#WFHWK – The “what should the kids do?” edition. Not only are parents working from home in unprecedented numbers we are also trying to figure out how our kids can share that space. And also how to make that time and those activities be meaningful to their growth – both socially and academically, at least some of the time. Oh yeah, and make it fun. Whew. It’s exhausting just thinking about it. As a mom of three (ages 3, 5, and 8) who has worked from home (with kids underfoot) for nearly a decade and has also spent the past year+ homeschooling my eldest I wanted to offer up some of our favorite resources and activities that we’ve used to keep people playing well with others in our home during times of work, school, and play.
Screen Time:
Let’s face it. All bets are off on screen time limits right now. But, we also know that not all screen time is created equal. These are some apps and websites we use to help encourage learning through play:
| Learning Apps | Ages | Topic |
| Hungry Caterpillar Play School | 2+ | Early learning through play |
| Tiny Hands | 2+ | Sorting, matching, building |
| Puzzingo | 2+ | Educational puzzles |
| EduKitty | 2+ | Early learning through play |
| TinyBop | 4+ | Science |
| Thinkrolls | 4+ | Logic puzzles |
| Todo Math | 4+ | Interactive math |
| Twelve a Dozen | 6+ | Math |
| Barefoot World Atlas | 6+ | Geography, also people, animals, and other world topics |
| Monument Valley | 6+ | Logic puzzles |
| Libby | 6+ | Online library books |
| Helpful Websites | Ages | Links specifically for Covid-19 Response |
| Education.com | PreK+ | Assets for transitioning to home learning during school closures |
| Outschool.com | 3+ | Free classes offered for school closures |
| Khan Academy | 2-19 | Remote learning with Khan Academy |
| PBS Kids | 2+ | Daily newsletter with activities for kids to do at home |
| We Are Teachers | K-5th grade | |
| Wide Open School | PreK-12th grade |
This is a website powered by Common Sense Media as a response to Covid 19’s impact on schooling
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Art, Reading, Movement, and More:
| Podcasts | Topic |
| Story Pirates |
Stories written by kids adapted into sketch comedy and musical theater
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| Little Stories for Tiny People |
Original stories for toddlers and young kids
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| But, Why |
An NPR podcast for curious kids – kids ask the questions and the show does their best to answer
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| Short and Curly |
This podcast asks curly questions about animals, technology, school, pop culture and the future.
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| Movement | |
| Website | Topic |
| Cosmic Kids Yoga | Interactive, short yoga videos for kids to help build strength and mindfulness |
| KIDZ BOP Daily Dance Along | Dancing with the kids from KIDZ BOP to some of their most popular songs |
| GoNoodle | Animated videos that encourage a variety of movement |
| Art | |
| Website | Topic |
| YouTube: Lunch Drawings with Mo Willems | Drawing prompts from Mo Willems where he draws along with the viewer. |
| The Kitchen Table Classroom | Printable crafts, painting classes, and tutorials for kids |
| Thrive Art School | Art classes for beginner and intermediate artists |
| Storytelling | |
| Website | Topic |
| Storyline Online | Celebrated actors read children’s books alongside creatively produced illustrations |
| Story Time from Space | Exactly what it sounds like. Astronauts aboard the ISS read stories for kids |
| KidLit |
Potential Projects:
| Link | Topic | Age | Set up/time investment |
| Rain Cloud in a Jar | Science, weather | 2+ with parental help | Pretty easy |
| Calm Down Jars | Social-emotional | 2+ with parental help | Medium |
| Color Changing Milk | Science | 3+ with parental help | Pretty easy |
| Magic Mug Cake | Science | all ages | Pretty easy |
| Fizzing Ice Cubes | Science | 2+ with parental help | Medium |
| Alka Seltzer Rockets | Science | 3+ with parental help | Pretty easy |
| Super Science Bubbles | Science | 2+ with parental help | Pretty easy |
| Woodworking Kits | Woodworking | 4+ with parental help | depends on child’s age |
| Kiwi crate | Science, geography, others | 1+ with parental help | depends on child’s age |
For the babies/littles:
| Ideas |
| Fill a low drawer or cabinet with tupperware or other kitchen items they would be interested in. Let them empty and fill it to their heart’s content. |
| Make a treasure basket or box – talk any box or basket you have and fill it with things from your home that are baby-safe and have a variety of textures, colors, shapes and so on. Think: an old boa in a costume area, a new sponge, an unused toothbrush, metal spoons and a small bowl they can bang together. |
| Bathtub painting: If your baby likes the water let them get in more than once a day. Include some version of edible bath paint (whipped cream or yogurt with food coloring is an easy version to make) before you turn on the water for extra fun. |
Activities for All Ages:
| Ideas |
| Treasure Hunts. Find something your kids will find valuable (stickers, bubbles, coins, candy, coupons for extra video game time, you know what they like) and hide it in the house. Give your kid(s) a clue (or a map if you’re feeling adventurous), and let them run wild trying to find it. |
| Rainbow ice painting. Freeze water with food coloring or liquid watercolor overnight. Let kids paint with the ice cubes on fabric or paper. Hang to dry. |
| Host a bridge (or boat or any kind of building you’d like) competition. Set out materials (legos, cardboard, whatever you have on hand) and let your kids compete to see which is the sturdiest, or longest, or tallest, or best sailing vessel. Or maybe all of the above. |
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