!

Weekend picks: July 4-5

Looking for fun things to do with your kids this weekend? We have plenty of ideas over on our Weekend Picks! 

This post is updated weekly.