DENVER (KDVR) — As many communities are dealing with extended stay-at-home orders, the isolation could be taking a toll, especially on kids who would usually be having play dates, playing sports, having music lessons and going to school.

Dr. Sheryl Ziegler, a child therapist, says isolation is not a natural state for us or our children.

“In general these younger children, they need unstructured free-form play, climbing things, they need to be creative, and so they’re probably not getting that,” she said.

Dr. Ziegler, author of ‘Mommy Burnout,” says older kids, ages nine to 13, are generally trying to figure out who they are, and these days they are not getting their normal feedback.

Then, there are teenagers, who are generally trying to establish their independence.

“Now all they have is time at home with parents who are saying, ‘No you really can not go out,'” Ziegler said.

So, here are some suggestions.

Dr. Ziegler says each age group can video chat with a friend at least once a day.

“It’s nice for kids just to even hear other voices that sound like theirs, and to hear other jokes and things that they think are funny at all these different ages. That is really impactful, so use technology,” she said.

For the young ones, she says try to encourage siblings to play together.

The kids who are a little older can socialize for an hour doing something they enjoy while video chatting, like baking or playing a video game.

For high school students, she says make sure their communication is more than text or Snapchat.

“I do feel like as a parent, you may want to encourage that video face-to-face time, just so that they definitely get that feedback that they really need,” she said

Dr. Ziegler says it’s important to reduce stress by getting outside, staying active and connected.