We are starting with a huge list, brainstorming as a family, and coming up with a daily schedule.
There are so many free online lessons that it can be overwhelming Scholastic Online Learning is now free and the NYC Dept of Ed will be posting things soon.
The struggle will be to limit screen time. Here are so ideas.
Family Podcasts. We love Circle Round with stories from around the world. Story Pirates is another great podcast where they take real stories written by kids and turn them into sketch comedy stories and songs.
Get Crafty. Have a craft box full of odds and ins and come up with new things to make.
Go Outside: Yes, you can find places outside without a lot of people. Don’t go to the playground, but look for big open spaces where you can be away from people but still feel the sunshine.
Physical Activity at Home. If you can’t get out, make sure to schedule plenty of physical activity that kids can do at home like yoga, dance parties, other kinds of activities that involve movement. We love Cosmic Kids Yoga.
Keep Up With Music Lessons. My husband has been offering Skype based cello lessons to his students and a lot of other music teachers are as well. And, of course, you can keep practicing!
So Many More Remote Activities. Many great children’s authors are offering virtual story times and lots of other kid’s classes and activities are being offered remotely now. Keep checking our events calendar as so many of the local drop-in activities become virtual.
Virtual Play Dates. One of the worst things about being stuck at home with an only child is the lack of socialization, so why not let them “hang out” with their friends virtually? We’re still figuring out how to do this with the littlest kids, but we are going to try to set up the video chat while they are doing an activity of some kind. We’ve heard that FB Messenger Kids is good but you can use any of the video chat apps.
Family Fun. It’s so important to find activities the whole family can enjoy together…it’s not just about the kids, we need to have fun too! Family dance party, family-friendly movies, board games. You can also schedule independent reading time – while it works best with older kids who can read on their own, I’m going to try to enforce “reading time” for myself while they do a quiet activity of some kind.
It’s not freezing outside, or sweltering hot, but these great articles are full of ideas for things to do indoors in any weather scenario. Thank you to Child’s Play NY for many of these great ideas.
Part II will be coming soon.
Top Toys that Inspire Dramatic Play (You Already Have Them!)
https://www.achildgrows.com/2016/12/26/indoor-activities-get-winter-part-creating-stage/