Over the next few weeks, many residents will be spending more time at home to practice “social distancing” in an effort to slow the spread of Covid-19. If young children are at home it may be especially difficult to find things to do. Especially with schools, libraries, play areas, and social activities all shuttered.
Arbor Creek came up with a new, fun way to get outside and be entertained. Residents saw other communities hosting “scavenger hunts” throughout their neighborhoods and decided to organize one themselves. They called on neighbors to put up shamrocks in their windows or on the outside of their homes on a designated day, in this case, March 17. The idea is for young children to walk through the community and make a game of seeing how many “shamrocks” they could find.
Residents said it’s been perfect for the neighborhood to get out while still social distancing. Not only young children had a good time, but older kids and adults were involved as well.
“Getting out getting fresh air, it’s great to do. It’s nice to see other neighbors doing the same thing. Kind of wave to each other at a distance, but enjoying an activity together but apart,” one neighbor said.
In hopes of spreading cheer during this difficult time, some community residents have started to put Christmas lights back up and try to add pops of color to their homes exterior. During a scavenger hunt such as the one organized in Arbor Creek, good cheer was spread with not only a genius neighborhood activity, but a healthy, social (from afar), and interesting one to boot.
Currently, in communities around the state, kids are drawing colorful images to put in their windows for other children to find. Every time kids go out for a walk, they can go on mini “scavenger hunts” to locate homes with a colorful decoration in the window. In some cases there are even Google maps dedicated to the idea, showing all the participating homes nearby. Members of a community are able to access a map and add their property to it if desired. Residents have been posting photos of the images and objects they find online, and in this time of extreme social isolation, this activity helps others feel a bit less lonely.
On working with the Arbor Creek HOA, CAS manager Jim Herold says “The board of directors have a great sense of humor, they created a vibrant social scene with a family focus and a passion for increasing the value of their community. They think big and do not sweat the small stuff. ” Jim has ten years of experience in the HOA management field and has earned his CMCA and AMS. He states his favorite part of being a manager is “leaving a community better than I found it and forming quality working relationships.”