SAULT STE. MARIE -- With little to do and more complications than ever before, activities are much harder to come by during this spring break.
Just ask Michelle Hayes, a mother of two in the Sault.
"Yeah, we're running out of ideas," Hayes said. "I think we might watch the yes day movie and have a yes day at some point this week."
Hayes said both she and her husband have had flexibility in their jobs when it comes to staying at home with their children, but it's still been a challenge.
That's only been made more difficult by the province's latest stay-at-home order, which has effectively cancelled any potential plans for the family.
"We're certainly now looking forward to going outdoors some more, weather permitting," Hayes said. "But we really don't have a whole lot planned."
For others, the pandemic has given them more opportunities to try something new.
People like Carrie Murshid, a mother of two young children in the Sault.
Burn off energy
"We've gotten into skateboarding, long-boarding and scootering," she said. "We actually just live near Algoma U and have been using the parking lot to burn off some energy there."
Murshid said the biggest challenge has actually been trying to manage laptop use while her children are in school, because they are also full-time students.
"I'm currently doing a lot of exams right now and stuff, so it's been kind of chaotic right now," Murshid said. "But we are spending a lot more time together than we might have in the past, which is a definite bonus."
Nancy Pinelli, another mom of three, said she's looking to dedicate as much time as she can this week to her family.
Whether that be board games or bike rides, she said she wants to alleviate the pandemic stress and frustrations her kids are feeling, any way she can.
"I feel the frustration of the kids, but then again, we have to let go of our house stuff and just pay attention to them," Pinelli said. "We try to be extremely physically active. I think that's important because mental health, also."
While there really isn't a tonne going on, the Sault Public Library is stepping up to provide activities for children.
From outdoor scavenger hunts to virtual escape rooms, the library said it wants to focus on the positive aspects of the current situation.
"We understand they're looking for things to do," said Janelle Martin, of the Sault Public Library. "We're trying to balance with that, with keeping the provincial orders and we want everyone to stay safe."
For a list of activities, Martin is asking parents to visit the library's website.
She said for those looking to pick up a book, curbside pickup is still available.
