9 safe and festive ways to celebrate the April holidays and stay safe and healthy

How are you planning to spend the 2021 April long weekend? For some, it will be a quiet time of focus on the religious aspect of the holiday period and for all, it will be a chance to rest and recharge with loved ones. Whatever your plans, you may be wondering what sort of activities are safest for you and your family in the context of limiting your exposure to COVID-19? We're here to help you to decide on how best to spend your time.

What should guide our decision making over the long weekend?

This year, there is concern that social and religious events, family gatherings, travel to popular and busy holiday destinations and specific dynamics (like increased consumption of alcohol) will fuel so-called superspreader events - where one person infects a large number of others.

• Read all about the 3 Vs of recognising superspreader events and the 3 Cs of avoiding high-risk settings.

Avoiding superspreader events is key to dampening the effect of a third wave of infection in our country and also to delaying its onset. Experts predict that our third wave will also likely coincide with the start of the 2021 flu season in early April which means a double risk of infection for us all - and especially for people at high risk of severe illness from flu and COVID-19 disease.

• This makes having our yearly flu vaccine, as soon as its available, really important. It also means doing all we can to play our part in limiting the spread of COVID-19 over the April break.

Safe, fun ways to enjoy the April break and make the holiday an unforgettable one

Livestream a church service

A year into the COVID-19 pandemic, online church services have become extremely common. Find out whether your parish is hosting one and join in to participate in Easter-related religious events while staying safe from exposure to COVID-19.

Digital celebration and socialising - set up a virtual gathering

We all miss freely socialising with friends and loved ones, beyond the people we live with. Set up online calls and arrange to spend time together virtually. Consider setting up the calls to coincide with a meal time so that you all eat together. Or use the time for other events - perhaps playing a board game together that revolves around questions and answers, or a game like Easter Bingo. You could also ask everyone to dress up to a specific theme - Easter-related or otherwise.

Make some movie time

Set up a movie time for your family, and make it special with refreshments, popcorn and other snacks. If you celebrate Easter, you might focus on a film that shares the Easter story. If you're looking for other options, consider the many movie-streaming platforms available online and choose something the whole family will enjoy. You could even schedule daily movie time!

Order-in or cook at home!

The long weekend presents a wonderful opportunity for time at home and meals with family. Have your groceries delivered through online shopping platforms and spend time cooking a meal together. Or, order take-out meals from a restaurant and enjoy it at home.

If you do eat out at a restaurant, make sure you're seated outdoors, ideally one to two meters away from others. Wear your mask at all times when interacting with people you do not live with - or generally when out in public.

Make your own Easter eggs or Easter greeting cards

Spend time designing, drawing and writing your own Easter eggs or cards. Get creative and look for interesting bits and pieces around the house that you could stick onto these items to spread some Easter cheer. Here are some ideas to get the creative juices flowing: 3D paper Easter eggs, one-sheet paper Easter eggs, or try these 20 Easter religious crafts for kids by Country Living, including making paper crosses resembling stained glass and more.

Also, let your children decorate the house with home-made Easter crafts. Your kids can also paint hard-boiled eggs and make beautiful, colourful decorations which you can display on your coffee table or turn into Easter bunnies. You could also attempt your own paper bunny ears!

Chocaholic? Chocolate Easter eggs - buy or make your own and arrange an egg hunt

When you buy your online groceries, remember to include a few Easter eggs so that you can enjoy an egg hunt with your family. Or, if you want to get the family involved in an activity they will all love, then Homemade Easter eggs are on the cards (and chocolate, coloured icing and other ingredients on the shopping list)! There are many online recipes for home-made chocolate eggs. And, when you've hidden them, get both kids and adults involved in the hunt! If you don't have a garden you can tuck the eggs away in hidey-holes in the home.

Make time for family photographs - DIY!

How often do we have everyone home, with uninterrupted time to share? Use the long weekend to take family photographs in your garden or a spot set up in the home. Have everyone dress up formally or according to a theme, and simply set up your cellphone to take them. Take as many as you wish and later print the ones you all love and make it an unforgettable 2021 April break. Make them fun, and use the self-timer function on your smartphone camera to ensure everyone is in the photos!

Exercise outdoors or stream an online workout at home

Play golf or tennis, go for a walk, run or cycle alone or with a friend (always avoid crowds), visit the beach or a public swimming pool (only safe if you can social distance and wear your facemask if engaging with others, but not when swimming). Keep in mind that your risk of exposure to COVID-19 is far lower when outdoors and in well ventilated spaces.

• You can also stream an online workout at home. Find one on YouTube or join Jeff - an online health and wellness platform where Vitality members can earn 50 points a day for qualifying fitness workouts from the comfort of their own home - with a 25% discount through your Vitality membership

Consider activities that older family members will enjoy

Older people are considered high-risk for serious COVID-19 illness, so it's important that we keep them safe in all activities planned. If we are visiting loved ones at their homes, we should only do so if we know we are healthy and have been taking care and practicing COVID-19 preventive measures throughout. For older loved ones who live with you, consider doing flower arrangements for your home together, enjoy time singing favourite songs, go for outdoor walks, involve them in cooking and baking and have them share family recipes with loved ones. Also, connect them with other loved ones or friends virtually wherever possible. And, invite them to they take part in family viewings for virtual church services where they celebrate Easter.

For everything else, take your activities through our two filters!

We have also created two brilliant resources for you to use anytime you're planning an activity and want to assess your risk of COVID-19 exposure. We have:

• An extensive list of risk-rated activities (rated low-, medium- and high-risk)
• A seven-step filter through which you can take an activity you're considering, to really help you to decide if it is safe for you at this time