Home, Sweet Home # Relaxation Zone to Destress (Mental Well-being)

Hello all :)

It is been a known story that in recent days, our home is our whole earth atleast for the ones who abide by laws and being aware and not commuting outside (except for specific needs). So what if we improvise our home more cheerfully so that we are happy around and excited.

This pandemic might have brought mental stress to some of us by running around the home. And to me as well (most times watching news channels..:/), but after few days during initial lockdown i started to focus on gardening and home improvement ideas so that i utilise my time in a happy way and do something useful.

So i started to look at the places around my home (including terrace) where i could add some fun so that my family is also happy with it.

In this instructable, i would elaborate what are the things added to my home changed the mood and thus helped to over the stress and improve the mental health.

Before, the Terrace

This picture is a view of my terrace exactly on June 10, 2020. Thanks to Google Photos :)

Idea 1 - Game Layout at Terrace

The first and foremost is about drawing games on the terrace particularly turning an indoor game to outdoor so that it brings more fun to us.

And the one which everyone in my family knows to play it well. We used to play as indoor game during specific south indian occassions.

To all those who does not know about Snakes & Ladders, here's a short note about it, from Wikipedia:

Snakes and ladders, known originally as Moksha Patam, is an ancient Indian board game for two or more players regarded today as a worldwide classic.[1] It is played on a game board with numbered, gridded squares. A number of "ladders" and "snakes" are pictured on the board, each connecting two specific board squares. The object of the game is to navigate one's game piece, according to die rolls, from the start (bottom square) to the finish (top square), helped by climbing ladders but hindered by falling down snakes.

My Secret Goal, With the Game Layout

The main secret goal of drawing this game at terrace is to:

1. Make people jump more :D

2. And thus it helps to keep the body weight in balance (as there is no much physical activity recent days)

3. Added to that, it can be played by both adults and children(with their own gaming rules...:D) and thus it brings more joy of playing and being together and especially could breathe fresh air (without a mask this time).

Here Is the Recent View of Increased Vegetation, Around the Terrace

Btw, the vegetation around the terrace is increased so that we can be with better health by often consuming home-grown organic foods.

Lets See How Did I Made the Game Layout : Gather the Supplies Required

Gloves

Exterior Floor paint

Pink and Green(these we have some remaining paint brought for recent use)

Paint brush

Sand paper(wherever required)

Chalk pieces

Any long wooden/metal pieces, to lay straight line for making the boxes

Game Layout : Cleaning With Broom

Game Layout : Mark the Outline

Game Layout : Wet the Surface With Water

Game Layout : Draw Game Layout and Numbers on It,with Chalk Pieces

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Game Layout : Draw Outline of the Game and Numbers, With Bright Color

Game Layout : Add Snakes and Ladders Onto It

Now Lets Ready the Objects - the Dice

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I use a cardboard box and stick varying color sheets to each sides; numbers on it with acrylic paints.

As kids could not hold the bigger cardboard boxes we do have small dice.

Substitute, Stone Coins

Now, for those who wanted to take rest or come back to the game after a while they can place stone coins as a substitute.

How It Gets Played

As the lockdown is little relaxed, we get relatives visit our house recent days and the kids who come along with them enjoy playing (actually they enjoy jumping from one box to another...:p) this simple game.

And family is bit shy to pose for photos, i have used some stuffed toys to demonstrate the game as follows.