Coronavirus: Keeping things fun, fresh for kids during COVID-19 quarantine

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Schools are closed, parties are canceled, and with no play dates or big park gatherings, this can be hard on kids.

We turned to a Philadelphia mom known for coming up with ideas on keeping things exciting and fresh.

"It's been an adjustment and it's been hard," says Laura Swartz, the editor of Philadelphia Family.

"We have been working on ways to find the fun with what we can still do," said Swartz.

Swartz is known for exploring everything our beautiful city has to offer, often taking it all in with her 6-year-old daughter, Maya.

She says our museums and cultural institutions might be closed, but that doesn't mean we are shut off from the arts.

"Our city is basically the biggest art museum there is," Swartz says. "We have more murals than any other city, so you can go on your own DIY tour or listen to Museum Without Walls and go on a guided tour."

Many of Philly's iconic institutions are also now offering virtual programming.

"The Philadelphia Zoo is doing "Philly Zoo at 2" on their Facebook page and featuring a different animal every day," she says. "You can tour Philadelphia's Magic Gardens with a 360 degree tour."

Philadelphia's Princess Bonnie will also bring the magic of Disney to your home with virtual character play dates.

Swartz urges parents to be kind to themselves right now and says you should know that you're doing a good job.

She even got a little reassurance from Maya's journal.

"I was feeling kind of down and very low and things kept getting canceled and it was scary," she says. "I looked in her journal and on the first page it said, 'We had fun.'"

She has embraced this way of explaining it all to her kindergartener.

"I reassure her that she's safe and we are safe and we are together," she says.

Click here for her full list of virtual things to do with the kids.