After two months of closures, Walt Disney World is turning a corner with its first phase of reopening. Beginning Wed., May 20, guests can return to Disney Springs!
The initial opening will include a variety of shops and restaurants, with more scheduled to open Wed., May 27. As with the rest of the country, the opening will include restrictions based on local health and government agency guidelines.
New safety measures will be in place to protect guests, cast members and third party operators. Guests can expect to see reduced entrances, limited parking and changes in hours. Additionally, face coverings will be required for everyone over the age of three, and physical distancing will be a focus.
Disney will also be conducting temperature screenings prior to entry, and anyone with a fever over 100.4 (or anyone in their party) will not be admitted. Finally, you’ll see plenty of additional hand sanitizer and hand washing stations scattered through Disney Springs as we all seek to stay healthy.
The one thing most moms really want this Mother’s Day? Just. One. Day. Off. The one thing most grandmas really, really want? Time with the grandkids. Unfortunately, neither of those is an option for most families these days. So instead, we’ve done our best to bring you gifts that are both useful and unique. From a watercolor kit to a frame-worthy puzzle, here are seven Mother’s Day gifts that support LA’s small business community, while making mom feel extra special.
Now's the perfect time for moms to take up a new hobby, courtesy of Makers Mess (which offers kids parties, camps and more during non-Covid times). In addition to the Watercolor Kit, pictured, there's also a Macrame Kit, Embroidery Kit and Mini Weaving Kit—just to name a few. With the Watercolor Kit, you can also get $10 off Makers Mess pre-recorded watercolor workshop.
Speaking of new hobbies, propagating plants, anyone? (Plants that propagate grow roots from their cuttings in water.) This 10 in. birch log from Valley Village's Greenwood has seven glass tubes for your clippings. Check out the shop's Instagram stories for more plants and gifts available for pick up or delivery.
Discovered on Unique Markets virtual Mother's Day Marketplace, LA-based Inner Piece's grown-up puzzles are the soothing escape what we all need right now. Once completed, this 500-piece puzzle is its own 18x18 work of art.
SHOP NOW:Inner Piece Puzzle, $30 (use discount code UNIQUE for 15 percent off); free shipping on orders over $50
Another Unique Markets find, these sweet shortbread cookies are handmade and packaged in LA. Each treat, 16 in total, is individually hand-wrapped and they come in a gorgeous floral box.
Score the bloom of all blooms Rose Lane Farms, an heirloom rose-cutting farm hidden in North Hollywood. Send a DM via Instagram to arrange for a pick-up order.
Take Mom to France, by way of Los Angeles, with the Saint-Martin candle by LA-based candlemaker Mar Mar. The scent is warm and woodsy, but still subtly crisp, like a night in Paris. Like all of Mar Mar's candles, this one is poured by Light for Life, an organization that creates jobs for adults with disabilities.
Get same-day delivery via Postmates on all the trinkets, baubles, books and more from gift shop Yolk. Perfect for mom during this time of nonstop hand washing: subtly scented soap and hand cream from Compagnie de Provence.
Yesterday, a mom friend texted me a picture. It was a letter that her child had written to mine—a pure expression of 2nd-grade friendship. He vented about the coronavirus, planned for a future play date, and signed off with “See you next zoom.”
It was a heartfelt act of kindness and connection (and it totally brightened my son’s day). However, it was surprising to get it—I knew our classroom teachers hadn’t assigned a “write to a friend” thing. I thought, is this mama doing MORE work? Also, how is she getting her kid to write beyond what the teachers assign? Lastly, were there tears or bribes involved?
Our experiences as parents, trying to suddenly home-school our kids, are all vastly different. They can run the gamut from extreme stress about the workload (see: amazing mom rant), to deep fear that our kids are falling behind since we don’t have the resources to support them (see: coronavirus and the achievement gap). But wherever in the spectrum you fall, the bottom line is, this is extremely hard and there are no easy answers.
Getting Inspired to Help Kids Write
After a flurry of texts back-and-forth:
“The hardest part is getting him to write!” I moan with an emoji or two. “How did you do it?” The mechanics aren’t there yet and he’s self-conscious about spelling or backward letters.
She said about her work with her own son, “I am making him write every day. Reminding him that it is supposed to be hard because he is exercising his muscles: hand, arm, and brain. I remind him that now is the time to practice every day, without the pressure of school. And that I will be there to support him any way I can.”
You see, my friend is also an education specialist and understands that using play and games in education is where it’s at now. Especially, if you are wanting to do a little more than the minimum assigned by teachers, it has to be through play or the resistance will be huge. Play is how kids learn best. While this is a fact I know, now that I’m also (somewhat!) his academic teacher, I’m not sure how to put it in motion.
She whips back responses and suggestions, supportive, empathetic, and inspiring. So, these ideas are coming to you (and me!) from Ghislaine Malinowski. She’s also available as an education specialist for parents or schools in these challenging times. As you are about to see, her ideas are awesome!
Imaginative Games that Help Kids Write and Play
1. Elf-Kid on the Shelf: Have your child pretend to be an imaginary (invisible) creature and write clues or letters and leave them around the house. When parents find them, you have to act accordingly. Like Elf on the Shelf, but with your kid as the elf.
2. Kids Write a Parachute Letter: Make a parachute person with plastic bags, LEGO people, and string. Use a big world map to pick a place and do a little internet research. Then kids write a letter to an imaginary person who lives there. Attach the letter to the “parachute” and send it flying!
3. Play Jewel Thief: Hide some costume jewelry under a bowl and have kids write out a map of the “museum.” Put up streamers with some tape and have them get through the lasers to find the jewels!
4. Coronavirus-Themed Writing for Kids: It might feel weird and hard to lean into the virus for inspiration, but it’s literally in the air. Therefore, it is not just healthy for kids to put pen to paper about their experiences, it is also probably pretty easy. Beyond that, when kids write about things that grown-ups are going on about (hand-washing!), it helps give them a feeling of control. Writing is certainly, powerful, and here are ways that they can claim expertise and practice those letters at the same time.
Make a poster for the bathroom about the steps of hand-washing.
Create a pamphlet for the lobby of your building about ways to stay safe.
If you are into mask-making, break down the steps of how to make a mask and send the instructions to a friend.
Physical Games that Help Kids With Writing: Staying active while staying home is like living an oxymoron. Above all, any writing exercise that can also incorporate movement is a winner. Here are some favorites:
Writing Games for Kids
1. Make a list of 10 crazy things to have your parents do. (Please note: my son wanted my husband to pretend that he was at a wedding with me!!) Write the activities of a relay race or obstacle course. The exercises can be simple things like 20 jumping jacks, twirls, stretches, or just running back and forth in the hall! Film it on the time-lapse setting on the phone and enjoy watching it back!
2. Kids can make a list of their favorite songs for a playlist and then play Red Light Green Light or Freeze Dance.
Writing Games that Help Executive Function Skills
1. Find a recipe that your kid loves and help them write out the ingredient list or directions like they are the chef.
2. Create your own Word Wall using sticky notes where you feature different favorite foods, animals, traits, or holidays.
A big thanks to Ghislaine Malinowski for the inspiring ideas! Please share with us your ideas to get kids learning and writing through play. We are all in this together.
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!
We all know the importance of hand washing, especially now. If you are looking to reinforce this information with your little ones, then turn on a hand washing video featuring Elmo and the Sesame Street gang. The PSA is part of Sesame Workshop’s new Caring for Each Other initiative.
A 30-second video called “Washy Wash Song” features Elmo singing, “Wash, washy wash, washy wash your hands. Scrub em’ while you sing this song.”In addition to the adorable hand washing video, Sesame Workshop offers printable activity pages, interactive games and free eBooks.
In a second PSA called “Time to Wash Your Hands,” one of the Sesame Street chickens urges each of the characters to wash their hands throughout the day.
For more tips and helpful content, visit the Caring for Each Other page of the Sesame Workshop website. New content will be added weekly.
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, your little ones have been cooped up in the house for a few weeks. Just when you thought you were out of new resources to share with your kids during this time of social distancing and homeschooling, The Sesame Workshop is coming to the rescue. Last week, they announced that 110 Sesame Street eBooks are now available to download for free.
The titles can be downloaded from all major eBook platforms including Amazon Kindle, Apple Books, Google Play, Barnes & Noble Nook and Kobo. There is no expiration date listed at the moment, so parents can feel free to download and enjoy. The books available encompass all ages and reading levels and feature a variety of characters from Cookie Monster to Abby Cadabby.
Sesame Workshop’s new “Caring for Each Other” initiative includes a collection of informative animations teaching kids the importance of hand washing and personal hygiene. Additional tools are geared towards helping parents navigate this new normal and encourages them to take time for themselves as well.
“Sesame Street has long been a source of comfort for children and families during difficult times,” said Dr. Jeanette Betancourt, Senior Vice President for US Social Impact, Sesame Workshop. “While we don’t always know what to expect, we know that Sesame Street friends have the power to convey simple strategies and messages to help children and the caring adults in their lives find comfort. With Caring for Each Other, we can help families get through these uncertain times and build hope for the future.”
Are you tired of singing the birthday song when you wash your hands? Now you won’t be able to keep your kids away from the soap and water. PinkFong has released a new rendition of its hit song “Baby Shark” simply titled, “Wash Your Hands.”
The lyrics are simple and make hand washing a breeze. You can’t help but sing along, “grab some soap, doo doo doo doo doo” followed by “rub your hands, doo doo doo doo doo” and then, “rinse your hands, doo doo doo doo doo” and finally, “dry your hands, doo doo doo doo doo.” At the end, the cute shark family offers up a few other helpful tips to stay healthy these days, like “cover your sneeze, doo doo doo doo doo” and “cough into your elbow, doo doo doo doo doo.”
The video already has almost 1.5 million views and encourages fans to join the #BabySharkHAndWashChallenge.
Children are facing a time of uncertainty right now. They aren’t allowed to leave their homes, attend school or play with their friends. Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit educational organization behind Sesame Street, is offering a broad variety of free resources to help children and families during the coronavirus pandemic.
The Caring for Each Other initiative marks the beginning of a commitment to support families for the duration of this crisis, with brand new content featuring the Sesame Street Muppets sharing messages of love and kindness, playful learning activities and virtual play dates launching soon. Mindful that the adults who care for children need support too, the resources are intended to help caregivers as well as children.
Sesame Workshop is offering a broad variety of free resources designed to help parents provide comfort and manage anxiety, as well as help with creating routines, fostering playful learning at home, and staying physically and mentally healthy. Families can also find an expanded offering of free on-demand episodes of Sesame Street on PBS KIDS digital platform and over 110 free Sesame Street ebooks available on all major ebook platforms.
“Around the world, young children’s lives are being turned upside down, and parents and caregivers are looking for ways to give their children—and themselves—a sense of stability in this new normal,” said Dr. Rosemarie Truglio, Senior Vice President for Curriculum and Content, Sesame Workshop. “But there are things parents and caregivers can do to face each day with optimism. Sesame Street is here to provide the caring adults in children’s lives with the resources they need to help children, and foster their healthy development at home.”
In the coming weeks, Sesame Workshop is also creating brand new content on topics like hand washing, how to cough or sneeze properly and how taking good care of yourself means taking good care of others.
Last October, the Wiggles shared a video for UNICEF Australia as part of Global Handwashing Day. Now due to coronavirus precautions, The Wiggles: The Handwashing Song is exploding on YouTube and social media. The video and the related GIF have a combined 14 million views in the past week alone.
The Wiggles are also recording the hand washing song in a variety of languages (including Italian, Arabic, Mandarin) so it can reach even more people.
The Original Wiggles created a handwashing song back in 2010.
Parents across the country are promoting hand washing hacks due to coronavirus concerns. Jimmy Fallon shared a video featuring his two daughters, Frances and Winnie standing at their bathroom sink. Fallon sings, “Wash your hands, wash your hands don’t touch your face!”
We all know the importance of hand washing. Now with the coronavirus outbreak, one of the simplest ways to keep yourself healthy and safe is by washing your hands. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend after using the bathroom, touching your face or sneezing and before preparing or eating food you should scrub your hands with soap and water for 20 seconds, or about the time it takes to sing “Happy Birthday” twice.
What if you get tired of hearing the birthday song sung over and over countless times a day? Mix it up a little and have your little ones sing something new. Most of these songs require around two to three verses to get to 20 seconds.
“Baby Shark”
“Row, Row, Row Your Boat”
“Wheels on the Bus”
“Frere Jacques”
“Here We Go ‘Round the Mulberry Bush”
Now, if you are looking to bring some fun to your hand washing routine (or you want to introduce your kids to some new songs) you can try singing the choruses of the following tunes.
“Love on Top” by Beyoncé
“Truth Hurts” by Lizzo
“Raspberry Beret” by Prince
“Jolene” by Dolly Parton
“No Scrubs” by TLC
There’s even a new website, Wash Your Lyrics, that generates a hand-washing infographic for the song of your choice.
