Staying Connected is a column of ideas, entertainment and humor to help individuals and families fill hours of downtime and stay connected with the outside world. With a couple of weeks left in Stage 3 of the state’s Back on Track plan, summer children’s programs, bars and nightclubs, playgrounds and amusement parks are still closed, and the home remains the center of activity. In today’s column, all ages can a bedtime story with a theatrical twist; parents can sign children up for “Camp in a Box”; begin your long-overdue foray into painting with Bob Ross; and jazz up your home conference calls with popular culture backgrounds.
Bedtime stories out loud
The Virginia Repertory Theatre raises the bar for bedtime stories with its new storytelling initiative. Visit facebook.com/watch/?v=959642431148315 and enjoy actress Jackie Goldberg Jones’ retelling of the Jewish folktale “Shlomo’s Tiny House.” Jones re-enacts all the parts — including the narrator — with costumes, makeup and voice to the delight of all. Jones recreates chickens, a donkey and a sheep, but her Cow deserves a Tony award.
Indiana State Museum offers at-home programs
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In accordance with Gov. Eric Holcomb’s Back on Track strategy, the Indiana State Museum is currently scheduled to reopen at 100% on July 7. At that time, summer camps plan to resume the week of July 6. Until then, the Indiana State Museum is offering two programs for children: Weekly Design Challenges and Camp in a Box. Each Monday, a Weekly Design Challenge will be posted on the museum’s Facebook page for your child to design, create and build using materials found around the house. Campers are encouraged to share their creations on a virtual platform. This is a free activity, and all youth are invited to participate. Students in grades 1 through 6 are invited to register for Camp in a Box at the Indiana State Museum website (indianamuseum.org). Each week features a different theme such as Domino Effect, Kitchen Chemistry, Art Kit and Planet Mars. The cost for Camp in a Box ranges from $30 to $35. Art kits are $20 each.
Thirty-one seasons of Bob Ross
Yes, the novelty of so much unscheduled time has worn off. However, there are still opportunities to be found to stretch yourself into a new activity. For example, did you know that all 31 seasons of Bob Ross’s “The Joy of Painting” can be found on YouTube? The show ran from January 11, 1983, to May 17, 1994. It was originally filmed in the studio of the PBS station WIPB in Muncie. You can find Ross’s YouTube channel at youtube.com/user/BobRossInc and get started on your painting career on your own schedule.
Work-at-home fun
But for some of us, time at home is not all leisure time with hours to fill. There are Zoom meetings and conference calls to participate in. You’ll be sure to catch the boss’s eye with the bridge of the Enterprise as your funky new background screen. Worried about dirty dishes on your kitchen table? No one will see them when you’re Zooming from the landing bay with a Star Wars X-wing in the background. But if science fiction isn’t your thing, there are many other themes to choose from including “Bob’s Burgers” or “The Simpsons.” You can connect from Jerry Seinfeld’s New York apartment or Leslie Knope’s “Parks and Recreation” office. Links to a variety of Zoom meeting backgrounds can be found at nerdist.com/article/zoom-conference-backgrounds-star-trek-simpsons-seinfeld/
