Being the parent or caregiver to young children is always a challenge, but parenting during COVID-19 takes this challenge to a whole new level. Even if you are fortunate enough to have had everyone in your household remain healthy and your work can be done remotely, you probably feel exhausted from cooking, homeschooling, doing additional housework, and trying to keep everyone’s morale up.
If there is a silver lining to this global pandemic, it’s the opportunity for all of us to reassess what really matters and to consider how we want to emerge from this period of social distancing. And as parents of little ones, the opportunity to shape how they emerge looms large in our minds too. So, let’s look at 10 resources to strengthen kids’ cognitive capacity and resilience during this challenging time.
5 Remote Learning Resources
Screen-time rules probably went out the window many weeks ago and that’s okay! Rather than judging yourself or your kids for being online more than usual, why not focus on entertaining and educational resources?
Here are some suggestions:
1. Cosmic kids
Getting enough physical activity is important for everyone, especially kids! But of course, it’s a huge challenge during quarantine. This yoga channel offers fun, story-driven yoga practices (e.g., Bear Hunt, Star Wars, and Minecraft) that are perfect to help kids get their wiggles out. Try starting the day with Cosmic Kids to get their brains ready for some virtual learning.
This is a gamified math program designed for first- through eighth-graders and adapts to individual learners. Kids see it as a role-playing video game that includes math challenges. Players explore the world, get badges for completing quests, and collect animals friends along the way. Prodigy is always free, though there is a premium, paid version.
3. Dreambox.com
DreamBox is similar to Prodigy, but simpler to use. It’s a PreK-8 math program that also adapts to the skill level of each learner. The lessons are available in English or Spanish and they’re offering a 90-day free trial if you sign up by April 30.
This is a great way to help your kids with reading. If you are concerned about your child falling behind on reading, Scholastic’s daily literacy resource has you covered. Created just for the COVID-19 crisis, it includes projects and reading activities on a huge range of themes from science to social studies.
5. LUNCH DOODLES with Mo Willems
These daily art lessons with Mo Willems, a children’s book author and animator responsible for Sheep in the Big City on Cartoon Network, are a huge hit. Each lesson takes less than 30 minutes, so kids won’t get bored.
5 Learning Resources (No Screen Required)
For times when you and the kids really need a break from the screens, here are some non-screen dependent learning resource:
1. Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons
This step-by-step book is everything parents need to teach their kids to read using an evidence-based method. If your child rejects the workbook-style lessons, you can pick and choose the activities that work for them and have them complete each one in a regular notebook. The book is designed for 20-minute lessons.
2. Go on an Outside Scavenger Hunt
Give your child a quick list of objects to locate in your yard. You’ll want to remind them of the social distancing rules for this of course, but if you have a fenced yard, this is a perfect activity. You could come up with themes; for example, come up with a list of objects smaller than your child’s thumb, or a list of all red objects, etc.
3. Plan and Cook Meals Together
Planning and cooking meals together is a great bonding activity. This is one of those activities that you probably wouldn’t “have time” for outside of the social distancing protocols, so remember to savor moments like this. If your kids are old enough, have them plan a few meals, make a list of ingredients to order online, and follow the recipe to make the meal. Challenge them to try something new.
4. Write Sidewalk Chalk Messages Around the Neighborhood
So many people on social media have posted pictures of chalk messages around their neighborhoods. This kind of activity can really brighten everyone’s day. Have your kids come up with inspirational messages or games they can draw and help them bring their visions to life.
5. Create a Vision Board for After Quarantine
And speaking of visions, a vision board for what to do after quarantine is a great activity to uplift everyone’s spirits. Sit down with some old magazines, markers, glue sticks, and poster paper. Have your kids cut out images of activities they want to do after quarantine and glue them to their vision boards. You can start planning your next family vacation too.
Creating a vision board is one simple way to preserve mental health. But if you need more resources, check out The Village. Their experts post videos and other resources daily to help families, children, and parents struggling during this time.
Looking for more ideas to help with parenting during COVID-19? This article offers 250+ creative ideas to help you and your family stay sane right now. We’ll all get through this crisis together (separately). Do you or your kids have any fun activities to share?
If you or a parent or caregiver you know is struggling with parenting during COVID-19, contact us today. Although we are following physical distancing guidelines, our staff is still here for you via email and phone. The Exchange Family Center is committed to supporting our children and families even during this crisis.