Every parent wants their newborn to grow into a strong and healthy baby. While every interaction helps them develop, parents can take extra steps to ensure they are maximizing playtime. With the right toys and activities, parents can foster creative growth and development at home, long before the age of one.
Here are six fun and unique activities worth trying.
1. Tummy Time
Tummy time is an activity you can start on the first day you bring your baby home. As the name suggests, you should turn your infant onto their stomach for a short period. This allows your baby to develop vital motor skills while strengthening their neck and shoulder muscles. You should aim to complete two to three sessions each day that last approximately three-to-five minutes.
As your child grows, the time spent on their belly will increase, especially as they become more comfortable with lifting their head. They can use tummy time to explore their surroundings and play with age-appropriate toys. It will also help to prevent your child from developing flat spots on the back of their head.
2. Food for Sensory Development
Developmental activities can be inexpensive and straightforward, such as using food for sensory development. As your child ages, you may tell them to stop playing with their food, but while they’re young, playing with food can be a good thing. Lucky for parents, they can use everyday items—like noodles—which most families have stocked in their cabinets.
As the child feels, smells and plays with the food, adults can rest easy knowing the food is safe and non-toxic. However, as with all activities, parents should monitor their babies to avoid accidents. Since the child is young, you’ll want to use soft foods that are not potential choking hazards. Food games can help to develop motor-function, vocabulary and sensory skills.
For little ones beginning to eat purees, you can use applesauce, pudding or whipped cream and encourage them to draw pictures and feel the textures. As they get older, you can begin activities using more sold foods. An example might be how picking up small foods like peas can help with developing fine motor skills. Another option is to use crushed cereal as if it were sand.
3. Music Maker
Sounds intrigue babies—even if they don’t understand what they represent. Parents can make simple music devices using a plastic bottle or sippy cup and some noodles or nuts. With the lid on tight, babies can shake the noisemaker to their heart’s content. This activity helps to form new neural pathways through neuroplasticity. In other words, learning and playing with music can physically change the way your child’s brain develops.
You can also practice singing with your baby to improve language development and parental bonding. Lullabies can calm a baby since your voice will be one of their favorite and most comforting sounds. If you’d prefer not to sing, you could listen to child classics like the Hokey Pokey and dance with your baby. Dancing can help your baby develop a sense of space, time and rhythm.
4. Reading for Cognitive Development
Reading helps your child’s growth and development long before they can understand the words on a page. As your baby listens, their vocabulary and language skills improve. If you decide to read in a secondary language, that can also help with neuroplasticity.
Even how you read will make a difference. By expressing different emotions and using various voices or personas, you can support your child’s emotional and social development. As they grow, they’ll begin to recognize pictures and may even point at things in the book.
5. Baby-Friendly Obstacle Course
Babies learn through experience, and they love to use their senses to explore. By making a baby-friendly obstacle course, you allow your baby to adventure around the room to discover different textures and sounds. This will help them improve their motor function and sensory skills. You can use various materials like carpeting, a wool sweater and a fuzzy blanket while encouraging them to crawl through the course. Most babies will begin crawling by 9-months-old, but they’ll likely be able to grab materials around them much sooner.
6. Open-Ended Play
Have you ever heard that boredom is a good thing? While children need structure in their lives, open-ended play has numerous benefits. More specifically, it’s an opportunity for babies and young children to explore without restraint and exercise their imagination. As your baby freely expresses their emotions and desires, they demonstrate creativity and emotional intelligence.
Open-ended play materials could include:
Wooden blocks
Cardboard
Sand or playdough
Musical instruments
Edible paint
Remember to monitor your baby during open-play sessions to reduce the risk of accidents or injury.
As a parent, you can use these six activities to encourage your baby’s healthy growth and development. Every action you show has a response for your child. When you speak, they are learning, and when you hold them close, they are bonding with you. Feel comfortable adapting these games and activities to suit your household. Each second is worth cherishing, so remember to embrace the moments you have because kids grow up quick!
Kara Reynolds is the Editor-in-Chief and founder of Momish Magazine. A mom of four and matriarch to her big blended family, Kara wants nothing more than to normalize differences in family structures. She enjoys peeing alone, pancakes, and pinot noir - but not at the same time.
Do you want your child to feel at ease in social situations? As a parent, you serve as your little one’s initial introduction to society, and what you do to foster their friendships plays a significant role in how far they go in life. Workplace experts consistently rank emotional intelligence as important as IQ in career success, and the ability to interact positively with others plays a role.How can you help your child enhance their social skills? What should you know, and what activities can you participate in to foster a spirit of community in your little one? Read on to learn how to teach them to relate to their peers in a more socially acceptable manner.
1. Know Your Child
You might think that enhancing your child’s social skills entails dragging them to endless playdates. However, if your little one is naturally quiet and introspective, too much interaction with others can overwhelm them. They may be shy—or they may be one of the 15% to 20% of children born with a highly sensitive nervous system that grows overwhelmed from excessive activity. If your child displays gregarious tendencies, you’re okay to schedule a full social calendar for them. However, ask for their input, especially if they tend to stay quiet. This action shows you respect their feelings and boundaries. It gives them a sense of control over their destiny that fosters greater security in uncomfortable situations.
2. Teach That Everyone Is Human
With more than 56 million Americans with disabilities, your child will likely come across a classmate in a wheelchair or using crutches. As such, they might have questions. Use their innate curiosity as a teachable moment to foster inclusion. Inform them that everybody needs friends, and encourage them to ask peers who have special needs to join in their games at the park or playground. Even if their new friend can’t do everything your child can, they can still participate in the fun.
3. Model Appropriate Behavior
When you accompany your child to social gatherings, who do they see you interact? If you’re white and middle class, does your circle include people of different racial heritages and socioeconomic levels? When you go to the playground, do you speak to the mom wearing a hijab, as well as those with baseball caps? Experts disagree on why society has grown so divisive, but one way to heal the rift is by modeling appropriate behavior for the next generation. Plus, when your little one understands that minor differences don’t create barriers to friendship, they can develop a healthier circle themselves. They learn to consider traits like honesty and willingness to help as more vital to genuine friendship than sharing the same love of baseball or Pokemon.
4. Ask Them Questions
Even though your child’s developing intellect may represent a tabula rasa of sorts, they aren’t passive computers that you can program to do what you want. Your little one will absorb instruction more effectively if they play an active role in their learning. This principle holds for building social skills, too. How can you get your kids involved? Ask them questions! You can say, for example, “I know you say Daenisha is your best friend. What do you like best about her?” This technique can also help you gather valuable information, especially as your children grow older and less open to sharing. If your kids have open dialogues with you, they’ll volunteer details about what kinds of language their friend’s parents use at home before you let them sleepover.
5. Foster a Growth Mindset
A growth mindset is one that believes that hard work and dedication can bring about positive change. What does this have to do with nurturing social skills? Quite a lot. The magic lies in how human beings perceive the behavior of others. People tend to judge personality on what they observe at the moment — but this practice might not give an accurate impression of someone’s real character. For example, if you ask your child to describe a surly cashier’s personality, they might reply with, “she’s mean.” However, if you ask them for alternate explanations, they might mention she could feel grumpy from a long day on her feet.
6. Cultivate Cultural Awareness
Teaching your children about different cultures helps them respond to practices they find unusual with natural curiosity, not fear. In a world where xenophobia too often rears its ugly head, fostering this response matters. Take your children to museums to learn about other ways of life. If you have friends who follow other religious practices, politely ask to join them at a service to learn more. Be sure to teach the difference between cultural appreciation and appropriation—avoid behaviors that trivialize a group of people, like donning their traditional garb as a Halloween costume.
7. Continue Learning & Growing
Nobody has perfect social skills. Continue learning and growing by regularly engaging in social activities yourself. If your little one sees that you neglect your friendships, they’ll treat theirs with an equal degree of dismissiveness. Accept that happy hour invitation from a new co-worker—and show enthusiasm in your voice when you mention your plans at the family dinner table. When your child sees you willing to tackle unfamiliar social situations, they’ll feel more inclined to follow your lead.
You can help your child develop stronger social skills, and doing so will ultimately benefit them in school and their future career. Plus, they’ll bask in the warm glow of friendship.
Kara Reynolds is the Editor-in-Chief and founder of Momish Magazine. A mom of four and matriarch to her big blended family, Kara wants nothing more than to normalize differences in family structures. She enjoys peeing alone, pancakes, and pinot noir - but not at the same time.
Our series, Family Tales, is an honest peek into the daily lives of families across the country who are on this crazy ride we call parenthood! From divulging childcare costs to breaking down family finances to managing a virtual school year with multiple kids, we tap into the Red Tricycle army of parents to find out how they’re making it work. This series is a judgment-free zone.
Interested in telling your story? Start by filling out our questionnaire here. All stories are anonymous.
The Stark Reality Behind Hybrid Learning in New York City
Name and occupation: Mimi O’Connor, NYC Editor, Red Tricycle
Spouse occupation: Television producer
City: Brooklyn, NY
Grade my kid is in: Third Grade
School set-up in 2020: My daughter attends an NYC public school in Brooklyn. NYC is the only major public school system to attempt a (daunting) mix of in-person and remote (i.e. virtual) learning, dubbed “hybrid.”
When I think about the beginning of the 2020/2021 school year in New York City, a few adages come to mind. For example, “If you don’t like the weather [insert location], wait five minutes,” or “If you want to make god laugh, just tell him your plans.” Also, “OMG WTF I’m losing my mind.” Not only is the situation challenging, the challenging situation keeps changing—the start date, the revised start date, what remote learning looks like., etc.
I believe our school and teachers are doing the best they can and there are other forces at work, but it’s also impossible to plan and the chaos has taken its toll on parents throughout NYC.
Right now, our school week has been a melange of remote-school with some synchronous learning, in-person school and a trial day of a learning pod we’ve been hoping to get together. (It’s been slow-going due to struggles in finding a teacher, navigating differences in priorities and budgets, but we’re making progress.)
Mimi O’Connor
Giving Hybrid a Whirl
Our experience with remote learning in the spring moved us solidly into the option with some in-person teaching, as we found ourselves in an unsustainable place of managing/coaxing/yelling at our daughter about assignments and too much Minecraft—the last of which she’d never even played pre-pandemic. It sucked.
More to the point, our daughter is very social and clearly thrives on/needs the in-person feedback from teachers and fellow students alike. I’ve heard remote learning actually suited some children better, but that’s not our kid.
Are we worried about any of us getting sick? Sure, a bit. But we’re trying to be careful, have faith in our school and at this point are willing to take a calculated risk for the “normal” school experience our daughter has so desperately missed since March.
What Does Hybrid Mean, Exactly?
Better than me trying to to explain how often our daughter goes to in-person school, here’s the school’s “co-hort” schedule for October. (The long answer: on a three week-schedule, she attends every Thursday; on Week One she also attends Tuesday, on Week Two she also attends Monday. So yes, Week Three, she’s in person one day a week.)
Note: To try to set up any kind of learning pod, the kids had to be in the same co-hort, so they would be doing in-person or virtual learning on the same days. (One of our members had to request a switch, and the school was very responsive in making the switch.)
Mimi O’Connor
Waking Up and Getting Up Are Not the Same Thing In Our House
There’s a difference between waking up, and getting up, in our house. While I am often the last one to be conscious (7:30, 7:45 a.m?), my husband and daughter are usually awake before me. It’s not unusual for me to find her in her fancy new tent that she bought with Amazon gift cards watching something on her iPad, or for my husband to ease himself into the day perusing the headlines in bed.
I head down to make coffee—we have a quasi-commercial-grade “velocity brew” Bunn machine that we can prep the night before and makes a pot in about three minutes—and start rattling the cages to get her moving.
Whether I get dressed or not depends on if I’m taking her to school. Typically, I don’t shower, either because I’m sucked into my computer/work or because I have the idea that I’m going to work out later and will sweat so what’s the point. (Sometimes, it does happen, thanks to this slim little treadmill I love.)
Mimi O’Connor
And Now for Something Completely Different: “Real” School
The exciting days we walk to school, line up six-ish feet apart, our daughter gets her temperature checked and in she goes. There are eight kids in her in-person class. As it stands, she’ll go about five days a month, but not only is it good for her mental health, she gets a ton of attention from her two teachers when she is there. (We figure it’s like private school on steroids.)
I picked her up on the first day of in-person school, and while it was a little weird—the kids lined up six feet apart in the school yard—it was also triumphant. When asked how her first day was, my daughter said, “Interesting…” which quickly turned to “AMAZING!!!”
In recent days, our longtime babysitter picks her up and they head to the park, a hotbed of activity for the elementary set and beyond. (We so, so, appreciate this time now—outdoor, free play, with friends—and try to soak up as much as we can while the weather still allows.)
Mimi O’Connor
Remote & Close at Hand
On remote days, our daughter is set up in her room with a desk we had to convince her needed to be cleared off so that she had space to do her work. (It was piled high with graphic novels and the many doo-dads that a third grader accumulates.)
Her remote school day is a mix of “synchronous instruction” (live lessons from her teachers with classmates), followed by offline times for working on assignments connected to those lessons. There is also a morning meeting and closing meeting, and the hours mirror an in-person school day.
She has an Echo Dot in her bedroom—an impulse bargain buy of my husband’s on Prime day I think. We use it to schedule alarms for her different “synchronous learning” sessions throughout the day with teachers and her class, and she uses it to listen to music (the same five pop songs).
Whether she’s remote or in-person, my husband and I share a small office during the day, with one or the other dipping out to other rooms for Zoom meetings and conference calls as needed. We tag team on making lunch, depending on who is busy at that time.
Our daughter’s room is next door to the office, so we’re in tune with what she’s doing (or not doing). She also pops out to ask for help, guidance on how to spell a word, report on what she just finished, etc. (She also comes in demanding food, messing with us and generally distracting us. I can’t blame her, but it makes us considerably less productive and more frazzled than when she’s not here.)
Sometimes we prompt her to put in a little more effort—say, write more than one, phoned-in sentence for an answer, and generally this does not go well. (See: the importance of a teacher that’s not us, and her peers.)
Julie Chervinsky
Building a Pod: Not So Easy—or Cheap!
Which leads us to the pod. Parents around the country have been abuzz about pandemic learning pods, and those in New York City are no different. We’d established a very informal pandemic “bubble” by early-summer, doing some careful, masked, outdoor play dates with a couple of families so that the kids, who were clearly suffering, would not go insane.
The idea of returning to remote learning and experiencing a do-over of the spring was not an option, even if virtual learning would be more robust in the fall. Our small bubble pow-wowed about putting together a remote-day “pod”, brainstorming activities and possible outside solutions. Our goal is to have some kind on in-person support for the kids on remote days, helping them with both their class assignments, and, when possible, providing additional enrichment/mental stimulation.
We soon learned that prices ranged from costing a fortune ($10,000 per kid), to costing a smaller fortune ($35/hour/kid), to affordable for some, with a person who probably wasn’t up to providing the academic support we hoped for. (It seems like certified teachers were snapped up by the “pod-organizing services”, which charge a significant markup for their match-making.) Of course, we’re all well aware that having any additional funds to support kids’ learning in this time is a luxury. It does not feel great, but we’re doing it.
We didn’t need a lifer Golden Apple-award winner, and I searched for a plucky grad student by calling programs in the city, reaching out to alumni groups on LinkedIn and in forums on Facebook, but to no avail.
Finally, as it often happens in New York, “my husband’s cousin’s tutor” was highly recommended. (But for real that is how we found her.) She had someone who worked for her who seemed good, and we set up a trial at one of the pod members’ house, crossing our fingers and praying it could work.
We dropped her off at 10:30 a.m. and picked her up at 2 p.m., finding a scene of studious third graders working on a writing exercise in their notebooks. This was followed up by a math and engineering lesson from a recent college grad/older sibling. By all accounts, it was a much-needed success. Of course, we are still ironing out all the details, but hope to start soon. (AKA, ASAP!)
iStock
Dinner, or, My Secret Shame
I think my husband and I are pretty OK parents in many respects. We try to expose our kid to lots of people and experiences, develop her emotional intelligence and independence and let her be who she is (not who we “want” her to be) among other things.
But, guilty confession, we don’t eat dinner together as a family. Occasionally, we have something called “family dinner”, where we do prepare a meal, or order in and eat together “like a normal family,” but generally, my daughter eats her dinner in the early evening, and yes, sometimes, often, she does it watching TV. We’ll often watch together, and bond, chatting about whatever show we pick. I find reality shows like Project Runway are an excellent way to point out and discuss the very best and worst aspects of human behavior, failure and success, focus and determination, etc.
My husband and I eat much later, after our daughter’s evening routine of teeth, pajamas, and reading (we read to her, a ritual left over from when we started the Harry Potter series a while back, and now it’s a nice way to end the day. We’re currently on book one of The Mysterious Benedict Society. Recommend!)
We finally sit down for dinner and a stolen hour of escapism in front of the TV around 10 p.m. Perhaps even more scandalous, we don’t even eat the same thing—I eat a lot of salmon, flounder and DIY Mexican; he does mostly salads, grilled chicken and chili. Occasionally, we order in sushi if we’re feeling fancy. One of us often falls asleep on the couch before our show is done. We ooze into the bedroom, hit the hay and start again in the morning.
Mimi O’Connor
Post script: As I was finishing this, on a day before my daughter was to return to in-person learning, our school—located near an area with an uptick in Covid infections—closed for two weeks. This of course, changes the landscape again.
When I told her the news she was devastated. It was heart-breaking. A school parent hastily-organized a press conference for the next day, and I dragged my daughter along, encouraging her to do something with her anger rather than “eat a spoonful of frosting because she was depressed.” (No lie: that’s what said.)
To say my daughter enjoys being the center of attention is a bit of an understatement. She stepped up to the mics and talked about how much she loved in-person learning, and the precautions the school is taking, and yeah, we’re very proud. (She is a bit more concerned with how many people saw her on TV and the “likes” she may have garnered on a councilman’s Twitter feed, but I’m hoping my praise for speaking her mind and taking action registers in the headiness of her new found “fame.”
Remember the days when your biggest worry was teaching your toddler to walk or to potty train? Those were the days! Nobody prepares parents for how to teach teenagers critical life lessons and emotional intelligence. Yet these are some of the most important skills they need to learn. We’ve talked to experts positive parenting solutions and rounded up 10 things your teen needs you to teach them.
1. How to budget and manage money. Living within your means and managing money is a tough task for adults. The best thing you can do for your teens is to teach them these skills while they're young so they can carry the lessons into adulthood. Teach your teenager how to make a budget, how to save money, how to write a check and how to use credit cards without going into debt.
2. How to do laundry. Eventually, your teen will move out or go to college, and you won't be doing her laundry anymore. Teach them responsibility and how to clean their clothes. If you want to start simple, Amy Carney, author of Parent on Purpose: A Courageous Approach to Raising Children in a Complicated World, suggests starting with doing their wash, but having the teen be responsible for folding and putting away the clothes.
3. Write a thank-you note. In today's world of text messages and Snaps, it's rare for teens to send a hand-written thank you note for a gift received. But just because we're in the digital age doesn't mean etiquette is a lost cause. Instill in your teen the importance of writing a short thank-you note when he receives money, a gift or thoughtful gesture. Suggest a few appropriate sentences and how to properly address an envelope. You may also need to show them where the return address and stamp goes.
4. How to cook a basic meal and boil water.Cooking is a life lesson that teenagers should at least have a basic understanding of. Teach your kiddo how to boil water, how to use a knife, how to saute, etc. Learning these basics will enable your teen to make a simple meal: pasta, scrambled eggs, grilled cheese, tacos and more.
5. Teach the basics of human anatomy, puberty and sexual maturity. Don't assume your teenagers know the basics of their human anatomy or know how to protect themselves sexually. Many parents don't think their teen needs to know about reproduction topics if they're not dating or having sex. Dr. Shelley Metten, a retired professor of anatomy and author of the Anatomy for Kids book series, encourages parents to have those conversations with their kids when they're teens, so they're prepared for the changes happening in their body.
6. How to listen without judgment. Teaching your teen how to listen to friends and adults without judgment starts with you modeling the behavior at home. Instead of panicking or jumping to a conclusion the next time your teenager says something you don't agree with, ask them questions about his statement. Don't argue or discourage an opinion. Instead, listen and be respectful. That behavior will help them do the same as teenagers and into adulthood.
7. Basic manners and decorum.Michelle Bowyer, MSW, and Sagari Gongala, BSc believe that teaching your teen life lessons that revolve around manners and the proper ways to interact with others in social settings will set them up for a smooth social life as they grow. For example, make sure your teen knows the basics like "please," "thank you" and "you're welcome." Also, make sure to teach them how to behave at parties. Does your teen know how to be a polite guest and host? Do your teens know not to start eating before everyone at the table is served? These little life lessons may be ones that are engrained in us as adults, but it was up to someone to teach us those rules as teens.
8. Independence and how to set boundaries. When the Center for Parent & Teen Communication asked teenagers what they wanted from their parents, many responded with guidance on setting boundaries with the independence to do so. Teens admit that the unknown is scary but they don't want to be controlled. Parents should teach teens how to set boundaries and assert independence by guiding them in the right direction, but not leading them down their path.
9. How to contribute to the household. By the time your kids are teenagers, they should be able to make positive contributions to the home. These can include feeding the family pet, walking the dog, putting away the dishes, or sweeping the floors or cleaning the kitchen table after mealtime.
10. What consent means, and how to say "no." One of the most important lessons you can teach your teenager is about consent, and that they have control over their body and can say "no" to unwanted touches or advances. This is critical for both boys and girls to learn as they grow into adulthood. Teens need to know what consent means and exactly what to say to stand up for themselves. This is critical concerning sexual maturity, alcohol, drugs, smoking or bullying. Consent is a critical skill to learn early and often.
Even though your future Picassos may not be gaining a ton of inspiration from being out an about, they can still hone their creativity in some fun ways while at home. From learning from famous illustrators to crafts for toddlers, we’ve rounded up some easy and free online tutorials for your little artists.
Google Arts & Culture has teamed up with London's Serpentine Galleries on a new hub that gives families ways to "do it (around the world)." The museum has curated famous artists to give DIY tips like spreading joy to strangers, creating make-believe books and new ways of seeing the world. You'll find people like Louise Bourgeois, Carrie Mae Weems, Jonas Mekas, Carsten Holler and Raqs Media Collective.
The hills are alive with this fantabulous arts and crafts resource. In a new collaboration, The Rodgers & Hammerstein Organization is pairing up with influential fans ofThe Sound of Musicand launching “The Sound of Music Crafting Corner.” The resource that will be a slew of crafts and activities which will encourage families to create and spend time together. You can already view the first craft, the puppet setup from the famed Lonely Goatherd scene!
The Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology (MFIT)
It's time to get your knit on! Check out We Are Knitters and the new weekly homeschool lessons that teach step-by-step knitting basics. Kids will also learn new knitting techniques, in addition to increased patience, motor skills and concentration.
Craft Project Ideas
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If you're at a loss for new ideas to keep the kids creating, then head to Craft Project Ideas. Choose from tons of crafts for Earth Day, Mother's Day, more holidays and indoor-specific projects.
Corita 101
Corita Arts Center
The Corita Art Center has created a free K-5 art curriculum available in both English and Spanish to encourage families to continue creating and designing through art. Based on the teachings of Corita Kent, the curriculum is made up of worksheets that based on STEAM learning.
Join the Whitney Kids Art Challenge with projects that are designed especially for kids and grown-ups to do together! Based on works of art in the Whitney's collection, all the activities will introduce kids to the diverse ways that artists think and work.
The Children's Museum of Manhattan has plenty in store to keep everyone creating. Every day of the week features a different theme, including slime making, dance parties, sing-a-longs, videos and more.
Every day during the month of April, Shotgun is releasing a new MTB illustration for kids to print and color at home. With 30 animals in the collection, there is plenty of coloring to be had! You can share your kids drawing using the hashtag #shredtilbed on social media and enter to win a shotgun seat and bars. Head to Shotgun to subscribe for free.
Transcendence Theatre Company
Transcendence Theatre Company
This English language/arts development program is offering free online videos that help kids not only develop their English skills, but also integrates art education (think how to make a comic book or how to pantomime.). Geared towards students in grades 1-5, parents can access the four weekly videos and lesson packets by clicking here.
World of Eric Carle
Check out free coloring pages, scavenger hunts, printable bookmarks and more as part of Eric Carle's free resources. Parents will also love the complete teaching kit, poster, Very Hungry Caterpillarposter and tons of additional resources.
Crayola's At-Home Creative Hub is here for kids, parents and teachers. The platform provides easy access to educational and crafting resources, including creative lesson plans, how-to videos, DIY crafts, free coloring pages, and weekly At-Home inspirational emails. Users will find hundreds of craft tutorials, free videos and craft recipes and weekly live crafting events!
Mo Willems
Mo Willems via Kennedy Center
Kennedy Center Education Artist-in-Residence, Mo Willems invites your kids into his studio every day for Lunch Doodles with Mo Willems. Kids of all ages can practice their drawing skills with each virtual studio visit. Every day at 1 pm ET, the Kennedy Center’s official YouTube account will post a new lesson centering on Willems’ beloved characters.
Circle Time
Sign up for CircleTime and invite a friend and you get access to free, live beta classes! Choose the time that works best, then settle in for some cozy learning with your 0-6 year olds. Pick from arts & crafts, music, dance, science, emotional intelligence and more.
Simple lessons and fun downloadable printables await at Raising Wonder. During every weekday that the world is social distancing, Sarah Jane Wright guides kids through different themes with simple drawing projects. So far, she's covered topics like home, town, animals and world.
The artists at Disney are spoiling us! They've recently released a series of videos to teach kids how to draw 1920's Mickey, Contemporary Mickey and Pie-Eyed Mickey that are all free over on YouTube.
Design Your Own Vans
Vans
Future fashionistas will love getting a chance to design their own shoes. These fun coloring pages from Vans come with cutouts, too! You can download the coloring book here.
Book Creator
Book Creator
Book Creator is offering 90 days of real-time collaboration and creation on books for free, normally a premium, paid option. Kids can flex their creativity by creating an account, getting 1 library and 40 books for free.
Find virtual programs from Keeneland Racecourse and the Keeneland Kids Club, including “horse schooling,” kid-friendly recipes, and special at-home activities each week.
Club Med at Home is releasing a weekly series of coloring pages for kids, Club Med recipes, and activity suggestions for kids and parents from Club Med’s Kids Club.
Check out the city of Houston's website for fun coloring pages.
Check out Toys"R"Us' new Play@Home hub, where kids can find coloring sheets, word searches, DIY activities and more.
Get your color on at BIC Online Family Resources with activities like fill-in-the-month calendars and story prompts.
Check out Welch's Fruit Snacks for free coloring pages, bingo and word searches.
Head to Great Wolf Lodge for crafts that include step-by-step instructions and videos.
Looking for some easy entertainment that doesn’t involve staring at a screen? These podcasts are diverse, exciting and will peak even the youngest listener’s interest. Whether you need downtime at home, during a road trip or your daily commute, this new kid content is definitely worth a listen.
Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls
Your fave gals pals are now in audio form! The creators behind the inspiring books on powerful women have released season three of the Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls podcast. Listeners can learn about Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Priscilla Chan, Celia Cruz and the Mirabel Sisters and many more over the course of the last few seasons.
Ivan Brett is an author and podcaster of his own show, The Floor Is Lava. The family-friendly podcast follows Brett as he meets people "in their natural habitat" and plays all types of games, most of which are bound to make you giggle and are sure to improve your quality time together.
Ages: 7+
Enjoy on Stitcher, Apple and wherever you listen to podcasts.
The Imagine Neighborhood
Committee for Children's new podcast, The Imagine Neighborhood launched at the perfect time. The podcast where kids learn about Emotional Intelligence, kindness and big feelings is free, downloadable, ad-free and perfect for kids to enjoy with their parents. So far, the episodes cover handling feelings of excitement, anger, fear and the coronavirus.
Ages: 5+
Listen on Apple, Google and wherever you listen to podcasts.
Wow in the World: NPR
Join hosts Mindy Thomas and Guy Raz on adventures through our wonderful world. Kids will love learning about amazing animals, scientific achievements and the technology. Told with hilarious voices and silly humor, this podcast is just as fun for adults as it is kids.
Ages: 5+
You can find more info here, and listen on plenty of popular services like Apple Podcasts and Spotify, free.
Mystery Recipe: American's Test Kitchen
Hosted by Molly Birnbaum, America's Test Kitchen's new podcast, Mystery Recipe is perfect for little chefs and bakers. Each week highlights a mystery ingredient that will accumuluate into the season's final episode that will combine them all into a meal cook-along! Not only does the show help littles get excited about cooking but it also encourages everyone to learn more about fun and interesting facts about the food we eat.
Based on stories from Jon Joy’s newspaper column, Read Me a Bedtime Story, this new podcast created by Joy, his son and his wife is a true delight for listeners. Professor Theo’s Mystery Lab is set in the town of Splendid, West Virginia, a town that has “a higher than average number of kid superheroes, giant bugs, time traveling teens” and much more. Though Joy is clearly a master of storytelling for kids, his voice is made for radio. The delivery and tone is perfect for bedtime stories but you’ll find yourself wanting to listen in the car, airplane or just lounging around the living room. Hands down, one of the best new storytelling podcasts that’s come out for kids, do yourself a favor and binge-listen now. Each episode is only about 15 minutes long and is updated weekly.
Check it out here. You can get it on Apple podcasts or 9 other platforms, free.
KiDNuZ
This news podcast was created by Emmy-winning journalists, and it’s the perfect way to introduce older kids to non-biased, non-scary (no gory details) news reporting. Each podcast is a mere five minutes long and covers everything from politics to science and human interest story. There’s even a quiz at the end to inspire engaging conversation.
Season three is finally out! Join the Pirate crew (which includes famous actors, musicians and improvisers) as they take real-life stories from kids across the country and turn them into a wildly creative and original performance. Last time we saw the pirates, they were on a deserted island looking for a way to escape, and according to co-founder and host Lee Overtree, this season’s overarching theme is “quests,” where characters go on journeys "in search of something they really, really want.”
From Peabody award-winning Gen-Z Media comes a brand-new podcast, Becoming Mother Nature. A magical story about 12-year-old Chloe, who, when sent to live with her eccentric Grandma Ivy, discovers she’s next in line to be the real Mother Nature. Can she manage the world’s fragile ecosystem while being the new girl in school? Filled with plot twists and suspense, this is a best-best to be a hit with your budding tween.
Pinna, the podcast app for kids, has relaunched this month, and now offers even more kids-first audio entertainment. The first ad-free, kids-only space for podcasts, music and audiobooks, you can find original content among well-known and famous titles. Designed with young kids in mind, choose between new episodes of The Unexplainable Disappearance of Mars Patel or choose from content created by partners like Highlights, Scholastic and more.
Ages: 3-8
Download at iTunes, First 30 days free, $7.99 a month after.
Now is the perfect time to get your kids doing more chores—after all, they’ll be home a lot more, which means more messes in general. We’ll admit, it’s a rare kid who clamors to scrub the kitchen, but studies show that assigning chores helps children build life skills and grow into well-adjusted young adults. So, if you’ve found yourself too often doing the work on your own instead of summoning up the energy for the inevitable battle about responsibilities, we’ve got 11 reminders about why chores make kids better people. Keep reading to see more.
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1. They’ll believe that they’re capable. As kids become adept at household tasks, they start seeing themselves as capable—and that builds confidence. Furthermore, they come to see themselves as agents of change. All that peeling and chopping means that the whole family gets to enjoy a delicious apple pie for dessert.
2. Taking on responsibility teaches children about consequences. Delegating tasks helps children understand that their decisions affect them. You forgot to do the laundry? Well, that's why your soccer uniform isn't clean. There are also positive consequences: remembering to water the family vegetable garden means fresh food for dinner.
3. Chores teach kids to take care of themselves. It may seem obvious, but your child won’t learn how to be self-sufficient if he never learns how to do something himself. By teaching your kids how to make their beds and assemble their own lunches, you know that they’ll be able to meet their basic needs even when you’re not hovering over their shoulders.
4. They’ll develop empathy. According to psychologist Richard Weissbourd, chores teach children more than just hard work and mastery. Kids have an innate desire to be helpers, and chores build on this by teaching them how to take care of others, which engenders empathy and responsiveness. In his report, Weissbourd states that we “need to create more settings where children engage in traditions and rituals that build appreciation and gratitude and a sense of responsibility for one’s communities, and that enable them to practice helpfulness and service.”
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5. They’ll build self-esteem. By assigning tasks that tee your children up for success, you’re giving them an opportunity to experience accomplishment and feel good about themselves. They may not always be the star student or athlete, but they will know that they can contribute to the family, begin to take care of themselves and master important life skills. Kids become aware that, by taking on responsibilities, it feels good to meet their obligations and complete tasks—and to receive recognition and praise from people they care about.
6. It paves the way for success in adulthood.Research shows that kids who do chores become adults that work well in collaborative groups. Taking on hard work builds a foundation for developing a “can-do” attitude—which supports success in the workplace and in interpersonal relationships. Dr. Marty Rossman, the author of The Worry Solution, corroborates this, “The best predictor of young adults’ success in their mid-20’s was that they participated in household tasks when they were three or four.”
7. Chores teach kids problem solving skills. Engaging with real-life manipulatives—like sorting socks or setting the table—builds a strong foundation of representational experience and a deep understanding of abstract mathematical concepts. But there are obvious concrete lessons to be learned, too: what’s the most efficient way to pick up toys? What are some space-saving strategies when loading the dishwasher? What can be done the night before to make school mornings less rushed? Letting your kids “figure it out” gives them agency, too.
8. They’ll internalize delayed gratification. Whenever we choose to work for a later or larger goal, we are modeling the value of delayed gratification. This might include saving up for a family vacation or making something when it would be easier to buy it. Studies cited in Daniel Goleman’s book, Emotional Intelligence, showed that children who deferred gratification grew into teenagers and young adults who were more socially competent, better able to cope with frustration, more dependable, more academically successful, and better at setting and reaching long-term goals.
9. They’ll cultivate a sense of community and connection. Julie Lythcott-Haims, who served as Stanford’s Dean of Freshman and Undergraduate Advising for more than a decade, notes that “By making [kids] do chores—taking out the garbage, doing their own laundry—they realize I have to do the work of life in order to be part of life. It’s not just about me and what I need at this moment, but that I'm part of an ecosystem. I'm part of a family. I'm part of the workplace.” Kids crave a sense of belonging, and doing work for the good of the whole helps them understand why a connection is important.
10. Chores support motor development. Many opportunities to help around the house allow kids to engage in movement-cued development: consider raking leaves in the garden, rolling out a trash can, carrying bags of groceries or scrubbing a sink. You can also show your children how to replace a toilet paper roll, or work on their fine motor skills by tearing lettuce leaves or cracking eggs. Learning of all kinds changes your child’s brain’s functional anatomy—movement-based tasks are even linked to the foundational skills needed for reading and writing.
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11. Chores provide an opportunity for connection. You may not think that shared responsibilities mean “quality time,” but you never know what might come up as you fold laundry together. Meaningful exchanges can quietly emerge whenever you spend time with your child—even when washing dishes, weeding the garden or walking the dog side-by-side. As our children grow, these collaborative exercises can continue to strengthen our relationships into the teenage years.
Getting kids to bed tops the list of parenting challenges. Playful routines, that make winding down pleasurable (and especially predictable), can help with bedtime. Kids may even look forward to each step of your personal process since it represents quality time with you.
While winding down for sleep is half the battle, it doesn’t have to be a battle per se. Build-in little benchmarks of play along the way. Additionally, since the concept of time is so hard to grasp, the activities you do closer, closest and then at bedtime, will help establish a rhythm so that kids feel in charge of–and aware of their own bedtime schedule. In my training as an actor, relaxation was the name of the game. In graduate school, we had classes in Alexander Technique and Yoga and even deep relaxation! I was taught that I needed to be calm—in body and brain—enough to listen, focus and do really good work.
Now, more than ever, I rely on those methods when I’m putting my kid to sleep!
Share the Science of Sleep. Thanks to science, we know that a healthy amount of sleep yields more productive, intelligent and thriving humans. Conversely, a lack of sleep can lead to bad moods and takes a toll on your emotional intelligence. After reading Ariana Huffington’s “The Sleep Revolution,” I changed my own bedtime habits and started talking to my son about how important sleep was. I now believe it is essential to educate kids about the benefits of sleep. “Sleep is as important as nutrition and exercise. It’s when the body repackages neurotransmitters, chemicals that enable brain cells to communicate. And experts have recently been able to demonstrate that sleep allows brain cells to “take out the trash” each night, flushing out disease-causing toxins.” (Parents, October 2014). Help your children understand some of this science so bedtime can feel as important as taking those gummy vitamins!
Use the Bath as a Sleep Aid. Whether you use a bubble bath, a shower, or even just a fun foot bath, cleansing the day off is a time-honored bedtime ritual that works. Drop-in some essential oils, play relaxing music, facetime with the grandparents…anything to get the cozy feelings flowing.
Unstructured Playtime. Provide your kids with some simple tools for a “last playtime.” Maybe it is silly putty, animal figurines, scarves or empty boxes. Any of these toys are great for the last wind-down.
Make-Up A Story. Use tools like a one-word story or story clap to let your kids make up their own story before sleep. Sometimes unexpected topics surface right at bedtime. Use these storytelling games as a means to find out about their day or just have a last moment of creative expression. This is a lovely way to soothe kids and usher in sweet sleep.
Sing Those Lullabies. Singing to your kid is such a meaningful, even intimate, activity, so you’ll want to get personal with the songs that you choose for lullabies. Especially given that most of us don’t make music professionally, it can feel vulnerable to open your mouth and let out some notes. But rest assured, that our kids don’t care if we are a little “pitchy” or don’t remember all the words. Rather, they will feel a connection to us as we share music and our voices with them.
Mindfulness Sensory Exercise. I love to pick a location (like the beach, forest or even a setting from a book we are reading) and describe the sights, sounds and smells of the world. For more info on how to do this check this out.
Breathing for Relaxation. Doing calming breaths together is a great way to connect and calm the brain and the body. You can play follow the leader with breath or pick a yogic breath that works for you.
Have a Meaningful Conversation. I love to have a last moment before bed where we talk about something positive and calming. Here are some things to try: Play a Game of Body Phone Dial into your feelings with this silly game. Kids will express unexpected things and it is the perfect way to release feelings and connect before bed. Here’s how to play.
Best-Self Moments. Have your kid pick a moment from her day, where she was her best self, and talk about it. I like to share about one too so my son knows I’m working on being a better person all the time as well. The anticipation of getting to share (and get praised for) these best self moments, actually lead to more of them.
People you Love. Make a list of people you love, family, friends, classmates can be a great way to feel warm and fuzzy before sleep.
Invest in cozy kid sleepwear, even a robe, and slippers. Make those nighttime clothes fun to dress up in!
Make lighting soothing. Lava lamps, twinkle lights, glow-in-the-dark stars, and simple night lights are fun tools to set a relaxing mood.
Start the bedtime process early, especially if you are involving games. Whatever combination of pre-sleep activities you hit upon, everything takes longer than you think! Make sure you don’t have to rush and you can model calmness too.
Set time (or amount) limits on all these activities. The timer itself is a great tool – make sure you communicate with your kid about how many minutes they get for each step, and then keep your word!
Jocelyn Greene is a Brooklyn based educator, director and mom. With her company, Child's Play NY, she teaches hundreds of kids a year and is equally joyous adapting fairytales for 4s as she is staging Shakespaere with the teens. Check out http://www.childsplayinaction.com/ for video tutorials on game-based play to do at home!
When it comes to academic success, it’s not just studying that makes a difference. A new study found that students with higher emotional intelligence tend to gain higher grades and achievement test scores.
In the report published by the American Psychological Association, researchers looked at data compiled on more than 160 studies, including over 42,000 students from 27 countries, published between 1998 and 2019. The students ranged in age from elementary school to college. So what did they find?
The findings showed that regardless of age, students with higher emotional intelligence were more likely to earn higher grades and do better on achievement tests than those with lower emotional intelligence scores.
“Although we know that high intelligence and a conscientious personality are the most important psychological traits necessary for academic success, our research highlights a third factor, emotional intelligence, that may also help students succeed,” said Carolyn MacCann, PhD, of the University of Sydney and lead author of the study. “It’s not enough to be smart and hardworking. Students must also be able to understand and manage their emotions to succeed at school.”
So what is the reason emotional intelligence has such a big impact on academics? There are several factors, according to MacCann. “Students with higher emotional intelligence may be better able to manage negative emotions, such as anxiety, boredom and disappointment, that can negatively affect academic performance,” MacCann said. “Also, these students may be better able to manage the social world around them, forming better relationships with teachers, peers and family, all of which are important to academic success.”
There are so many different types of philanthropic efforts children can and should participate in, and with Thanksgiving right around the corner, now is the perfect time to let your kids know about the importance of giving. It’s a good practice for the mind, body, and soul! Philanthropic efforts aid children in developing their social and emotional skills such as inclusivity, compassion, gratitude, empathy, and acceptance.
A child’s world is naturally very small. They’re most familiar and comfortable with what they know, which is usually reflected in their own immediate families. Broadening their understanding of the world is crucial to creating, what we call at The Little Gym, Citizen Kids. Citizen Kids are well-rounded children who can appreciate the differences they see in others and learn to contribute to the world in a positive way.
Developing a philanthropic mindset and instilling a service heart in children begins at home, with their parents and loved ones. Children are influenced not only by the words of their loved ones but even more so, their actions. Volunteering as a family is a fun way to spend quality time together and to show them how far kindness and compassion can reach. And kindness is contagious!
Here are some ideas to get you and your family started!
For Children 3 Years or Older
1.Build homeless packs and have them in your car. In a large Ziploc baggie include small personal hygiene products, feminine products, socks, granola bars, fruit snacks, and a bandana. As a family, you can make it a monthly activity to put these together and have them on hand to pass out to the homeless in your community when the opportunity arises. It showcases thoughtfulness and kindness to your child. Simply roll down your window and hand them out, no need to get out of the car.
2. Set-up a lemonade or popsicle stand to raise donations for a children’s charity or not-for-profit that you and your children can connect with. There are many local organizations right in your backyard that need your support, as well as, more widespread organizations across the country.
3. Get moving with your children for a good cause! There are awareness walks all around the United States that you and your family can get involved in. Choose one, raise the money and walk as a family in support of a local or regional non-for-profit. Whichever walk you choose, be sure to educate your children on the “why” this is so important. You can even make the walk a “family tradition” of sorts!
4. Organize a “Travel Bag Drive” in your driveway! Encourage your friends and neighbors to donate new or gently used backpacks, duffle bags, etc. to a box on your front porch and donate them to your local CASA organization. Court Appointed Special Advocates is a national association in the United States that supports and promotes court-appointed advocates for abused or neglected children in order to provide children with a safe and healthy environment in permanent homes. These children are often only given a black trash bags to carry the few personal items they have. By collecting these bags and donating them, you are providing a child with a sense of identity in a time of difficulty. Allow your children to write notes or draw pictures and place them in the bags as an additional act of kindness.
5. Create “self-appointed” Park Protector badges! When you take your kids to the park, have them wear their badge and spend the first 10 minutes combing the park for trash. Simply make it part of your park routine! This really showcases how “we all play a part” in protecting our planet and hopefully developing a life-long respect for mother nature!
For 5 Years Old or Older
1. Got a young performer on your hands who is looking for an audience?! Why not reach out to a local nursing home or assisted living center to see if they’d be interested in “showcasing” your child’s talents. What a beautiful way to spread positivity and joy to others. If you don’t have, or aren’t a performer yourself, you could simply volunteer to stop in and play board games or simply listen to their stories. This is a great way to expose your younger children to the older population and showcasing that each person, no matter age, can develop positive and respectful relationships. This is an important service opportunity that can bring light and joy to the residents of these communities.
2. Create a “Family Service Calendar” where you choose one service opportunity per month for you and your family. Don’t overwhelm yourself with feeling like you have to do grandiose projects each and every month. Try picking 4 months out of the year for the bigger ideas and then sprinkle the smaller ones into the remaining months.
Remember, no act of service is ever too small and it will only further develop your bond with your children and their social and emotional intelligence, leading to a well-rounded “Citizen Kid.”
Experienced Director in Curriculum and Training with a demonstrated history of working in the entertainment, education, health wellness and fitness industry. Skilled in nonprofit organizations, event planning, customer service, franchising, entrepreneurship, coaching and sales.
