Category: Activity

Are you off of work right now?  Are the kids out of school?

It’s Spring Break all over the US.  Many businesses and schools are closed because of the COVID-19 that is a pandemic worldwide.  We all need things to do to keep us busy.  The kids need activities to do and to continue their education.  Here’s a list of things that grown-ups and children can do to combat the boredom. 

Things To Do – Sites to Visit 

12 Famous Museums Offer Virtual Tours:  “Experience the best museums from London to Seoul in the comfort of your own home.”

Minecraft – Education Edition:  “Minecraft: Education Edition is an open-world game that promotes creativity, collaboration, and problem-solving in an immersive environment where the only limit is your imagination.”

Google Arts & Culture:  “Google Arts & Culture features content from over 1200 leading museums and archives who have partnered with the Google Cultural Institute to bring the world’s treasures online.”

Mystery Science:  “To help educators during this time of coronavirus, we have pulled our most popular science lessons and are offering them for anyone to use for free. No account or login is needed. Copy and paste the links below into your documents and use them however they might be helpful! Mystery Science is the creator of the most popular science lessons in U.S. schools. We’ve curated this starter set of science lessons that you can use remotely or share with parents.”

Free Books with Amazon Prime:  “Prime Reading and Amazon First Reads are benefits perfect for bibiophiles — and they’re included with Prime.”

50 Fun Things to do with Your Kids at Home:  “We have revised our ever-so-popular list of Top 50 things to do for a snow day and adapted it to being home all day with your cherubs.”

Raddish Kids:  “At Raddish, we believe the heart of the home is in the kitchen.  And our team of parents, chefs, and educators know the kitchen is the perfect place to cultivate academic skills outside the traditional classroom — including math, science, geography, language arts, and more.  We’ve created this page as a free resource to support families likes yours, because food is love!  It comforts and connects us all!”

The Old Farmer’s Almanac for Kids:  “A children’s version of the Old Farmer’s Almanac. Contains facts about weather, star gazing, history and more.”

Smithsonian Learning Lab:  “Support deep, meaningful learning with an online universe of authentic resources and tools for making them your own.”

SmartMusic:  “SmartMusic is a web-based suite of music education tools that support efficient practice, helping musicians to develop and grow.”

National Geographic Education – Resource Library:  “At National Geographic, we teach kids about the world and how it works, empowering them to succeed and to make it a better place.”

Scholastic Learn at Home:  “Even when schools are closed, you can keep the learning going with these special cross-curricular journeys. Every day includes four separate learning experiences, each built around a thrilling, meaningful story or video. Kids can do them on their own, with their families, or with their teachers. Just find your grade level and let the learning begin!”

Great Minds:  “Three-quarters of our more than 800 employees are or have been teachers, so we understand the pressure teachers are under at this time to keep students on track. We are here to support them with free resources including our Eureka Math/EngageNY Math curriculum that is a free, open education resource available to anyone, anywhere.  And starting Wednesday, March 18, we are going to share—free to anyone—recorded daily lessons in Grades K–12 of Eureka Math, K–8 of Wit & Wisdom, and 3–5 of PhD Science. These lessons will be delivered by our own teachers and will be viewable on any device so that teachers and their students may use them.”

Coding For Kids: Free Classes, Websites, and Apps:  “It’s easy to imagine a kid learning coding being stuck in front of a computer for the rest of their lives. However, that doesn’t have to be the case! In fact, coding experience can open up many opportunities and make your child more marketable when they start applying for awards, scholarships, and even jobs! In the digital age, there are plenty of ways for kids to learn coding, free.”

DC Environmental Film Fest Goes ‘Virtual’ Amid Coronavirus Fears:  “The 28th annual D.C. Environmental Film Festival will hold a “virtual” festival next week after canceling all public events slated for March 12-22 due to coronavirus concerns.”

Over 30 Virtual Field Trips with Links:  Click on the colored text for links.  Safe travels!

The Metropolitan Opera Will Stream Operas for Free in Wake of Coronavirus:  “Have you always thought that you could get really into opera if it were more easily accessible? Well, thanks to the coronavirus, now is your chance. OperaWire has reported that the Metropolitan Opera will host “Nightly Met Opera Streams” on its official website in an attempt to continue providing opera to its audience members.”

Download Free Coloring Books from 113 Museums:  “Thy wish is our command, but be prepared to hustle, because today is the final day of Color Our Collections, a compellingly democratic initiative on the part of the New York Academy of Medicine.  Since 2016, the Academy has made an annual practice of inviting other libraries, archives, and cultural institutions around the world to upload PDF coloring pages based on their collections for the public’s free download.”

Lunch Doodles with Mo Willems:  “Mo Willems invites YOU into his studio every day for his LUNCH DOODLE. Learners worldwide can draw, doodle and explore new ways of writing by visiting Mo’s studio virtually once a day for the next few weeks. Grab some paper and pencils, pens, or crayons and join Mo to explore ways of writing and making together.”

Met to Launch “Nightly Met Opera Streams”:  “A day after canceling upcoming performances due to concerns around the coronavirus, the Metropolitan Opera announced that it would stream encore presentations from the award-winning Live in HD series of cinema transmissions on the company website for the duration of the closure.”

10 Virtual Field Trips for Your Kids:  “While we may not be able to venture out with the kids for a bit why not check out one of these virtual field trips and explore with them!”

22 Ways to Leave Home Without Actually Leaving the Couch, from Virtual Zoo Exhibits to Museum Gallery Tours:  “Here’s how to enjoy an afternoon at the museum, the zoo, or theme park all without leaving your couch.”

Virtual Storytimes for Kids – Authors and Venues Go Online Amid Coronavirus:  “Just because you’re staying in doesn’t mean an end to storytime! From the Brooklyn Public Library taking its readings to Facebook, to live demonstrations by famous picture-book authors, to a large selection of many of the greatest actors of our time reading some of the best books for kids, you can have an amazing storytime for kids right at home.”

100 Activities to do at Home During School Closures:  “I have created a helpful guide for all of you to survive the upcoming school closures.  Many of these activities listed below will require some supplies. Most items you could find at the Dollar Store.”

Art at Home:  “Ready to stay creative from the couch? Here is your guide to enjoying art at home!”

Help and Information for Kids

The Ultimate Kids’ Guide to the New Coronavirus:  “A new coronavirus called SARS-CoV-2 is spreading across the globe. Kids like you are likely wondering, “Will school be closed?” and, “Should I be worried about getting sick?” To help guide you through a confusing situation, here are answers from science to all the questions you may have.”

Talking to Kids about the Coronavirus:  “News of the coronavirus COVID-19 is everywhere, from the front page of all the papers to the playground at school. Many parents are wondering how to bring up the epidemic in a way that will be reassuring and not make kids more worried than they already may be. Here is some advice from the experts at the Child Mind Institute.”

How to Talk to Kids about Coronavirus:  “So what should you tell kids about the coronavirus, and how? We spoke to a pediatrician, two psychologists, a pediatric infectious disease specialist and a safety expert for their best tips.”

Children’s Book – Hello!  I am the Coronavirus:  “I have built this short book for children between 2 and 7 years old with the purpose of anticipating and accompanying the emotional world of children against the COVID-19 virus. This resource does not seek to be a source of scientific information but rather a tool based on fantasy and the symbolic. I recommend printing it so that the children can draw their emotion and they can have it at home to read it repeatedly. Remember that emotions are processed through repetitive play and stories read multiple times.”

Christian – Religion – Catholic

Sadlier:  For teachers and student/family resources.  Sadlier Religion Resources is access to valuable resources for the programs you are using.

The Catholic Toolbox:  “Tools” for the Classroom or at Home – activities, crafts, games, puzzles, worksheets, lesson plans, classroom tips, etc. for all ages.

Loyola Press:  “For over 100 years, our mission has been to lead people to Jesus and to facilitate transformative experiences of God so that people of all ages can lead holy and purposeful lives with and for others. We accomplish our goals with inspiration from Saint Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits), a man who spent his whole post-conversion life providing catechesis and engaging others in spiritual conversation. In addition to our spirituality and faith formation offerings, we are pleased to serve the Kindergarten through Grade 8 literacy community with our highly regarded English Language Arts programs.”  “Christ Our Life for over 40 years, the Christ Our Life religious education program has been leading children to Jesus Christ in schools and religious education programs in every diocese in the United States. A favorite among faith formation program directors, teachers, and catechists, Christ Our Life features the original spiral curriculum — a teaching process that ensures consistent progress toward an accurate and thorough understanding of the faith.”

Ignatius Press:  “Ignatius Press is an apostolate, a ministry of Guadalupe Associates, a church-based group of people who use their talents “for the greater glory of God”. Guadalupe Associates/Ignatius Press’s  mission is to collaborate in the evangelizing, catechetical, liturgical, and educational work of the Catholic Church, through the publication and distribution of Catholic print, video, and audio materials, especially books and films, as well as through the internet and social media. Guadalupe Associates/Ignatius Press helps deepen people’s spiritual lives in a number of ways, including by means of its retreat house and through the publication of liturgical and spiritual resources such as the Adoremus Hymnal, the Mass of Vatican II booklet, and the Ignatius Pew Missal for churches. These and other works reflect the liturgical and spiritual vision of Guadalupe Associates, Inc, which is nourished by the communal daily prayer and worship of many of its workers.”  Faith and Life religious education series was written for both school and parish use and is now in its Third Edition with separate manuals for the teacher in a daily classroom setting and the catechist in a once a week classroom setting.

Formed:  “The Catholic Faith.  On demand.  Get thousands of movies, programs, audio, and books instantly.”

Eric Gallagher:  “Ways to Teach, Meet, and Minister Online” Having worked for the church in a rural area for the past ten years and while striving to share and teach what I’ve learned to others across the country, I’ve discovered some incredible resources to help gather, teach, and grow online.  Given the current circumstances throughout the world, I thought I would share with you my list of resources that I’ve found to be most helpful in doing so.

YDisciple:  “Your subscription to YDisciple gives you (and your whole team!) access to our online streaming platform with offline playback plus iOS, Android, and Roku apps.”

Magnificat:  “During this challenging time, many of the faithful may be unable to attend Mass.  Magnificat is honored to provide complimentary access to our online version to help people pray from home.”

Religious Education – Online Resources:  “The following free resources are from faithful Catholic ministries and have numerous videos and other media available for ongoing catechesis and sacrament preparation. St. Joseph’s hopes these will aid parishioners during the suspension of parish catechesis.”

Help and Information for Teachers and Parents Working with Kids

Google for Education:  “To help with this, we recently announced that advanced Hangouts Meet features are available for free to anyone who uses G Suite around the world. This means you’ll be able to put up to 250 people on a Hangouts Meet call—an entire class or group of classes can join a lesson simultaneously. You’ll get live-streaming for up to 100,000 viewers within your domain, so that you can do a virtual school assembly or stream a lecture. Plus, you can record meetings and save them to Google Drive. When students can’t join the lesson, they’ll be able to access the content later.”  

Comprehensive Response to the Worldwide Coronavirus Outbreak:  “As a global company serving 4.5 million educators and 45 million students in 140 countries and territories around the world, Discovery Education has been monitoring the recent Coronavirus outbreak closely. Like educators everywhere, we are concerned about the Coronavirus’ potential impact on student learning in the unfortunate event schools or school systems are closed for extended periods of time.  So, to help schools and the communities they serve maintain continuity of learning in the event of prolonged school closures due to the Coronavirus, Discovery Education has created a three-pronged response.”

Boardmaker Activities-to-Go:  “Meet Boardmaker Activities-to-Go! Free, printable activities for students in K-12. Whether you are an educator, speech language pathologist, behavior specialist, or parent, start teaching today.”

How to Utilise Twinkl during the Coronavirus Shutdown – A Guide for Schools:  “At Twinkl, our mission is to help those who teach and we are therefore taking steps to support continued learning at home, by offering the teachers and parents of children in schools which are closed, or facing closure, free access to all Twinkl resources for a period of one month in the first instance.”

Remote Learning with Khan Academy During School Closures:  “With concerns growing over the coronavirus (COVID-19), we know many of you are making plans to keep learning going should your school need to close. As parents and teachers ourselves, we know there’s a lot on your minds, from health and safety to child care and jobs.”

PenPal Schools:  “PenPal Schools connects students from 150 countries through project based learning.”  Offering FREE access during the Corvid-19 pandemic.

The Parents’ Guide to Google Classroom:  A helpful guide for teachers to share with their parents as classrooms move toward online learning.  Excellent!

Zoom’s Commitment to User Support & Business Continuity During the Coronavirus Outbreak:  “The growing epidemic has broadened my view on what it means to be a video communications technology provider in times of need. I know many organizations are grappling with how to maintain business continuity and keep employees engaged amid the threat of the virus, and I’m compelled to help anyone who needs it.”

Kahoot!:  “We believe that there should be no limits to when and where you can learn. Engage students in learning even when they’re not in class and stay on track with curriculum while instructing online.”  If your school is affected by Corvid-19, you can access Kahoot! Premium’s distance learning tools for free.

Genially:  “As you unfortunately know, the current situation is forcing schools to close, and altering our daily work in many parts of the world. From Genially we take a step forward to make life a little easier for people who have been forced to stop.  For this reason, we launched a series of initiatives that aim to facilitate and promote, as far as possible, distance learning / working. This method is a crucial way to keep up with the pace of school, academy, university or office in these week.  At Genially we have a single goal: to offer resources and content to those affected students, trainers and professionals. For this reason, we launch a series of own actions in addition to joining all the movements initiated by other digital platforms in the sector.”

Kids Discover Online:  “Request free, unlimited access to Kids Discover Online if your school/district has been closed due to the Coronavirus.”

Emergencies and Switching to Online Learning:  “At core is the question, if the government in your state, province, or area ordered all schools to close, what would you do? How is this emergency something you can prepare for?”

Boom Cards by Boom Learning:  “If your school is considering closing for COVID19 reasons or has closed and you are not a current Boom Learning premium customer, we are offering free Ultimate subscriptions good through June 30 to affected schools.  Existing customer schools who do not have Ultimate subscriptions can get an Ultimate account per grade or subject team to share for authoring materials to share out school colleagues to keep learning on course.”  Reach out to help@boomlearning.com if you are an affected school.

EdHeads:  “Edheads is an online educational resource that provides science and math games and activities that promote critical thinking. Choose from Simple Machines, Virtual Knee Surgery or Stem Cell Heart Repair, among others. All activities meet state and national standards.”  Edheads Virally Free Membership for use March 13 through April 4, 2020 ONLY.  Each registrant will have one log in they create and can use for unlimited play for the dates mentioned above.  This membership will go away after April 6 and will have to be converted to a paying membership if the member chooses to continue to use Edheads games.

How to Homeschool for Free During a School Closure:  “Is your child’s school closed for two weeks — or more? Do you want to continue your child’s education at home while classes are cancelled?  Maybe you are facing the challenge of online learning, e-learning, or virtual school, thanks to COVID-19, or maybe you’ve decided to homeschool temporarily until the crisis is over. If you’re intimidated by the idea of trying to find things for your kids to do while stuck at home, the lesson plans, free curriculum, and activity ideas in this post will help you have a fun, educational, and memorable time with your kids.”

Helping You Plan and Continue Instruction During the COVID-19 Crisis:  “Start by initiating your complimentary access to Newsela ELA, Newsela Social Studies, Newsela Science, and The Newsela SEL Collection through the 2019/2020 school year.”

Smart Tech:  “Inspiring greatness and improving education outcomes through innovative tech and training that supports engagement and connection.”

How Schools Can Ramp up Remote Learning Programs Quickly with Microsoft Teams:  “As some schools look to continue learning remotely for the safety of their students and faculty, Microsoft Teams for Education provides an online classroom so students and teachers can find new ways to continue to focus on learning. Free for schools and universities, Teams provides an online classroom that brings together virtual face-to-face connections, assignments, files and conversations into a single place accessible on either mobile, tablet, PC or browser.”

Free BrainPOP Access for Schools Closed Due to the Coronavirus:  “Recognizing the enormous impact this situation has on a school community, we are offering free, unlimited use of BrainPOP to any school, anywhere, that is closed due to the coronavirus during the period of their closure.”

Parenting During Covid-19:  “Articles about how to parent right now — how to talk to our kids and help calm their fears — abound. I’ve read many. Contributed to some. And now I’m writing my own. Why? Because what I haven’t seen yet is a bulleted list, a set of short and sweet and pragmatic tips you could print out and hang on your fridge as a reference. And so that’s going to be my contribution.”

How to Talk to Your Kids about Coronavirus:  “So before lights out, we talked. I asked what they had heard about the coronavirus. We got it all out — their questions, their “I heards” and their fears. The rest of the conversation had three themes.”

Teaching Our World – The Coronavirus:  “We have heard that many of your students are worried about the new coronavirus. We’ve created this collection to help you ease their fears and empower them with age-appropriate information. These teaching resources were carefully prepared by grade-level to help your students understand what is being done to keep them safe and how to prevent germs from spreading.”

Helping Kids Who are Worried about Coronavirus:  “Many of our kids have been hearing about COVID-19 for weeks at school, from friends, on the news, and at home, and while they might not know how to appropriately express their feelings about the situation, they might be holding on to some pretty strong worries. While some schools are closing, kids are out of their comfortable routines, which can contribute to those worries.”  Infographic on her IG to help.

TeacherVision:  “In response to these unprecedented challenges, we are making all of the resources on TeacherVision freely available to teachers and parents until March 31, 2020 so they have access to everything needed to support students’ learning at home.”

NYC Department of Education – Learn at Home:  “The materials on the Learn at Home pages are designed to provide supplementary learning resources to students in the event that students may need to be home from school. We encourage you to use this time to continue your student’s learning while they are at home. To help students engage in educational material, we have shared the resources below for students in all grades, from Early Learn through elementary and middle school, and for high school. These materials do not replace what your child has been learning at school, but during this unusual time it is important that students continue to read, write, do social studies and science activities, and work on math problems.”

Schoology:  “Our Basic package is for instructors, students, parents, and advisors who want to improve learning at the classroom level. It’s free and easy to sign up.”

Feckle:  “Freckle empowers teachers to differentiate instruction across Math, ELA, Social Studies and Science.”  A free sign-up for teachers and students.

Miscellaneous

Cox Announces Plans to Support Residential Customers in Need During Coronavirus Pandemic:  “Cox announced today additional plans to support residential customers during the coronavirus pandemic. Cox is upgrading internet speeds for select residential packages and implementing a variety of other changes to provide support and relief for our customers and communities in greatest need.”

Spectrum Offering Free Access to Broadband and Wi-Fi for Students Without Access for 60 Days:  “Charter Communication announced Friday morning it will offer free Spectrum broadband and Wi-Fi access for 60 days to households with K-12 and/or college students who do not already have a subscription.”

Public Service Company of Oklahoma (PSO):   Facebook post – PSO is temporarily suspending all disconnections for non-payment as the coronavirus (COVID-19) has been documented in our state.

**I have NOT personally visited or used all of these sites.  It is up to each individual if to deem them appropriate for their kids or students.  Some offers may have limitations based on location or other rules and regulations.**

I hope that these links are helpful to you and your kids or students.  If you know of any that I could add, I’d be happy to do that.  Just leave a comment and I’ll add it ASAP. 

Edit to add….

This post got too long to be of use to readers.  I’ve split it up from my original post and all the other links that I’ve added from other bloggers, Facebook, and so on.  You can click here to be taken to Things to Do While Everyone is Home 2.