By: Lindsay Johnson
Children experience much less severe symptoms from COVID-19 than most, however, they can still carry and spread the virus. Therefore, 'Social distancing' — defined as keeping six feet away from another person, is still being prescribed by most doctors as the best way to #stopthespread of COVID-19.
As much as I understand the need for "Social Distancing," this term is hard to swallow, because social interaction, compassion and vulnerability are imperative life skills children need to learn during developmental times in their lives. Though Doctors are saying that 1:1 playdates with a healthy child is safe, if you choose to keep your children home, you as parents are now being forced to not only juggle working from home and keeping your children entertained... BUT also... are being pressured to try to maintain some sense of normalcy/an environment for learning and development for your entire family!
Wowza, that is a lot to manage!
It’s unknown if we’ll continue to see more more severe or extended social distancing policies put in place (sorry, no crystal ball here), so FitPros thought it would be helpful to compile a list of resources for online learning and activities (that adhere to the CDC recommendation of “Social Distancing"), for our FitPros community.
Whether your kids are off school for a few weeks (or longer), they are going stir crazy from not being able to hang with their friends or are feeling anxious/depressed, chances are you could benefit from one of the following activities.
Note: The list of online learning resources below are for all age ranges and learning levels.
Get Crafty
With just yarn and needles you and the kids can learn to make a gift or at least have laughs while trying.
Solve a Puzzle
The kids won’t find this interesting, but solving puzzles improves mental speed and thought processes. They may not be in school, but their brain can be challenged in a fun way.
Make use of old magazines or check out eBay, gather scissors and glue then you’re all set. Use this creative activity to help your children visualize things they want in their life. You’re likely to learn a few things about them and yourself.
Create a Paint-By-Number Masterpiece
This childhood pastime has experienced a revival. Painting-by-number will help to sharpen your kids counting and artsy skills.
Egg Painting
Who says you have to wait until Easter to paint eggs? Although most stencil kits are Easter themed, you and the kids have fun boiling the eggs, patiently waiting to cool then free flow painting.
Write Letters
Have the kids write letters to friends or family, on an actual piece of paper that gets delivered by the USPS - archaic I know! Teach your kids how to address an envelope and put on a stamp. Give them ideas on what to write about: something crazy your pet did, the best meal they had, favorite part of the last vacation - something to help them tell a story and keep them focused.
Make a Time Capsule
Take a trip down memory lane with your kids while searching around the house for meaningful items to lock away for years to come. If you want to look forward to a chuckle, have them also write a letter to their future self. Amazon has low cost airtight, waterproof time capsules.
Check out this great list of online learning resources to keep your kids engaged and continuing to learn:
You’ll find everything from art classes to tutoring and everything in between. Classes are taught live via Zoom, so as long as you have a computer and Wifi, you’re good as gold.
Skewed to tweens and teens, Skillshare has video courses in things like hand lettering, DSLR photography, creative writing, gaming… (just to name a bunch).
And you thought YouTube was just a bunch of gamers, wanna be musicians and cat videos (which hey, all are sort of educational in their own way).
While adults go back and forth on the entertainment value, kids seem to love the show, and they cover a myriad subject areas. They’ve even got SAT Prep if you want to use this chance to help your high schooler get ahead.
Many teachers use this clever resource in their elementary school classrooms. BrainPop is particularly helpful for those difficult-to-talk-about topics.
Five levels of live online classes let kids 7-18 learn everything from simple drag-and-drop languages, all the way up to professional coding languages like PythonScript, Java, and HTML.
Here’s another teen focused STEM subscription that helps hone in on problem solving skills that your pre-adult can use throughout their life.
This is one program that I wish was around as a kid! It’s aimed for children who are passionate about the arts. Subjects range from comedy lessons taught by Steve Martin and photography courses by Annie Leibovitz to cooking lessons by Gordon Ramsey and writing tips from Malcolm Gladwell.
If you're managing life at home with a K-12 student, here is a great resource about how to prepare for extended school closings—and how to give students some space, but also implement and teach them some structure at the same time.
Take a video field trip 12 Famous Museums that Offer Virtual Tours in locations such as; London, NYC, Washington DC, Paris, Seoul, Berlin, Amsterdam, LA, Florence, São Paulo, and Mexico City. Virtual Museum Tours from around the world.
When we’re all in the clear and the Social Distancing recommendation is lifted, check out our FitPros Kids program that companies can purchase for the children of their employees.
In the meantime, have fun with your kids when guiding them through these engaging activities, it will help your mental health too!
Stay healthy!
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