Quarantined? How to keep your kids busy at home when boredom sets in.
Online Learning Resources
13 Free or low cost Coding Programs
Basic programming has become an essential skill for grown-ups and children alike, and the marketplace is full of coding programs for kids. The benefits of picking up this skill, especially for kids, are huge: Learning how to build simple websites and games helps kids refine their design, logic, and problem-solving abilities. It also allows them to express ideas and creativity in unique ways.
There are several FREE and low-cost programs that teach children how to code. We've rounded up 13 of our favorite coding programs for kids below.
Scholastic Classroom Magazines
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!
-The Editors of Scholastic Classroom Magazines.
Wonderopolis®
Wonderopolis is a place where natural curiosity and imagination lead to exploration and discovery in learners of all ages. Each day, we pose an intriguing question—the Wonder of the Day®—and explore it in a variety of ways.
Wonderopolis was created by the National Center for Families Learning (NCFL) in 2010, and it has become one of the most popular education sites today. Some highlights of the platform include:
- 2,000+ Wonders of the Day (and counting!), covering a vast range of topics—you're sure to find something that interests you!
- We've had more than 45 million visitors since the site launched and currently welcome more than one million visitors each month.
- 65,000+ comments submitted by our users, each with a personal response from Wonderopolis.
- More than 130,000 Wonder questions submitted by our users in the Wonder Bank. All of our new Wonders of the Day now come from questions from our users.
- Platform extensions including the gamified Camp Wonderopolis and the Wonder Ground educator network.
The excitement of learning that comes from curiosity and wonder is undeniable, and Wonderopolis helps create learning moments in everyday life—ones that fit in with dinner preparations, carpool responsibilities, a stolen moment between breakfast and the bus, or within school curriculum and education programs. From the very beginning, Wonderopolis has been lauded for our fresh approach to wonder and learning.
Museums with Virtual Tours
Google Arts & Culture teamed up with over 2500 museums and galleries around the world to bring anyone and everyone virtual tours and online exhibits of some of the most famous museums around the world..
Now, you get “go to the museum” and never have to leave your couch.
Google Arts & Culture’s collection includes the British Museum in London, the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, the Guggenheim in New York City, and literally hundreds of more places where you can gain knowledge about art, history, and science. This collection is especially good for students who are looking for ways to stay on top of their studies while schools are closed.
Virtual Zoo
Take your students on a virtual field trip to the San Diego Zoo. The San Diego Zoo Kids site features video lessons hosted by zookeepers packed with information and interesting facts about popular animals.
FREE HOME ACCESS TO ABC MOUSE!
Redeem code SCHOOL7771 for FREE access to ABCmouse.com Early Learning Academy, Adventure Academy, and ReadingIQ during the period of school closure! ❤️😊😍
👉 https://www.abcmouse.com/Redeem for Early Learning Academy (for children Preschool Through 2nd Grade)
👉 https://www.readingiq.com/redeem/ for Reading IQ (for children in Preschool through 6th Grade)
👉 https://www.adventureacademy.com/redeem/ for Adventure Academy (for Children in 3rd through 8th Grade)
Learn and Practice Math Free
Prodigy has an engaging curriculum aligned math platform loved by over 50 million students, teachers and admin. No Cost, ever.
Science Activities
Engaging science activities for kids of all ages.
Free Downloadable Activities
Legacy Learning Elite is offering one free pdf per day when you subscribe to their email list.
https://view.flodesk.com/pages/5e6cfd895af0de0026d74ec2
Get Active!
If you are stuck indoors for a while be sure to keep active. Here are some Free online resources to keep the kiddos moving and active during quarantine.
Cosmic Kids Yoga
Yoga, mindfulness and relaxation designed specially for kids aged 3+, used in schools and homes all over the world.
https://www.youtube.com/user/CosmicKidsYoga
Short fun fit exercise for kids.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6LndXdPdKaQ
Kids 20 Minute Workout – The Last Jump – 20 Online
This video is more of an actual workout than play. The adult leader (a certified fitness instructor) is obviously getting a good cardio workout too!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6LndXdPdKaQ
Five Minute Exercise Video For Kids!
This is another short and simple one but it works wonders.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wU5pqxuovuM
Brain Breaks – Action Songs for Children – Move and Freeze – Kids
This children’s song incorporates a bunch of silly movements with periods of stillness as kids are challenged to move and then freeze. Perfect for those times when your kids need a quick break from schoolwork or are in a silly mood.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=388Q44ReOWE
Free Virtual Dance Classes
Grace Art in Richmond, VA designed an online ballet class for kids in Kindergarten - 2nd grade
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=tgCfEYdcBf0
Impact Dance of Atlanta is offering free online dance classes for kids. Everything from Beginner ballet to hip hop dance and more. Check out their different offerings
Stay Creative
Once the screen time is over and boredom has hit peak it is time to get creative. Here are several screen-free ideas to keep kids entertained and maybe learn a little too.
25 STEM Activities Easy Enough for Preschoolers
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) – and the Arts for STEAM – are crucial to kids’ learning and our future. This website has gathered 25 screen free stem activities for kids.
Free Printable Coloring Sheets
Our friends at Donuts and Drama have several free printable coloring sheets available now and more will be added soon.
Build an Indoor Obstacle Course
A fun idea will be to build an obstacle course for your kids. They'll love the challenge of having to complete each task, and you'll love the energy it can burn off and time it will keep them occupied. The best part? You can build this one with things you already have around the house.
8 Screen Free Indoor Activities
Successfully avoid excessive screen time, but keep our children entertained? Here are several tried and true screen-free boredom busters for kids. They’re fun, budget-friendly, and simple to set up.
https://www.naturespath.com/en-ca/blog/8-screen-free-indoor-activities-kids/
80 Boredom Busters For Kids (Plus Free Prinable Checklist)
List of 80 boredom busters, there is a good variety of things to do at home. Some activities cost nothing, some include a fee.
https://notquitesupermom.com/80-boredom-busters-for-kids-plus-free-printable-checklist/
30 Days of LEGO Play – Free Printable Calendar
That Brick Life put together a 31 Days of Spring LEGO Calendar. It’s a great way to really challenge kids to create something new with their LEGO bricks!
https://thatbricklife.com/31-days-spring-lego-calendar/
#KIDSFORCHANGE COLORING BOOK (DIGITAL DOWNLOAD)
Help reinforce the concepts of our friends at Wire & Honey #kidsforchange line in this beautifully hand illustrated coloring book. Coloring book is offered as a digital download so you can print pages as often as your little one wants to color!
Coloring book consists of six colorable pages (including cover).
https://www.wireandhoney.com/store/products/books/kidsforchange-coloring-book/
https://www.delish.com/cooking/g499/kids-cooking-recipes/
Making Slime at home
Have you tried making fluffy slime yet? This one is a must try! The texture is so fun to play with. Kids will love stretching and squishing this fluffy slime.
https://www.thebestideasforkids.com/fluffy-slime-recipe/
Celebrate the World with 50 of the Best Multicultural Children's Picture Books!
Here are some amazing books you and your child can read during this time spent indoors. Bring the world inside your home with these stunning multicultural children’s picture books, the big kid version of our popular diverse book list!https://happilyeverelephants.com/home/multicultural-childrens-picture-books
40+ Best Indoor Activities from Busy Toddler
Fun, easy and mostly free indoor activities for toddlers.
https://busytoddler.com/2020/03/indoor-activities/
Staying social and still
practicing Social Distancing
If you kids are social butterflies it may be hard to help them practice social distancing. Here are a few ideas that might help get them through this period of self-quarantine.
Get back to Old School
During this time maybe you can introduce a pastime your kids probably have not done in a long time. Letter writing can be a fun thing to do to keep in touch with their friends. Here is a resource on how to write a letter below as well as a free printable as well.
https://thisreadingmama.com/how-to-write-a-letter/
Sending photographs and Postcards via old fashioned (but effective) snail mail is a fun way to stay social as well when face to face contact isn't possible.
Virtual Playdates
Kids can't see their friends in person right now so maybe you can set up Virtual Playdates. We have endless ways to Video Chat with friends in this virtual age so utilize them. FaceTime, Skype, Snapchat, and more make it easy to keep in touch with friends virtually.
Kid Safe Social Media
Staying in touch has never been easier than with social media. There are tons of great ways your kids can stay social through the resources below.
10 safe websites strictly for children, and websites that allow parents to create profiles for their kids.
https://www.npr.org/2011/07/11/137705552/ten-safe-social-networking-sites-for-kids
Make it a {Blockbuster} movie night!
Movies a great way to spend time together and beat boredom too. Thankfully streaming services make it so easy to have every Movie and Show you want to watch available at a moments notice.
Here are some of the best watches for families and streaming service to find them.
Best Family Movies Multiple Platforms
When it's family movie night, check out the best family films on Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime, mama. And, don't worry, we'll be updating this as new movies are available!
https://www.mother.ly/lifestyle/best-kids-movies-netflix-hulu-amazon-prime
Best Kids Movies on Amazon Prime
Collider scoured the offerings at Amazon Prime, and found the fifteen best kids films available right now, for no extra cost, and they’re absolutely delightful.
https://collider.com/best-kids-family-movies-on-amazon-prime/
25 Netflix family movies
Good Housekeeping combed through to tease out the best kid's movies on Netflix that are available on the streaming service right now — including some new movies that have just arrived that you maybe weren't able to see in theaters. These family-friendly films are perfect for situations where you want to pass the time, or even for your next family movie night.
https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/life/parenting/g23406794/best-kids-movies-on-netflix/
Disney Plus: Every show, movie and original to come (and a surprise early release for Frozen 2)
Disney Plus brought us a wonderful surprise with the early release of the much anticipated Frozen 2 on its streaming platform. Here are all the other great watches you can see on Disney Plus right now.
During this time it is so important to stay safe and also keep your sanity so we sincerely hope you are able to enjoy some of these resources we have listed for you. We hope you find these helpful and remember if you have any other links or resources please make sure to drop them below and share! Stay safe and remember to WASH YOUR HANDS my friends.