Greg Heffley's home activities

So you're stuck at home with your whole family, your pets are sick of being taken for walks (especially the cat) and you've already read all of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid books as well as Diary of an Awesome Friendly Kid. Never fear! Greg has come up with some daily challenges to keep you entertained. 

1. Use your imagination, be creative and draw something new.

It doesn’t have to be something real, how about a fire breathing dragon with chicken legs and fairy floss for hair? Or maybe you can draw something you saw today?

2. Start your own journal. 

There are always things that happen in a day that are noteworthy – so start a journal! Your friend laughed so hard that milk came out of their nose? Write about it! You can even give your diary… I mean, JOURNAL a name.

3. Call your friends to check in and see how they are doing.

Phone a friend! You don’t need to only call your BEST friend/sidekick – try calling someone you don’t talk to as much. See how they’re doing, learn about them.

4. Break out some maracas, dress up, put on your favourite tunes and host an at home karaoke party!
Have you dreamt of being in a band? (Who hasn’t!) In preparation for becoming a famous musician someday, have an at home karaoke party and hone your air guitar and singing skills. What’s your family band name going to be?

5. Play a game of charades.

Test your acting skills with a game of charades. Some ideas for charades could be – vacuuming, washing the dishes, folding the laundry… which brings us to our next point…

6. Help out with household chores.

If your response to that was, ‘what? Chores? Ugh, how boooorrrriiinnnngggg!’ then you’ve been doing them wrong. Make a game out of it. How quickly can you clean your room? How many dishes can you do in 5 minutes? Can you set up an allowance system?

7. Take a break and spend some time outdoors.

Go outside. Breathe in some fresh air, soak up some rays (make sure you put on sun cream) and sink your feet into the ground.

8. Read a comic book.

Read a book. Books can take you many places and are a great way to stay entertained without being stuck to a screen! If you prefer pictures with your stories – try a comic book or graphic novel. Maybe you can try creating your own!

9. Play a card game!

Get the family together and play a good ol’ fashioned card game. Don’t have anyone to play with? Play solitaire or try and learn a cool card trick.

10. Create a time capsule.

Make a time capsule to mark this period in your life. Some ideas of things to include in your capsule (you can use a box) are a photo, a note to yourself or a newspaper clipping.

11. Bake a cake.

Bake a cake (with help from an adult). Got some old, brown bananas? Make banana bread! The options are endless.

12. Write a song.

Write your very own song! A great way to start this is to brainstorm ideas. You can also experiment with rhyme. Try using an existing song at first, and changing the lyrics.

13. Make your own themed lunch bags.

Sick of the same, boring lunch bag? Customise them! Draw some pictures on them to spice things up.

14. Learn some facts about history.

Take a trip back in time and learn some history facts. Where will you go? To the Jurassic era? Medieval times?

15. Have a family movie night!

Fire up the microwave and throw in your microwavable popcorn and have an at-home movie night.

16. Teach your pet a new trick.

Turn your pet into a super star by teaching them a new trick! Find out what their favourite treat is, and they’ll be playing along in no time. A good starting trick is ‘high-five’

17. Help out with a home improvement project.

Someone in the house is doing some DIY? Roll up those sleeves and help out! Be sure to watch out for splinters, and no matter what anyone says, yes, you need those instructions.

18. Write a poem.

This step should be a breeze since you’ve already written your own song – write a poem! There are many types of poems, and they don’t all have to rhyme.

19. Learn a magic trick!

Become a magician by learning a magic trick or two! Don’t forget – magicians never reveal their tricks.

Download Greg's template and then use his suggestions above as inspiration to start filling in the boxes.

For parents: Follow @diaryofawimpykid on Instagram for more creative activity inspiration! Find Diary of a Wimpy Kid and Diary of an Awesome Friendly Kid at your local bookstore.

"While we are dealing with a terrible crisis, please know this: One day we’ll look back on these days as a time when we forged stronger connections with our families, got to better know our neighbors (from a safe distance!), and laid the foundations for a better tomorrow. As you and your family stay indoors for the good of all, remember that there are new worlds to explore, and humor to be found, in the pages of a good book. Authors from all around the world are with you in solidarity. We wish you good health and a bright future." - Jeff Kinney, author and illustrator of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series.