This image was taken by me on one if my walks around a local park. I have been going to this park since I was three years old. Ever since the stay-at-home order was give for NC at the end of March I have noticed a much greater diversity in the demographics of people who visit the park.Traditionally the park would be populated by younger children, around elementary and middle school aged, along with young parents and their children. Now people of all types and ages frequent the park in an attempt to help normalize and adjust the the changes caused by the pandemic. Something I never expected to enjoy while going to the park is being able to see so many different people playing happily and making the best of the situation. Seeing others adjusting to the pandemic, in a way helps me accept the normalization of the changing social dynamics that have been created.

I set up a Zoom call for my 3rd grade son and his friends. This picture shows that no matter what, boys will still be boys. They had their nerf guns, made faces at each other, and were as silly as usual. Yes, this is hard, but boys will still be goofy and crazy.

I took this picture because it demonstrates a new reality alongside the old. Masks hung up to be taken when we go out, next to the backpacks that haven't been touched since school was canceled.

#friendswhogive was started to teach my children that GIVING to others can be just as rewarding as receiving, especially at the Holiday time."- Denise Heckelman, Founder #friendswhogive organized a "rainbow hunt" for kids. Families can post drawings of rainbows in their window and as children walk and bike ride around they can count how many rainbows they pass along the way. #FordhamUniversity #VART3030 #RainbowSeries

Play School has been the leading early childhood education television program for over 50 years in Australia. This special episode communicates the changes happening, empathises with the children as well as telling them what they can do to help.

Playground closed with caution tape wrapped around the equipment. #HST643

HUM402 The Government has closed all parks until further notice to help control the spread of Covid-19.

I have two sons, 5 and 3 years old. My son's Kindergarten year of school was closed and we were suddenly homeschooling due to the pandemic. I have created a collage of some of our family activities during our time at home.

Touro Infirmary shares on Facebook that their security team received a thank you from the Infirmary's Kids Activity Center during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Pediatric clinics offer virtual appointments to encourage people to continue to see their doctors and avoid increased exposure to COVID-19 during the stay-at-home order.

Children's Hospital New Orleans thanks Take 5 Oil Change and Driven Brands Charitable Foundation for donating 19 cases of gloves.

Personal account of a nurse

A young boy works on a speech therapy assignment from home. Families are struggling to navigate how to continue their children’s special needs services in a time when social distancing is mandatory and all non essential services are closed down. #REL101

I have noticed kids playing in our neighborhood again. Parents setting up cones in the street for games and kids riding scooters, all have been more prevalent than ever before. I decided to document this as best I could with a picture of our neighbor’s kid’s chalk artwork to show how even in dark times, people always strive to make the best of bad situations which is something I think we should always remember when looking back at this year.

In the time of corona, we all must make do with safer, and sometimes simpler, forms of entertainment. With schools and businesses closed in many states, parents are looking for new and unique ways to entertain their young kids during the day. Reaching out to social media, many suburbs, like this one in La Grange Park, began displaying miscellaneous items as a sort of community-wide iSpy hunt for the local children to find and count as they go on walks with their parents. #DePaulHST391

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My son sits in a time machine he and his sister made out of the influx of delivery boxes that now arrive frequently with social distancing. He instructs guests to the time machine to choose a time "before or after the virus" to visit.

This photo was taken in the beginning of the outbreak. The amount of states declaring a state of emergency was slowly growing at this time. Amusement parks had seen a drastic decline in people. Though this image may depict a rather large crowd, it certainly was not the case. Rides were no more than a five minute wait, bathrooms were empty, the park itself felt empty. Some areas were completely vacant and it felt unsettling to see a lack of occupants.

A sign in the window of the corner store in the Bronx written in a child's handwriting.

School Crossing Guards are essential workers. Children who have not- continue to frequent the school during the lunch hour.

Families in Southington, CT organize a “bear hunt” to provide an excursion opportunity for youngsters kept at home during school closures. Bears and other stuffed animals were placed in windows or in yards for interested families to find and count. Results were reported via Facebook.

Watching the daughter of a friend of mine design an outfit for her Barbie doll. She cut up a glove to create a top, added bright pink feathers and used the eye mask...as her face mask.

Women dancing and the need to connect to others while we are all isolating ourselves

a request to participate in an art project

My daughter, my niece & I were trying out the Houseparty app and found a trivia quiz. It was fun to do something together as you can see from our faces (I was extra delighted at getting the question right!)

Here comes the second month of quarantine in our country. There are people who observe quarantine, and there are people who do not care about the situation and they continue to live as they lived before. Students, schoolchildren are studying remotely. I envy them, of course. Studying at home is so great. But there are disadvantages of such an education, schoolchildren are stupid. After all, some parents do their own homework, and children are not explained anything. Beauty salons, trading houses, markets are closed. Only grocery stores are open. In certain shops we only let in 5 people, and at this time on the street 20 people are waiting for their turn to enter the shop and people do not even keep a distance from us being on the street. There are practically no cars on the street. In our city, it is completely banned to travel by private transport, allowed only to certain people. It became so free at once. Public transport has been restricted, it only goes in the morning or evening, but these buses go in small quantities. It's quicker to walk to work. Some people are panicking. They don't know what happens next...

With social distancing in place and stay-at-home rules, kids are playing more in the street right outside their own properties.

The kids are taking over the footpaths with chalk messages

Gennady Khodov provides reflections on the quarantine in their home

When a high teacher and university director begin working from the same week their elementary school children begin having school from home, it becomes clear the middle of the night is the best time to get work done. *Original video, posted on Instagram Stories

My kids, being unable to attend the yearly Easter festivities and egg hunt at their church, hunt for eggs hidden as a scavenger hunt throughout their house. Their church's children's minister, wearing gloves and a mask, left a bag of stuffed eggs, toys for Easter baskets, Peeps and other things for families to use on the doorsteps of each of the families that were part of the church to make it easier for families to be able to celebrate the holiday with their kids at home. *Personal video

This portrait of my son was the first time I have painted since my child was born. Although our household is busier than ever, I was inspired by my son’s love of art. We will look back on our time together at home as a special time.

Children can go to school and child care but can’t play on public play equipment. This makes me think about the all the energy small children are having to contain when confined to their homes.

A message from neighborhood children, bringing joy and hope to those lucky enough to encounter it upon their walk or run.

1yo Julián Peralta-Kole looks on as big sister Maya (5yo) joins her weekly Friday Zoom class offered by Tempe Public Schools. Her Zoom classes take place every week on Fridays at 10 AM. It's always a moment that we look forward to, because she gets to connect with her classmates and teacher. Class activities range from singing songs, show and tell, writing, and practicing "sticky," words (common words that are hard to sight read, so her teacher encourages them to memorize i.e. "stick" them in their brain). Maya attends Scales Technology Academy near the intersection of 5th St. and Beck in Tempe, AZ.

This image shows a line of shoppers located approximately six feet apart outside Your Dekalb Farmers Market in Scottdale, Georgia. Most shoppers were wearing masks, but the woman with the two children in front of the author went maskless. Everyone seemed stressed. A masked security guard let in new shoppers only when other left the store.

Free, downloadable eBook from Candlewick Press. This informative and accessible guide for young readers defines the coronavirus, explains why everyday routines have been disrupted, and lays out how everyone can do their part to help. With child-appropriate answers and explanations, the book addresses several key questions.

HUM402 In response to social isolation in Australia, the Red Cross have created special Trauma Teddies for children and their families to spot in the windows of local Red Cross branches.

The night the closure of Disneyland was announced due to COVID-19, the candy store on Main Street had an uplifting message for guests passing by. The picture was easy to take, as the park was already uncharacteristically empty.

The local church near my parents' house in Chesterfield, MO (where I'm currently quarantined) had a drive-thru style blessing on Easter Sunday. After a priest stood a good 6 feet back and sprinkled holy water on our car, we were directed to exit past a costumed Easter Bunny who waved as the cars left. I snapped this photo from the back seat. To me, the photo is a symbol of hope and human optimism in the face of a crisis, however, at the time of taking it, it struck me as more sad and detached. Something about an Easter Bunny standing outside his car with the trunk open just struck a chord.

Quarantined photo shoot for the first birthday of a young boy. Shows celebrations in time quarantine and how people still made light of the somewhat scary situations.

To make children's daily walks more interesting people started putting plush animals in windows, trees and gardens to create a safari.

5 yo Maya Peralta-Kole plays "Rock, paper, scissors," through the fence with her neighbor and classmate from Scales Technology Academy. Though, it's a bit hard to play without a clear line of site. After calling "Rock, paper, scissors," the girls ask each other what they picked. The first to answer that question is usually the first to lose.

It's a chalk message, presumably written out by a child, which is conveying what we all feel about this pandemic "Corona is a pain in the butt"

The South City area of Saint Louis is a diverse, tight-knit community. It only makes sense that residents would go out of their way to assist each other during this difficult time. The residents of this home near the intersection of Arsenal St. and Gravois Rd. advertised resources in chalk writing on the exterior of the house, including a LinkTree website, toll-free helpline, and email account dedicated to helping those in need and connecting volunteers with service opportunities. There are also children’s chalk drawings of flowers and a rainbow on the exterior and of a rainbow and a pot of gold taped to the window. #DePaulHST391

Luckily my 5 yo continues to lead a fairly normal life. Her screen time is usually limited to when her brother naps, (about 2 hrs. a day), and she is happy to spend the rest of the day playing, painting, and singing. Occasionally, she does talk about missing school, her friends, and her nana in Michigan, but we can usually patch over the pain with a video call.

It's hard to keep an active 1 yo entertained when the parks are closed, swim class was canceled, and I can't even take him to the supermarket for a light distraction. So, I caved. I broke down after watching him cry and say "I want," repeatedly while stretching his hands towards his sister's paints and paintbrushes. On Friday night, I figured, sure it's going to be a mess, and it might be a disaster, but provided he doesn't eat it, it's harmless.

Thoughts on a a new normal

One thing that is overlooked during times like this are the children who come from broken, bad, non-functioning homes. As a school librarian, I celebrated the month+ off but dreaded the prospect of hunger and abuse the majority of my students at a Title 1, poverty stricken school would face. Our parish is currently scrambling to make sure there is food and learning access for our students, but I am afraid that my students, PreK-2nd grade, will slip through the cracks. And who knows where they will end up.

Due to COVID-19, my family and I have tried to find more ways to hang out together at home. Before the outbreak, we usually visited local stores, movie theaters, and restaurants each week. However, since COVID-19 has forced us to stay home, we have been trying to find things to do together that do not involve going out. As a group, we have been playing video and board games, watching TV and movies, eating dinner as a family, cleaning the house, and walking our dog. Recently, for one of our game nights, we decided to play a new game called “Escape the Room: Mystery at the Stargazer’s Manor”. This game is an ‘at-home’ escape room. My family and I love going to escape rooms, so we thought this would be a fun alternative to try during COVID-19. My family was able to successfully escape and finish the game in the allotted time. We really enjoyed playing this game because it allowed us to participate in one of our favorite activities, without leaving our house.