With a mix of hybrid and remote learning models parents are looking for ways to keep their kids entertained while learning. The Britannica Kids Holiday Bundle and the Britannica Family Holiday Bundle are the perfect gifts this holiday season. Plus, both bundles are on sale just in time for the holidays.
The Britannica Kids site is overflowing with hands-on activities to make it fun for kids of all ages to learn about math, science, social studies, and language arts. Did we mention that Britannica Kids is the world’s safest search engine for kids? CuriosityStream has thousands of on-demand videos that ignite curiosity. You will get unlimited access to award-winning, on-demand movies, documentaries, and films.
Gift 12 months of discovery with the Britannica Kids Holiday Bundle featuring CuriosityStream, Britannica Kids and Britannica All New Kids’ Encyclopedia. The Britannica Kids Holiday Bundle includes an annual membership with access to on-demand video streaming, hands-on activities, over 130K fact-checked articles, and homework help. This package is currently 50% off for a limited time.
Gift a Britannica Family Holiday Bundle featuring Britannica Premium, CuriosityStream, Britannica Kids and Britannica All New Kids’ Encyclopedia. The Britannica Family Holiday Bundle includes on-demand video streaming, games, quizzes, & activities, over 230K fact-checked articles, and roundups on trending topics. This package is currently 50% off for a limited time.
The school year and travel plans certainly took a left turn in 2020. On the bright side, hotels (and parents) are getting creative on how to safely mix in a little vacation time with the newfound freedom that comes with working from home and remote school. Take virtual learning to paradise with an education-vacation (aka: an edu-cation!) at one of these California hotels offering remote work and school promotions that will be a welcome refresh from your homeschooling routine. Read on for the details!
Terranea
Relax into resort life while you leave the preschool activity planning to Terranea. Along with their stunning panoramic ocean views, Terranea is offering locals a 25% discount and fun activities for kids at their picturesque Rancho Palos Verdes resort. While the Kids' Club is temporarily closed, Terranea has created contactless DIY activity kits for guests including Stargazing Kits, Coastal Kite Flying, Kids' Club Activity Boxes and S'mores Kits. When the work and school day is done, enjoy a dinner and a movie night with in-room dining and complimentary movies. Book one of Terranea's spacious Villas and Casitas for living room, full kitchen and up to three bedrooms.
Details: Use promotion code LALOVE for 25% off their best available rate through December 30, 2020.
After a multi-million dollar luxury renovation, parents and students will love relaxing poolside (and bayside!) at the gorgeous new San Diego Mission Bay Resort. The hotel's Recess at the Pool package includes complimentary WiFi for Zoom classes, a $25 daily food and beverage credit, two complimentary bike rentals to explore the Mission Bay waterfront and a complimentary S'mores Kit for the perfect after-school treat.
Details: Rates begin at $215 per night, use promotion code RECESS.
Balancing daily work and life tasks while overseeing remote schooling can be a challenge for even the most organized parent. La Jolla's The Lodge at Torrey Pines is now offering a Learn at the Lodge: Arts & Crafts Kids package that will take stress off parents and caregivers while the kids have a blast. The customizable child care program allows parents to schedule a qualified childcare professional to be an Activity Guide, helping children with remote learning, completing schoolwork or organizing outdoor games and art projects. Booked in 4 or 8 hour blocks, the interactive program includes lunch, snacks, a private study space and activities such as painting, seasonal decorating and guided botanical walks.
Details: Pricing for the first child 4-hour program is $120 and 8-hour program is $240. Additional children are $30 with a maximum of 5 children per group. Get the full details here.
Add some seaside marina views to your daily grind with a stay at The Portofino Hotel & Marina in Redondo Beach, California. The resort's new Seaside Students program offers unique activities and incentives for your little learners. Start the school day with kids' to-go breakfasts from the hotel's onsite restaurant, BALEENkitchen, and then get to work utilizing the in-room desks.
Recess for Seaside Students includes two water activities at the Dockside Adventure center or grab complimentary bikes for a self-guided field trip that includes kids' snack packs and a list of educational spots. The Portofino Hotel is giving students an extra incentive to ace their school work. When students earn a perfect score on three or more tests, they can present their results to the front desk for a sweet treat!
Details: The Seaside Students package starts at $359 and is valid through December 30, 2020. Use code STUDENT when booking.
Is there anything better than sand between your toes in-between classes? Take virtual learning to paradise while you remote school and work from San Diego's island resort, Paradise Point. With their Work from Paradise promotion, guests receive up to 20% off room rates, complimentary resort fee and parking plus a $15 daily resort credit.
School time will feel like island time while you take in those gorgeous bay views, resort-style pools and waterfront dining. Opt for a Bungalow Room with enough space for the whole family to get their work done before it's time to play on the bay.
Take remote learning to the beach with an education-vacation at Dana Point's Monarch Beach Resort. The AAA Five-Diamond luxury resort is offering an 'Edu-Cations' package which includes a dedicated study room with high-speed internet, stand-up desk, seating area, printer/scanner, restroom and private terrace.
The program also offers your little learners one hour of online on-demand K-12 homework help from Tutor.com, a welcome tech gift and a $100 daily resort credit. When the school day ends, the fun begins with complimentary activities like outdoor family fitness classes, sparkling pools and private beach club access.
Get out of the house and into Wine Country with a Resort Learning package at Carneros Resort & Spa in Napa, California. With 28 acres of rolling vineyards, remote work and school life here comes with a picturesque backdrop and luxurious details. Families will love free of charge activities such as Kids P.E. with exercise and games, Mommy Meditation and Recess at Otto’s Pool, a zero-edge wading pool with toys and floaties for little swimmers.
Need to get some work done while the kids play? Opt for their Work from Wine Country package where complimentary add-ons to the resort’s Harvest Cottage include a work-friendly office space with a desk, monitor, keyboard and office supplies.
Details: Find the details of their Resort Learning package here.
I fill my cup with wellness inspired tools for the soul.Full time mom, Addiction Fighter, Mental Health Warrior, & Toddler Referee. Rock bottom has been my trampoline.
Motherhood is so darn complex. We are always needing to take care of all the things; meals, baths, good hygiene, home school, sickness, appointments, sports, manners, laundry… gosh the list is endless. It doesn’t end there. We get a little “work” break from our kids for about 2 hours, before some sort of chaos, bad dreams, thirsty throats, or someone wet the bed- ensues into the night hours. These are the days we prayed for, am I right? It’s so true. But no one tells you that you’ll be out of gas when it comes to taking care of YOU, your mental health, and the little things that help keep you up to par in being the best mom you can be. Through my professional and personal lens, I’ve curated a small list of little things, that when added up can really make all the difference in moms filling their own cup, before they pour into others.
1
Liquid I.V.
Energize with WATER
$24.99
You know so much of my adult life I had no idea that you could take care of your mental health when you take care of your body! Hydration is key in this, but I don't have time to drink 8oz of water a day. On top of that, one of the kids (or all 3), usually jacks some my water when I finally do get around to drinking it. Liquid I.V. enhances rapid absorption of water and other nutrients into you bloodstream. AKA 1 glass of water = 3 glasses! You will be amazed by how much energy you have when you stay hydrated.
I pride myself on giving my family the best of the best. One of the hardest things of being a mom is having to figure out if that runny nose is allergies or a cold. If that tummy ache is digestion issues, or stress. If those emotions are something underlying that happened in your kid's day or overtiredness. Not to mention the sleepless nights- oils formulated just for supporting kiddo's needs help with all that guess work. Oils take what your body needs and disperse the rest! We got this set for our 2.5 year old for Christmas last year and it's been super empowering for him.
I love this box. I love decorating the house! You know what I don't love? Taking all three kids to a thrift shop, or Michaels to buy and pick out decor. Every season, Decocrated sends you a limited edition box that contains timeless, high-quality décor. Subscribe quarterly or annually, and cancel anytime hassle-free. I have been with decorated a full year now. In addition, I have bought their Halloween and Christmas boxes. There isn't a piece that I don't love in the boxes they send. A lot of the pieces I leave out all year long!
Who knew vitamins could support your mental health?!
I love Persona Nutrition for so many reasons. How many times have you woke up, thought you took your vitamins and/or supplements but couldn't remember? MOM BRAIN is real. Persona Nutrtion personalizes your vitamin and supplement system (after you take a quiz) and has it sent straight through your door. Not only that, they have doctors and nutritionists on staff to work with you for your personalized needs. As a mental health professional, and as a mom, I have seen and experienced supplements do wonders for mental health. Talk to your doc about what supplements you might be lacking to support your mental health, and get your own personalized vitamins sent straight to your door, monthly for 30% off through my link!
You know what I love most about this cleaner? I mean, other than the fact that I can safely put my kids to work cleaning. No guesses? ALL OF THE UNDER SINK SPACE that I have since this one cleaner replaces it all! There is something in the Thieves line to replace all your cleaners, but if you're into DIY- you can easily make your own stuff too! I keep it simple, because DIY isn't my thing, and use one dilution ratio to clean EVERYTHING. No more worrying about my 15 month old in the cleaning cabinet. No more worrying about the boys skating across the wet floor barefoot, as I clean. This plant based cleaner is full of wonderful goodies to support our immune systems. When you make the switch, it feels like a fog has been lifted within the home. I love that Thieves made it easy for me to make the switch. Don't let the price tag defer you from the purchase. I use 1.5 capfuls per 16oz bottle, and it ends up being cheaper per oz, than other plant based cleaners on the market!
If you haven't noticed YET, I'm all about 'dat toxin free and sustainable living life! PACT clothing is the company for you if you're into that too. They're a fair trade company, so in addition to helping save water, and using nontoxic chemicals in their clothing, Pact empowers and uplifts local communities! Okay, okay, enough about the company- why PACT for MOMS? They're affordable, comfortable, and I can take any piece and make it versatile for dressing up or lounging around the house. Plus, who doesn't like to feel good about supporting the planet?
What m-o-m has time to be sick? I don't have a Mary Poppins, so not me. ACV has so many benefits (google a credible source)! One of those, is supporting your immune system. This is an easy, affordable and tasty way to do that. Once you go to the site and view the benefits, you'll be on board!
Did you know that smell is the only sense of our 5 senses, that has a direct connection to our emotional brain and ability to ground your fight or flight in your prefrontal cortex of the brain? If you weren't aware, I am an addict in recovery from drugs and alcohol. Motherhood brings upon plenty of triggers for me in my sobriety and my mental health. I have talked to other mother's (not in recovery), and they experience triggers in motherhood too! Not so much to reach for drugs, but for wine. FUM is a tool that allows for a natural way for me to ground myself when I'm feeling flighty, or triggered. Whether you have smoked in the past or not, you know that a hit from a cigarette or medicinal marijuana can allow grounding for a person. This, is a non mind altering alternative, that I highly recommend!
While I designed this course for my clients and mothers in recovery, I have shared it many a times with mothers who aren't burdened with the disease of addiction, and they find it very resourceful. Feel free to join for a free 5 day course on making momming just a wee-bit easier!
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.
Distance Learning Is Not My Family’s Ideal Choice. Here’s How We’re Making It Work.
Name and occupation: Beth Shea, San Diego Editor at Red Tricycle My partner’s occupation: Sales Manager City: San Diego, CA Grades my kids are in: daughter in 8th, son in 4th. They go to the same public school. School set-up in 2020: Our school district is currently only offering distance learning. When they get the green light to go back to school in-person, the students will be split into attending morning or afternoon sessions to lessen the amount of kids on campus at one time. Many precautions and safety protocols will be in place and my kids will go back to school as soon as they’re allowed to.
The concept of ending summer to head “back to school” was an even harder sell for my kids this year since none of the excitement of seeing classmates and teachers and returning to campus was on the table. Our school district even gave our kids several extra weeks of summer in an effort to drop off the state’s Covid-19 watch list and return to in-person learning. We did in fact drop off the list, but then got word that school would still only be offered virtually for the time being. The yo-yoing and excitement over the prospect of going back and the disappointment of realizing this year there was no “back” in “back to school” has made this an emotionally and mentally draining time for our whole family.
My kids are ready to step out from behind the screens and go back to school. They are both social butterflies and extroverts and they enjoy absolutely nothing about being isolated behind a screen for hours on end every day. They learn better when lessons are taught in person and they thrive in settings where they can interact with their peers. Seeing them at home all this time is akin to watching beautiful birds who have had their wings clipped.
I’m trying to use this distance learning experience to teach my kids some vital life skills: grit, resilience, and how to adapt to change. Thus far, we have been dealing with a pretty steep learning curve of failed log-ins, links that don’t connect and online portals we can’t access… but we’re all trying to keep our cool and our sanity and have a lot of grace for each other and the teachers on the other end trying to orchestrate all of these moving parts.
Morning Routine: Up Early to Prepare for the Day
Luckily we’re all early risers, so we wake up ready to greet the new day and sit around the table for breakfast. My kids start school at 8:50 a.m. so it allows for a nice, leisurely start to the day. I also use this early morning time to make sure my kids’ laptops are charged, that the learning supplies they need are close at hand, and that they can log-on to all of their various applications. We save our passwords and bookmark important pages so all they need to do is click and go.
One issue we had to correct was that our Wifi signal wasn’t reaching far enough to provide a strong enough signal. My daughter’s Zoom calls kept freezing or dropping, which led to panic. We purchased this WiFi booster, programmed it, and now it “boosts” the WiFi signal so it reaches her room and enables a strong signal.
After breakfast we all go to our own corners of the house to log-on for school and work. I fill each of us a large bottle of water in our respective reusable water bottles, and I pop a packet of Ultima Replenisher Electrolyte Hydration Powder in each bottle. San Diego’s hottest temperatures are during the fall months, so I like to make sure we’re all staying hydrated––especially since dehydration leads to fatigue and immune stress. (Hydration is important during winter too!) These handy packets come in a variety of flavors from lemonade to raspberry and they really make it easy to get our necessary water intake alongside 6 electrolytes and trace minerals.
Both of my kids start their day with an hour and a half long Zoom session of STEM learning, followed by a mid-morning snack break. They like the option of staying connected on their Zoom call during snack break to chat and eat alongside their classmates. After snack they log on to their next major chunk of learning for the day, their hour and a half long session of Humanities. Next comes independent work, reading time and PE or music lessons (my son is learning to play the recorder).
Mid-Morning to Lunchtime: We All Head to Our Separate Workspaces, Kind Of
I spent the summer preparing for the inevitable eventuality of distance learning by making sure my kids had functional, comfortable workspaces tailored to their liking. They set up their own desk decor and even have some fidget toys on hand to get them through long Zoom calls: we like these stress balls. I’m currently on the hunt for a cushion for my son’s desk chair because he’s not ergonomically well-positioned at his computer. I have my eye on this chair cushion to provide a boost and comfort.
Another absolute must-have for every member of our family for distance learning and work: CalmOptics blue light blocking glasses. Now that we’re all on screens for a large part of the day, it’s essential that we wear these protective glasses to prevent eye strain, itchy eyes, headaches and even trouble sleeping––which can all be caused by blue light from screens. We love our glasses so much we even wear them to watch TV and my son wears them when playing video games as well. They’re a lifesaver anytime you have to look at a screen. CalmOptics glasses come in multiple sizes for little kids, teens and adults, so everyone’s covered––and the styles and colors are super cute too.
It’s vital that we all have our own separate workspaces because we all work better with no distractions. I work while my kids are in their rooms on their school calls, and they just give a shout if they need me––usually to solve a tech issue.
While I have a home office, I find myself migrating around the house a lot more with my laptop to be closer to my kids as we acclimate to connecting to Zoom calls and sorting out all the various school programs they need to navigate online. They often have questions and need support during these early weeks of this new way of doing school, so it’s easier for me to be nearby. My kids have always been respectful of my need to do my job (I’ve worked from home their whole lives), so they understand that more often than not, their downtime is my work time. When my kids were physically at school, I had large chunks of time alone to complete my work. Nowadays I have been working more late nights when it’s silent and I can work uninterrupted.
Throughout the Day: Staying Organized Saves Our Sanity
As mentioned, my kids’ school days are set up in chunks of time for each class subject. We all prefer tangible paper trails and dry erase boards over digital calendars, so I printed up and posted their schedules on the dining room wall so we can all see at a glance what’s happening when and so we all know when snack and lunch breaks take place. I have a magnetic dry erase board on my fridge that functions as my brain outside my body. Without it, I’d be lost. My daughter also got this weekly dry erase board for her wall to keep her assignments straight.
I also read a study that it’s really good for kids’ organization if they keep track of their assignments and to-do lists in written form, so we’re big fans of paper planners.
Lunchtime & Multiple Meet-Ups At the Kitchen Table to Check-in
The kitchen table is the heart of our home. The kids have daily snack time (from 10:10-10:30 a.m.) and lunch time (from 11:45 a.m.-12:45 p.m.), so we all sit together to eat and discuss what’s happening and what needs to be accomplished. I offer them fresh, healthy brain foods to keep them alert and energized. I make sure we have tons of grab and go fruit on hand as well as their favorite snacks and food so this downtime is something they look forward to and enjoy.
It’s the silver lining of home learning that we get to spend time together throughout the day and I’m up to speed on how they’re coming along with their schoolwork and privy to what they’re working on.
After School: Getting Off Screens & Outdoors is Vital to Our Happiness
Whether we’re taking an educational field trip to San Diego Botanic Garden, heading to soccer practice, riding scooters and skateboards or walking the dog, we usually can’t wait to get out of the house and into the great outdoors at the end of the virtual school day. It’s the most important part of our day to break away from screens, get fresh air and clear and reset our minds. School ends for both of my kids between 2-3 p.m. each day, depending on whether they have PE or music or need to finish up classwork that was assigned for the day. Normally, they’re out of in-person school at 2:50 p.m., so this means some days we get more free time (including no commute or long school pick-up lines), which I don’t miss.
None of us are fans of distance learning, but we’re grateful we have supportive teachers and the ability to rise to this unprecedented occasion from home. I know my kids will never again take for granted the ability to walk onto their school campus to see their friends and attend classes in person.
Interested in telling your story? Start by filling out our questionnaire here. All stories are anonymous.
“Do you want to do the scavenger hunt?” said the woman with a nametag that read “Peggy” at the gate of the botanical garden. It was a loaded question. Just an hour earlier, I had exploded in rage over a jelly jar abandoned on the counter yet again with its top off and its inside salaciously visible. The rage, which was less about the crime than the five months of quarantine, propelled us all out of the house and into the car to a botanical garden over 100 miles away where Peggy was asking a rhetorical question.
Of course we wanted to do the damn scavenger hunt.
Our family of four got in the car with no real plan but to get away from the place with the topless jelly jar and endless bad news about a modern-day pandemic. Home was the place that kept us safe and captive but we needed to go somewhere—anywhere. Then came the sign for the botanical garden, lit up like a beacon of hope.
The first person in our family to find all of the items will receive a sticker, Peggy explained.
“I will give you a clue,” she said to my kids. “One of the plants you will be looking for are epiphytes. Epiphytes are plants that do not need soil to grow. You will find them mostly in the greenhouse.”
We thanked Peggy and walked toward the greenhouse, a COVID-19-friendly building with a roof, but no walls, which made me wonder out loud if the building were more a green canopy or pergola. My son walked ahead of us, shoulders squared.
“You lied,” I heard him hiss under his breath. He is 8 years old. Tall for his age, so strangers often think he is older. In early March, his friends at school started playing a game of tag called Coronavirus in which an infected person would chase down its victims. The infected would fall to the asphalt and lay still until the playground became a sea of prostrate little bodies.
When the world was still normal, my son asked a question I did not yet know how to answer: Will the real virus kill a lot of people?
Without really thinking twice I said no. It is not something he needed to worry about.
I lied.
Five months later at the botanical garden, when Coronavirus was claiming many lives, my son was not calling me out on my blatant flouting of truth about the virus, but about a truth I told him when he was 5 years old: all plants need water, sun and soil to live.
That year, we sprouted pinto bean and watched green leaves unfurl from the beans and tendrils of roots lengthen into curly tufts. The sprouts need soil, I explained while we dug our fingers in the black earth in our back yard. In went the sprout and little hands pushed soil around it.
Early one morning, I found him in the back yard watering the sprouts in his Star Wars fleece pajamas, soaked from the knees down. He was, back then just as he was March, taking me at my word and trying to maintain a balance based on fallacies. Not all plants need soil to live and the Coronavirus has really taken a whole playground full of lives.
The name epiphyte is derived from the Greek words epi which means “on top of” and phyte or plant. It’s nickname, “air plant,” suggests a meager existence. Take away soil and epiphytes can grow on top of other plants deriving nutrients from air, water and dust.
My kids’ lives are built on a foundation of well-intentioned lies, rosy explanations of scary truths that gently take them by the chin and turn their eyes away from anything that threatens their innocence. I have long seen my role as a parent as a gatekeeper that dilutes bad news. By turning their gazes away, I heroically save their senses of safety in their own home, school and skin.
But the pandemic has revealed me. With its insidious reach, it has shown how I try and fail to protect my kids. How when I filter out the scary parts of life, I also surgically extract their sense of understanding and tolerance of real-life events.
In the second week of March, when their schools closed, I said it was temporary. Then when their schools said they would finish out the year at home, I turned their attention to all the scientists working on a vaccine. We placed all our hope there.
On his wall calendar, my son circled the first day of school in the Fall with a red Sharpie. As he saw it, being a third grader marked his official transition out of being a little kid. Third grade classes are located upstairs with other upper grade classes.
The night before the jelly jar spurred our family into a fugue state, I told my son he would not be returning to school on the date he circled on his calendar.
He stood in the living room with feet rooted to the floor. His little sister danced around him. The dog nudged up against his calf, but he remained still. Then he asked me a question I was better prepared to answer.
“We won’t be going back to normal in December, will we?”
I caught the impulse to lace my response with a silver lining. The gatekeeper in me, so fatigued by absorbing the influx of bad news, relinquished her post. Instead of standing in front of my son, I stood next to him and cried.
Turns out the transition to being a big kid does not depend on physically ascending two flights of stairs in school. It’s the abrupt end of accepting a mother’s filtered words as truth.
“I don’t know,” I said. “I don’t know.”
I move closer behind my son in the green pergola. Once hope is removed, we stop living for one day. We accept the right now.
Lynda is a creative person, a wife, a mom and half a CrossFit athlete. Just half, because rope climbs suck. Despite the shiny veneer, the cracks in her identity make her marginally okay.
To all the parents out there who are beginning their homeschooling journey this week, we see you, we feel you. We are you. #parentstrong
8:00: Opened the school website to get assignments.
9:00: Found where assignments were hidden on the website.
9:15: Called the school to have the website explained.
9:30: Called the school again.
9:45: Had wife call school.
10:30: Started printing the first assignment.
10:31: Ran out of printer ink.
10:35: Sent my wife to buy more ink while I watched YouTube to learn how to do common core.
10:39: Had first cocktail.
11:00: Googling who the idiot was that came up with common core.
11:02: Had 2nd cocktail.
11:15: Called the school to see if the virus was still an issue and if so, could I sign a waiver for my kids.
11:16: The School asked me not to call back.
11:20: Realized my wife wasn’t home yet. Called her to find out she was having a difficult time finding the right ink. Pretty sure, I heard someone in the background yell her name followed with “Venti vanilla latte!” Right before she hung up on me.
11:30: Started the first assignment.
11:45: Lunch break.
12:30: Restarted the first assignment.
12:35: Read 3 chapters to help answer 2 questions.
12:40: Figured I’m either being played or they have been falsifying my kid’s report card.
12:45: Practiced disguising my voice so I can call the school again.
1:00: It didn’t work.
1:15: Started scraping “My kid is a TERRIFIC student” sticker off of all vehicles.
2:00: Beginning to think my wife isn’t coming home.
2:15: Decided to have an early release.
3:00: Arrested for egging school and drinking in public.
4:15: Released and given a ride home in the police car for maximum embarrassment.
6:00: Wife gets home. Couldn’t find ink. Pretty sure her hair and nails look different than this morning.
10:00: Working on an excuse on how to get out of school tomorrow.
—Reprinted with permission from a Mom on Facebook.
A lifestyle writer whose work can be seen in Red Tricycle, Money.com, Livestrong.com and Redbook. When she’s not checking out new events, museums, and restaurants to keep her and her kids entertained, she can be found wandering around flea markets and thrift stores looking for cool vintage finds.
While we may be hunkering down with our families these days, we can still enjoy all the wonderful activities that Dallas has to offer. Our virtual events calendar is loaded with things to do with kids at home, and we even have some virtual activities just for DFW kids below. Get ready to have some at-home fun!
Amaze Your Brain at Home with the Perot Museum
Perot Museum
Have no fear, the Museum is still here! Amaze Your Brain at Home and watch your favorite concepts from the Museum come to life. The museum staff will share fun ways to explore nature and science at home and in your backyard—all while using the most common household objects and supplies.
From virtual visits and chats with staff, to showing what the animals are up to and posting activity ideas from education and conservation teams, the Dallas Zoo wants to use this time to continue to engage, educate, inspire and ultimately bring a smile to your face.
Stay updated with images from the Dallas Arboretum, and enjoy the Video, "Experience The Beauty of the Dallas Arboretum in Full Summer Bloom". Browse their website for striking weekly updates of these incredible gardens, you won't be disappointed as you stroll through their gallery of weekly updates in anticipation of the garden opening again soon for the delight of all ages.
SPARK! is creating cool do-at-home projects for you and your child to create during this time. New videos with step-by-step instructions are uploaded frequently to their YouTube channel and shared on Facebook page.
Take a break from at-home school studies to have some music fun, as we explore rhythm, storytelling, dance, and listening games. Buddy Bray—Cliburn artistic advisor and co-author of the Cliburn in the Classroom signature in-school program—will lead kids on short (7- to 10-minute), entertaining, and educational journeys, twice a week. Past programs are available now at Cliburn.org/kids.
For more virtual fun every day of the week, head to our virtual events calendar. You'll find dance classes, scavenger hunts, animal encounters, drawing classes and MORE!
Thanks to COVID-19, the school’s closed in spring, and parents were forced to become de facto teachers for the rest of the year. What many quickly learned was that teachers are underpaid, and that trying to educate their children while working or working from home is a struggle.
Just like a teacher, you need to have a game plan for the day to survive. Creating a structure and routine to each day will help kids understand that school isn’t over, it’s merely changed locations. A schedule will help you block time for specific activities, and build in times of the day that will allow you to still do your job.
The schedule you create needs to take into account what and when your child’s school is offering in terms of online coursework. It also should be age-appropriate. What you do with a five-year-old will be remarkably different than a schedule for a 15-year-old. The day should include traditional schoolwork, as well as breaks and blocks of time for creative, fun activities. The more your schedule mirrors their school schedule, the less disruptive homeschooling will be. Online schedule-making tools can help you plan out your new routine.
While schools are doing their best to adapt to the situation, it’s a bit like the Wild Wild West when it comes to how each is trying to conduct school virtually. Many are using Zoom for virtual lessons, offer set “office hours” each day to answer student questions and keep in touch via email and text. Despite trying to offer the curriculum that was originally planned virtually, there are usually gaps of time left to fill. Thankfully, a lot of resources are available out there for parents to supplement formal education.
“Parents and teachers are facing an unprecedented challenge and are quickly adjusting to a new normal. Education is going virtual. Now, more than ever, is the time to try new online resources that can help pick up the slack,” said Ethan Fieldman, CEO of Math Nation. “Online math learning services, such as Math Nation, not only help your child excel but also bring structure and a sense normalcy—teachers can assign standards-aligned videos and assignments for each at-home school day.”
If you’re looking to add more school lessons into the mix, consider the non-profit Khan Academy or Scholastic Magazine, which offers projects for a variety of different age groups. Math Nation is offering free online access until the end of August. For younger children, ABC Mouse offers reading, math, science and art lessons.
Now is a great time to teach your kids things beyond reading, writing, and arithmetic as so many cultural institutions are offering free virtual content. Some of the best museums in the world including London’s British Museum, Paris’ Musée d’Orsay, and Florence’s Uffizi Gallery have virtual online tours of their collections. Top Opera Houses worldwide are streaming concerts, and many top Broadway shows are giving you a virtual center stage seat. Perhaps it will inspire your kids to want to create their own music, which they can do virtually with Chrome Music Lab, or unleash their inner Van Gogh with a variety of online art projects.
With everyone being cooped up at home, it’s extremely important to incorporate some phy ed. into your lesson plan. Family dance parties using TikTok are a worldwide phenomenon and a great way to burn off energy for the kids and calories for Mom and Dad. Plan a hike, bike ride, or even just a neighborhood walk to get moving and get outside.
If you’re finding it too hard to balance schooling and working from home, or if you are still working outside the home, using a tutoring service like The House can be a lifesaver. During this time they offer virtual tutoring from first grade through college. Additionally, they have online test prep for students who still need to study for exams like the ACT and SAT.
Let’s face it, it’s a weird new world we’re currently living in and we’re all learning to navigate it. Thankfully, with all the resources available online, you can ensure that your kids won’t miss a (school) beat and stay sane in the process.
Dena Roché is a multi-faceted communications professional who assists luxury, hospitality and wellness brands become publishers of quality content and writes for national and international publications, while helping brands create their own messaging.
“Being a teenager is so easy,” said no one ever. The tween and teen years can be difficult, as kids face topics and social situations that can dramatically affect their outlook and self-esteem. As parents, we strive to help our kids be the best they can be, but it’s a brave new world out there and finding but positive outside influences to help kids cope and comprehend isn’t always easy either.
Enter Melissa Hart’s Better with Books: 500 Diverse Books to Ignite Empathy and Encourage Self-Acceptance in Tweens and Teens. This is not just a list of great titles every kid should read (although we do think every kid should read all of these, and every grown up for that matter). Hart has carefully read and evaluated hundreds of books—500 to be exact—and chosen them as recommended reading for tweens and teens, categorized by important topics modern kids face.
Chapter topics include homelessness, immigration, adoption, body image, race, gender identity, mental health and more. Each chapter includes a thoughtful, personal essay from the author on why this topic was important to her to address.
Inspired by her experience with eh own daughter, Hart says:
“I really owe this one to my daughter, now in sixth grade. In her early years of grammar school, she struggled with anxiety related to loss and neglect—issues common to children adopted from the foster care system, and, in many cases, from international adoption situations. […] My daughter and I found, in studying a literary novel each month over two years, that our compassion for marginalized people and animals increased. As exciting, my child—who had struggled with severe anxiety and depression—began to develop a great deal of empathy for herself.”
If you’re looking to diversify your books at home, school or your local library, Melissa Hart just gave you marching orders. It’s up to you to fulfill them.
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!