How To Prepare For School Closure During COVID-19
Well, we were hoping things were going to be different by the beginning of the school year. Although schools are reopening many are giving the option to have your child learn from home due to COVID-19.
If you are choosing to keep your kids home, we have created an at home school schedule to help prepare your school year at home.
It is an overwhelming time for everyone, but it’s important to stay calm and not stress about them missing school, and what to do with them while they are home. When you stress, they stress and it turns into a yelling match. We don’t want that right?
It is important to keep some kind of normalcy, especially for the kids, they sense when things aren’t going right.
We put together this post to help you get through this year and have a plan to help you stay organized and on track with your child’s schooling. We put together a bunch of learning activities to help keep the school at home fun and exciting, and successful.
The key is to make things fun and to stay patient and relaxed during these tough times.
Read below for fun things to do that are still educational and fun. Playing and exploring are great ways to learn!
The Homeschooling Schedule
We did put together a schedule for those who love having a schedule to plan your day. Use this schedule lightly and as a guide to give you some ideas on what you can do. Obviously, this isn’t a schedule you have to follow to a T.
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Traditional Learning
If you are wanting to try the normal schooling at home thing during this time here are some ideas you can do. Just remember, keep it simple to avoid stress for both of you. Maybe do 10-20 minutes at a time if you want to.
You can do this throughout the week just to keep their learning fresh in their mind.
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Electronic Learning
I’m sure most people will be doing this, and that is COMPLETELY okay!!
If your child loves their electronics, whether it’s the tablet, TV, or computer then let them learn that way. You can relax a bit, they can have fun but still stimulate their brain.
You can set a timer for them to do the learning tasks for 30 minutes throughout the day if you want to.
Here are some educational TV shows, apps, and computer games you can check out.
TV Shows
National Geographic– If you have Disney + they have so many movies to watch on National Geographic, we love watching them!
PBS– My kids love PBS. There is an app so they can watch it on their tablet as well as play games. And it’s free!
Magic School Bus– Take yourself back to your school days watching this with your kids. You stream this on Netflix.
Brainchild– A science-based show answering questions kids have. Streaming on Netflix.
If I Were An Animal– Kids observing animals from birth to adulthood. Streaming on Netflix.
Kevin Hart’s Guide To Black History– Kevin highlights the amazing unsung heroes, in this funny, educational and entertaining series. Streaming on Netflix.
The Mind Explained– This is great for high school kids, talking about how the brain works from dreaming to anxiety disorders. Streaming on Netflix.
Just to name a few…
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Apps For Your Ipad or Tablet
Funbrain– This app is great for kids to play and learn. There are interactive games, printables, interactive stories.
PBS Games– Has so many fun games with your child’s favorite characters from PBS show.
Science360– This app is great for the older kids. They can watch the latest videos, graphics, and pictures from scientists, colleges and universities, and science and engineering centers.
NASA Visualization Explorer– This is an amazing app where kids can see images and videos of the earth, sun, and the universe.
Middle School Math Planet– This app has over 30 math games to help your middle schooler learn their common core math.
Todo Math– Is for pre-k to second graders, with interactive math practices.
Toca Boca- Has a lot of fun apps that you kids will love to play. From cooking, math, letters, etc.
Sago Mini– This is another app that kids love to play that teach them a lot of different things.
ABCMouse- This is an awesome learning app that so many kids including mine love. You can keep track of their progress too. This one is not free, but you can try it for free for 30 days.
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Computer Learning
Go Noodle– This website engages with kids, and gets up and move. It helps them with mindfulness. Check out all the interactive activities they have.
Sesame Street– Everyone’s favorite neighborhood has a site your kids can play games, watch videos and do art.
Starfall– This site is for pre-k to 3rd grade, teaching you child language art, math, and reading.
Time for kids– Time magazine has a site for kids that is full of articles, photos, and videos covering what is going on in the world, written for kids.
The Kidz Page– Is full of fun things for your child to do. It has jigsaw puzzles, word games, coloring, and so much more.
How Stuff Works– This site teaches kids how everything in the world works. If your child asks a million questions on why things happen these articles break things down from money, science, technology and more.
Highlights– It’s more than a magazine. They have so many fun things for kids to explore on their site.
Creative Learning
You can make learning fun and creative through music, art, crafts, baking, science experiments and more. Here are some things your child can do.
- Listen to music and dance
- Play music with instruments or even pots and pans
- Crafts
- Science Experiments
- Instant Hot Ice
- Lava Lamp
- Rain Clouds
- Balloon Rocket
- Egg Geodes
- Electrolysis of Water
- Mel Science is an amazing learning tool where you get all of your science experiment tools delivered to your door. Learn all sorts of awesome science experiments. Perfect for 10-year-olds and up.
- KiwiCo– is such an amazing learning source for every age from infant to 100 years old. They send you all sorts of learning tools to create and build amazing things. And other learning developmental boxes to help younger kids with their motor development.
- Play pretend-dress in costumes and let your imagination go wild.
- Read a book and do an activity relating to the book
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Fun Learning
Learning through play is the best way for kids to learn especially the little ones. If you are wanting to do a more laid back day, and want the kids to leave you alone, then we have some ideas you can have them do.
Indoor Activities
- Create things out of cardboard
- Board Games
- Use tape to make hop scotch
- Create a race track with tape
- scrapbook
- Photography
- Paint
- Build a tent
- Hide and seek
- Flashlight war
Outdoor Activities
- Chalk art
- ride bike
- play a sport
- go for a walk
- play at the park
- play hide and seek outside
- bubbles
- paint
- play in the snow
- play in the water
- Start working in the garden if it’s nice
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Quiet Learning
What every parent wants, especially now! It’s good for you and your child’s brain to use some quiet time, it helps the brain reboot. Here are some ideas you can and your kids can do.
- Nap!
- Read
- Write in a journal
- do a puzzle
- free tablet time
- color
- draw
- watch a movie
- Write a story
- Write a letter
- Listen to soothing music
Well, there you have it. I hope this helps calm your stress and give you ideas to keep your kid’s stress low too. If you do get overwhelmed with making sure they are doing school work and if they are missing out, or being productive, then take a break and don’t think about school right now.
The most important thing right now is to take care of each other and spend time with each other. I hope you and your family a safe and healthy day!
