Keeping kids occupied during school closure and coronavirus quarantine
To help eliminate the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19), many states have closed schools. Although this will help reduce the spread, this leaves millions of students and their families in a challenging place, some without school meals and many at home with parents who were not prepared or equipped for school distance learning or providing all-day entertainment and educational activities.
First, remember to remain calm – as the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reminds us — parents’ reactions regarding the coronavirus outbreak affect children.
Here are some free educational resources and ideas that can help during this crisis:
- Comcast free internet for 60 days
- Comcast Home Schooling Resources
- Scholastic Learn at Home
- WalkAbouts Active Learning Platform
- Discovery Education: Virtual trip to London
- Brain Pop
- Khan Academy
- Curiosity Lab
- Scholastic: daily focused topic with related activities, including a reading and writing challenge for each day of the week
- PBS Kids App
- Science Explorers
- Hogwarts Digital Escape Room
- Duolingo: foreign language tool
- Power My Learning Connect
- Classic NBA games dating back to 2000
- Archived Major League Baseball games
- Best NHL matchups going back decades
- Musical Read Alouds
- Activities for Fun-Filled Moments with Your Family
- Harry Potter at Home
- Coronavirus Homeschooling Resources
- Marvel Unlimited Now Offering Free Access to Iconic Comic Book Stories
- Virtual Museum Tours
- STEM2D: Activities at home
- Tips for caring for kids amid COVID-19
- Cooped Up at Home? Help Scientists Spot Penguins from Space or Seek Out Galaxies
- Read books – and take a break from screens.
- Write letters to classmates or extended family or start a journal.
- Encourage creative and educational toys and projects (blocks, magnet tiles, STEM toys, play-doh, art projects, board and card games, building a fort with pillows and blankets, using cardboard boxes to build castle, etc.)
- Do spring cleaning and collect items to donate to charity once stores and pick-up are available.
- Pay kids to do chores.
- Try new recipes and bake or cook as a family. Consider these heart-healthy recipes from American Heart Association.
- Take a family walk, weed, or play outside in the yard to get some sunshine and vitamin D. Get out those frisbees and footballs.
- See our earlier post on active winter ideas.
- Check out creative activity ideas like 94 fun things to do at home.
- Many states have certain schools or sites open for meals. Visit your school website for specific locations and times.
- If your child has special needs, Autism Speaks offers resources on how to handle school closures.
