I am compiling a list of any resources I find online that can help us better serve our children during this pandemic. COVID-19 has taken many of us by surprise, especially the announcement to close our schools for the next 3 weeks. We love being outdoors, but depending on where you live, that may not always be an option. I started looking up ideas for myself and thought I would share. I would love to hear any ideas you have so I can add them to the list! Hang in there mamas! As in everything we face as mothers, we GOT this! We are strong and even stronger together! Check in on one another, send wine and show kindness.
Need a Schedule?!
Credit: Jessica McHale Photography
Reading
Scholastic is offering some great content for FREE right now!
TIME magazine kids edition is offering a free subscription.
Our local libraries are closed, however, they have many online resources to ebooks and audio books on their website, including Overdrive.
Hoopla is a personal fav of mine. You can create a free hoopla account for every single person in your family who has their own Library card!
Storyline Online is a place with free books that are read aloud.
RAZ kids are offering free services, EPIC and Tumble Books are other options.
Julie from STAR Readers and Leaders is doing a virtual daily storytime on FB at 11am Eastern time.
Scary Mommy has an awesome article about Story time in Space with Astronauts!!
Art
*Beginning next week, this studio will be going live daily Monday through Friday at 1pm Eastern Time, with free art & craft tutorials to create at home with your kids! They will have shopping lists (with links to the supplies you can order from Amazon) so you can have supplies on-hand to complete the projects with them!
*Due to school closures, MAKE will be offering free art lessons on their Facebook page each weekday for the next two weeks. These will be family oriented for a range of ages and utilize supplies typically found in your home. (so great for those of you who can’t afford an amazon purchase)
Join them at 1pm CT this Monday for our first lesson!
Hint: gather plain paper and pencils…we will be drawing faces!
*Happen Inc has easy crafts you can do at home with supplies around the house.
Drawing
** We have found that watching the replays are easier for us. We can pause and catch up, play as needed. Plus, we can fit it into our day which make it nice when making your own schedule.
*Beginning on Weds March 18th Joe will be offering free live cartooning classes online for all ages.
The live classes will take place on YouTube channel HowToToon at 1pm(eastern time zone), 3 days a week (Tuesdays-Thursdays). Students can access the channel by visiting www.Howtotoon.com
My boys also love the You Tube Channel Art For Kids. He offers free drawing tutorials.
*Lunch doodles with Mo every day at 1pm!!
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.
Harptoons is going live every day at 2pm on FB. Learn how to draw a Cartoon Character.
Music
Linton Music Peanut Butter and Jam are offering Musical Mornings at 10am Eastern time.
Love Animals?!
Our Local Zoo, The Cincinnati Zoo, is temporarily closing. However, they will be offering Home Safari Facebook Live sessions weekdays starting on Monday, March 16 at 3pm ET. Each session will highlight an animal and provide an activity that you can do at home. The first safari will feature everyone’s favorite hippo, Fiona.
FREE Virtual Field Trips/CAMPS
My kids are bummed they are missing out on field trips. Check out over 30 Virtual Field Trips!
Love Museums and sad you had to cancel your trip? 12 Museums are giving virtual tours!
20 Virtual Field Trips by Adventure in Familyhood.
33 National Park Tours by Totally The Bomb
Walt Disney Virtual Ride Tours
Marine Biology Camp
STEM
Strive Academy is offering daily STEM activities live on FB M-F at 10am.
Mystery Science is offering free lessons and activities with items you already have at home.
2 Weeks worth of fun and easy science experiments from MKE with Kids.
Get your free LEGO Printable from Free Homeschool Deals
Free Online Educational Subscriptions
Here is a List of Education Companies Offering Free Subscriptions Due to School Closings
Another list of free subscriptions
Make Cards for the Elderly and Sick
Local Retirement Homes have limited their visitor policy or cancelled visitors entirely. Have the children draw pictures and write notes to these Seniors who are so lonely. They can be dropped off at the front desk or mailed to various homes in the area.
Thanks to Adventure Mom for a list of volunteer opps: There are still a LOT of ways that you can volunteer and give back to the community even if you are NOT physically there.
Did you know that you can send a FREE e-card that is delivered to a patient’s room to help brighten their day?
You can also check the online list for donations needed for specific departments OR spring clean at home and donate items to the thrift store, whose proceeds directly help patients in need.
Ask Your Teachers
You can still email your teachers and use them as resources, if you haven’t heard from them already. My son loves Raz-kids and they all love Prodigy. I was looking at IXL which is a paid membership option, but it looks like they have school codes. You can ask if your school has access!
Scholastic is offering free educational resources based off age group: Teaching Remotely
Free resources for online learning for Lower Elementary and Upper Elementary! This is a local Mason mom who works as an educational technologist.
Extensions for help with Chrome
Head Outside
We are all going to be a little stir crazy!!!! With 3 boys we will be heading outdoors as much as possible. We like to hike, bike, play basketball, creek, go on walks and dig in the dirt. Print off a free outdoors scavenger hunt, search your local parks for great hiking trails (I like the All Trails app).
Mothering Chaos has some great Hikes for Locals. Everything I have read said that you can be outside and just keep a distance from others and you are still being responsible.
My friend and local blogger, Nedra aka Adventure Mom, has some other great outdoor activities.
Hamilton County Park is bringing the park to you! Parks at Home
Crafts and Activities from the Darling Wildlife Society
Inside Activities
Go Noodle is a great app to get your kids to move while stuck inside! We also love our dance parties and it’s a great way to laugh off some of those anxieties we are all feeling about this uncertain time.
Beachbody Kids is offering free videos right now just for the kiddos!
Joe Wick The Nation’s PE teacher free videos
Cards, board games and puzzles are oldies but goodies. And of course, good old fashion movie time!
Buzz Feed: 27 Ideas to keep your kids busy while inside
Yoga/ Mindfulness
My son does yoga every week in his class and will be missing it! We LOVE Cosmic Kids Yoga. You can find so many of her yoga lessons on her You Tube channel for FREE! Even my 5 year old stays engaged.
Annaka Harris : mindfulness for kids
Mindfulness School Free
Preschool
Keeping that preschooler busy while the older kids do their schoolwork! PBS Kids has you covered.
Free Virtual Preschool Classroom
Center for Puppetry is doing live streaming shows on FB. If your like me with a little one at home, it can be challenging to keep them occupied while your are helping your older learners. This could be fun for them to enjoy while your busy.
Chores
If you don’t already do chores, this is a great time to get the kids engaged. We all live in the house together so we should all help :) Pinterest has SO many great ideas on this! I also love enlisting my kids in their help cooking meals. It gets them more excited to eat the meal and it can be fun family time.
Bible for Kids
Crossroads Kids: Bible Videos
Rivers Crossing: Great Christian resources for the kiddos based off age
Free Bible Studies for Mom
Other Ideas
Exhaustive List with links based off subjects
Mile High Mamas: 50 Ideas
My friend and fellow bloggers Steph at A Little Moore: Creative Family Time Ideas
Hula Frog has a running list of pinned to the top of her FB page of activities and online learning as she finds them!
Lots of GREAT and fun ways to keep the kids engaged.
FOR MAMA!! If you have been asked to work from home or avoid crowded areas during this uncertain time, Daily Burn is giving you 60 days of at-home workouts for free!!
150 Educational Netflix Shows
I am so sad I can’t see my Cub Scouts right now. They can enjoy Scouting at home for now!
I will add to this as I find things! Overall, I am very proud of our country for doing their best to keep us safe. This is all uncharted territory. Let’s give one another grace and love. Although we can look at all this and be anxiety ridden, let fear paralyze us and start thinking of just ourselves, we have to remember that SO many people are showing kindness any way they can. The companies listed above that are stepping up with free resources to help us mamas with our kiddos, families donating food to those in need, the thousands of people praying for us and our country…. we have to try and focus on the good that is happening, amidst the turmoil. I am also reminding myself that these restrictions are forcing me to slow down and enjoy those little moments with my boys. Stay safe mamas!
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