Raffi and Yo-Yo Ma are back with a new collaboration. Featuring rising children’s artist Lindsay Munroe this new original song is a heartfelt expression of thanks to all the helpers, frontline and behind the scenes, who are working on our behalf during the ongoing pandemic. Proceeds from downloads and streams of “For All You Do” will go to Direct Relief, an organization dedicated to providing equipment and medication to health care workers around the world.

Raffi

“For All You Do” is the second collaboration between Yo-Yo Ma and Raffi, following last month’s recording of a 40th-anniversary version of “Baby Beluga” for Ma’s #SongsofComfort video series. Earlier this year, Raffi produced Lindsay Munroe’s debut album, I Am Kind: Songs for Unique Kids.This critically acclaimed album features Lindsay’s beautiful voice and songs, enriched by Raffi’s instrumental and vocal performances.

Advocacy is nothing new to Raffi, the internationally renowned children’s entertainer, who just last year released “Young People Marching” in gratitude to Greta Thunberg. The song highlights the passion and energy of young people in awakening adults to do their duty in stabilizing the climate. Over the years, Raffi has emerged as a respected advocate on behalf of children, lending his voice, insight and experience to a number of crucial issues through the Raffi Foundation for Child Honouring, a unifying vision with the child at its heart.

—Jennifer Swartvagher

Featured photo: Raffi

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It may feel like you’re stuck at home, but that doesn’t mean it has to be boring. Not only is it possible to help your child’s brain grow during their time away from school, but you can do it with enough variety in topics to keep the whole family entertained. Whether you’re looking for STEM activities, art projects, or reading, we’ve got you covered. Make the most of your kids’ time inside with fun learning opportunities for kids of any age that keep the fun going all year long!

1. Teach Them to Teach Themselves. If you have a young baby or toddler, it may be more difficult to hold their attention and teach them something that will benefit them. Using simple toys and activities, such as Montessori-based activities and toys, can both keep them engaged and help them develop some of the skills they’ll need as they get older. Montessori toys are all about hands-on play and real-life skills. Not only will it help them gain better motor and social skills, but they’ll build better confidence, too.

2. Read Together. Reading with your child is undeniably one of the best things that you can do for them in terms of development. It helps build concentration, improves vocabulary, and gives the two of you a fun way to bond. Better yet, encourage them to read to you. Even if your child isn’t quite ready to read full words or sentences yet, they can still benefit from listening to you and describing what they see in the pictures.

3. Science Experiments. Bring out your child’s inner scientist with these cool science experiments. Make your own sundial, create a DIY lava lamp, and even try your hand at an edible water bottle. These think-outside-the-box ideas go beyond your typical baking soda volcano.

4. DIY Puzzles. If you’ve been foregoing trips to the store and ordering online instead, the chances that you have spare cardboard laying around are pretty high. Give your boxes new life by turning them into a puzzle. Let your child help choose an image for the puzzle. It can be a family photo, a pet, or any other printable you can find online, then glue it on top of the cardboard. Next, print off a puzzle stencil and use an X-Acto knife to cut the shapes out. You’ll be on your way to solving it in no time!

5. Stargaze. Learning doesn’t stop when the sun goes down. Take to the stars and teach your child about the world of astronomy. Who knows, you might even discover a few new constellations yourself!

6. Treasure Hunt. Stay busy and sneak in some exercise, too! Plan the perfect backyard route and leave fun surprises along the way. You can even step it up a notch by including brain teasers or math problems as part of the “treasure spots.”

7. Make a Memory Game. Get 3 benefits in one with a fun twist on classic memory cards. Start by letting your child help create the memory cards. Be sure to help them with the cutting, then allow them to decorate as they please and even choose a few of the words, too. Once they’re finished, lay them out and start flipping to test their memory.

8. Binary Jewelry. In today’s world, it’s never too early to teach your kids to code. Why not start young with some simple intro-level binary? This fun and crafty necklace idea only need beads and a string.

9. Botany. Learning about plants is fun for children of any age. Stick to common names for younger children but teach your older children about scientific names and even their different classifications. Between the diverse types of grass, flowers, and trees, you’re sure to be busy for the rest of the afternoon.

10. Make Math Fun. Let’s face it: worksheets and flashcards can get old. Try math bingo instead. Depending on your child’s age, you can use whole numbers, simple addition, or even work your way to up multiplication. You can find math bingo activities on various app stores, in the form of a printable worksheet, or even make one yourself.

11. Sensory Play. Skin-to-skin contact is important for babies, but as they grow older, varying textures is just as critical when it comes to sensory stimulation. Introduce your baby to all sorts of textures with household items like sponges, felt, carpet, and even hairbrushes.

12. Learn a Language. There are many benefits to a child being bilingual. It can help them feel more connected to the world around them and help them develop a stronger sense of empathy. Someday, it may even give them the upper hand when it comes to getting a job. And it’s best to start young. In fact, your child can start benefiting from learning a second language before they are even a year old. There are many fun ways to start building language skills. Try a bilingual TV show, a YouTube video series, or even a language-learning app. Have fun with it!

13. Music. Just like learning a new language, children have an easier time when it comes to learning new musical skills. Even if you don’t play an instrument yourself (or have the time to teach one), there are still plenty of remote options when it comes to learning instruments. You can even start slow and let your child start by learning how to read notes on sheet music.

14. A Twist on Twister. The game of Twister is a timeless classic. Revamp this family favorite by giving it a fun educational spin. You can use it to teach colors or use basic post-it notes to turn the simple circles into letters, numbers, or math problems.

15. Create a Rainstorm. Yes, you read that right. It’s easy to make your own weather system! All you need is food coloring and some shaving cream. Your child will get to learn about earth science, lab technique, and meteorology, all at the same time.

Morgen is a writer from the beautiful mountains of Utah. She's constantly writing, but when she does have free time, you can find her baking yummy treats and preparing to be a mother.

Photo: Tinkergarten

Whether we’re trying to get things done around the house, join a work meeting, or just catch our breath, parents all need ways to keep our kids engaged during the day. And, it goes without saying, we’d love it if whatever keeps them busy also helps them learn and thrive.

What’s the Solution? Independent Play.

We’ve all seen glimpses of it. You notice it’s been quiet in the other room for a while, you peek in and your child is totally immersed and “in the flow” of play. And it’s magical. It’s in those moments that kids are doing their best learning. They are feeling happy. They are engaged in what’s interesting to them, and they are developing skills like persistencecreativity, and problem-solving. That’s the good stuff—independent play.

What if you and your kids don’t just have to stumble into those magical moments, but you could actually make them happen every day? You don’t have to be a trained teacher to help your kids learn to play on their own. And, you don’t even need to have the ideas! You just may need some help to get started.

How? Independent Play Training! 

There are whole sections of the bookstore dedicated to “no-stress” sleep training and “quick and easy” potty-training, but most parents and caregivers don’t know that there’s a third type of training that’s just as essential. Tinkergarten’s Independent Play Training video series will take you step-by-step through the process of getting kids ready to play on their own.

Watch: Lesson 1: Setting Up a Space For Play and see how you can set up the following play stations that will your kids to play independently like mud kitchens, art centers, and water playgrounds.

Then, take 20 minutes and, using what you learned in the video, set up your own space for play. We guarantee you’ll get hours (if not days!) of independent play in your life.

What next?

  • Read more about how to set up play centers for your family, including a mud kitchen, art center or water playground. They work indoors, too!
  • See some play centers that families across the country have put together using just what they had on hand.
This post originally appeared on Tinkergarten.

After 18 years as an educator, curriculum developer and school leader, Meghan has her dream gig—an entrepreneur/educator/mom who helps families everywhere, including hers, learn outside. Today, Meghan serves as co-founder and Chief Learning Officer of Tinkergarten, the national leader in outdoor play-based learning. 

Military moms and moms-to-be face additional struggles during pregnancy, postpartum and beyond. As part of the successful social movement “The Motherhood Juggle” Motherhood Maternity is collaborating with the USO to offer a new livestream discussion series to build a community of connection and comfort for expecting service members and military spouses. These virtual events bring military moms from around the world together to have meaningful conversations about pregnancy topics.  

“Motherhood Maternity has always served as a resource for expecting women and new moms as they navigate ‘The Motherhood Juggle,'” said Marla Ryan, president, Motherhood Maternity. “Within our #mhjuggle community, we recognize and want to support the expecting and new mothers in the military community. These women are often separated from friends and family and face some unique hurdles on top of the everyday juggle. We are excited to work with the USO, Tamron Hall and health and wellness experts to specifically support these moms and have open conversations about all of the ups and downs and everything in between. Together, we can be there for one another, sharing the juggle of motherhood with each other.”

The Motherhood Juggle:

The four-part video series began in June and will run monthly through September. Hosted by Tamron Hall, new mom, award-winning journalist and host and executive producer of Tamron Hall, the sessions also feature helpful insights from industry experts on a wide range of wellness, pregnancy and parenting subjects. Topics include COVID-19 concerns and birth plans to self-care and life balance with a newborn. 

 

“I remember when I was expecting with my son, I was terrified and filled with emotions, questions and concerns as I was transitioning into a new stage of my life. I relied heavily on my inner circle of friends and family to create my community of mom experts,” said Hall. “I am thrilled to be a part of building this much-needed community as part of the USO to serve as a valuable resource for connecting expecting and new moms who are part of our military family.”

The first session included Dr. Meagan Morrison, an obstetrician and gynecologist, and Lauren Eckstrom, a holistic yoga teacher and certified mindfulness meditation instructor. Moms and moms-to-be from Oklahoma to Italy joined the session to share their stories and questions related to navigating the pregnancy and parenting journey, especially amidst COVID-19. The group specifically talked about health and wellness tips, and advice to alleviate stress through mindfulness, meditation and yoga.

“Caring for the military family has always been a priority for the USO. Throughout this pandemic, our mission of strengthening service members and their families is more important than ever,” said Christopher Plamp, senior vice president of USO operations, programs and entertainment. “Through our military virtual programming, we continue to provide support, resources, community, entertainment and more to service members, spouses and families who may be feeling separated and isolated. At the USO, we help military families through some special and critical moments. This series demonstrates we will be by their side during an exciting time as their family grows.”

The next virtual discussion will take place on Jul. 20. Hall will welcome Diana Spalding, midwife and Motherly’s senior education and newsletter editor, and Gili Levitin, HypnoBirthing childbirth educator and doula. They will discuss creating a personal birth plan and selecting a birth support partner. These experts will also explain the role of a midwife and a doula and offer advice on labor empowerment and giving birth during COVID-19. Service members and military spouses can register here.

—Jennifer Swartvagher

Featured photo: Motherhood Maternity

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Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot, with her glorious sense of humor, has brought a good amount of much-needed giggles to Chicago in a time when smiles can be hard to muster. Her newly launched Stay Home. Hit Play. weekly educational video series will make her more visible and accessible to Chicago students and families—something we LOVE! Read on to hear how you can invite our city’s leader into your family room and have just a little more Mayor Lightfoot in your life.

The Details
Mayor Lightfoot’s series, in collaboration with Citadel, will bring engaging, educational programming from Chicago’s cultural gems to students across the city. Every Wednesday, viewers will go behind the scenes with the Mayor at the city’s museums and cultural institutions.

Where Will She Visit?
Museum curators and staff, along with Mayor Lightfoot, will lead virtual tours of their most popular exhibits and share hidden treasures not typically seen by the average museum-goer. You’ll see places like Shedd Aquarium, the Field Museum, the DuSable Museum of African American History, the Museum of Science and Industry, the National Museum of Mexican Art, the Art Institute of Chicago and the Lincoln Park Zoo.

How Can Students Participate from Home?
Each weekly episode will include corresponding worksheet activities to further engage students and cement the day’s learnings. These worksheets can be found on the program’s official website, hitplaychicago.org.

Where and When Can You Watch?
The series kicks off with a visit to Shedd Aquarium, where viewers will see tuxedoed penguins (including the infamous Wellington), feed the ravenous sharks and say hello to Nickel the adorable rescued sea turtle.

The Shedd Aquarium segment premieres on Wed., Apr. 29 on hitplaychicago.org and airs on Fri., May 1 at 5:30 p.m. on Chicago’s PBS stations, WTTW and on Mon., May 4 at 12:30 p.m. on WTTW Prime (11.2).

Following the Apr. 29 premiere, subsequent episodes will follow the same schedule—airing each Wednesday online and Fridays and Mondays on TV.

Online: hitplaychicago.org

— Maria Chambers

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Stuck inside? Aren’t we all! As Chicago remains on lockdown, our city’s best and brightest museums have stepped up to the virtual plate with online opportunities galore. Gather the fam, get comfy on the sofa, and pay a (virtual) visit to Chicago’s always immersive museums.  

things to do with kids in chicago dinosaur at field museum
Field Museum, Maria Chambers

Chicago’s beloved Field Museum stands as one of the world’s great museums of natural history. Thankfully, kids can online chat or text message the museum’s very own titanosaur, Máximo: Ask him what life was like during the Cretaceous Period, how he came to be at the museum, and even his favorite color or what he likes to eat. Send Máximo a message using the button on this page or text him at 70221.

 

Kristy T. via Yelp

The Art Institute of Chicago has digitized more than 40,000 of their masterpieces, so you can tour the collection from the comfort of home. A good place to start is with some of the museum’s essential works — zoom in to see each tiny dot in a A Sunday on La Grande Jatte or admire the brushstrokes in Monet’s Water Lilies. See the digital collection and explore more ways to visit virtually here. Newly homeschooling parents will want to pay a visit to the virtual classroom resource library for art-focused lesson plans and activities.  

Adler Planetarium

Bring the lab to your little scientist and spark curiosity and encourage exploration with the Adler Planetarium’s Let’s Do Science video series. Designed for families and educators, these engaging at-home experiments use household materials for fun hands-on, minds-on science activities. Experiments range from floating an egg in water to building a space-age lava lamp, and more.

Chicago History Museum

Delve into Chicago’s rich history with the Chicago History Museum: Learn about the Great Chicago Fire, the life of Abraham Lincoln, the Haymarket riots, and the evolution of Chicago’s culinary scene. One of their coolest digital experiences is the Chicago θθ Project, which offers free virtual reality experiences of defining Chicago moments like the SS Eastland Disaster and the 1933 World’s Fair. Explore online exhibits, and check out the museum’s list of classroom resources that you can easily adapt for your newfangled homeschool curriculum. 

Oriental Institute via Yelp

Embrace your inner Indiana Jones by exploring a treasure trove of artifacts from the most ancient days of Egypt, Persia, Mesopotamia, Syria, and beyond at The Oriental Institute. The museum’s virtual tour lets you explore many of the objects uncovered during the University of Chicago-led excavations, from early pottery to a massive statue of King Tut. 

National Museum of Mexican Art

The National Museum of Mexican Art is home to one of the country’s largest Mexican art collections. The museum’s staff and their families are finding creative ways to stay busy and entertained during the Covid-19 crisis and have compiled a list of their favorite activities to enjoy at home, including coloring pages, word searches, and even a tutorial on how to make papel picado

Shedd Aquarium

Keep up-to-date on the daily lives of the Shedd Aquarium's animals on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter; create learning experiences for early learners through their Sea Curious YouTube series; check out live views from the Underwater Beauty special exhibit, and dive deep with 360-video views to Keep Sharks Swimming, visit Shedd's penguin exhibit daily using the Virtual Reality Penguin Expedition tool and more. 

Museum of Science & Industry

Every day, even without a pandemic, Museum of Science & Industry has an Experiment tab on their website with games, videos showing a virtual tour of their massive submarine and of baby chicks being born in their Hatchery, and hands-on science experiments that can be conducted at home.

These non-profit institutions rely on membership and daily admission purchases in order to continue their rich programming. Please consider donating, purchasing a membership or paying them an in-person visit once the doors to Chicago are open once again. They all would appreciate the reciprocal support. 

— Amy Bizzarri

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In order to help out families with distance learning, HISTORY has launched a new series of fun lessons to teach, inspire and motivate children. History announced “HISTORY at Home” a free video series available every Mon., Wed., and Fri. at 11 a.m. ET across the network’s digital and social media platforms. Led by a diverse roster of presenters, the first lesson kicks off today with best-selling author Max Brooks educating parents and children on the timely topics of the origins of washing your hands and the history of germs and micro-biology.

In addition to Brooks, HISTORY has gathered a collection of presenters to deliver history lessons on topics they are passionate about. Hosts include Laurence Fishburne, Padma Lakshmi, Billie Jean King, Dan Abrams, Brad Meltzer and more.

HISTORY at Home

“We are currently experiencing an unprecedented moment in history,” said Dr. Kimberly Gilmore, Chief Historian for HISTORY. “Our brand has the ability to harness its vast archive of historical content, while also delivering engaging and thought-provoking educational experiences during this intense time for both children and parents. History always gives us perspective and context to find a way forward. We hope ‘HISTORY at Home’ will provide uplifting moments of inspiration and positivity as we all get through this pandemic together.”

The videos will be available on HISTORY’s Facebook, IGTV, Twitter, YouTube and on their website. Easy and engaging lesson plans to match the themes of the videos will be provided after each lesson and users will be encouraged to share their own activities by uploading personal videos and pictures for an opportunity to be featured as HISTORY’s “Student of the Week.” Also, historically-themed quizzes will post daily to History’s Instagram and Twitter providing a light-hearted, interactive means to engage and educate both kids and parents alike.

—Jennifer Swartvagher

Featured photo: HISTORY

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For the last 25 years, TIME for Kids has been a trusted source for millions of elementary students. Now, the school-based publication is launching a new weekly interactive video series, “Draw with Drew (and Rosie!).” The series will provide free art instruction and inspire creativity in children who are adjusting to school closures.

Draw with Drew and Rosie

The video series will be hosted by TIME for Kids creative director Drew Willis, who will be joined each week by 10-year-old Rosie, the daughter of TIME for Kids editor in chief Andrea Delbanco. Over the course of 8 weeks, viewers are encouraged to draw along with Drew and Rosie and to share their completed drawings with TIME for Kids for the opportunity to be named a TIME for Kids Art Director of the Week, and to be considered for inclusion in a special issue of TIME for Kids.

New episodes will launch weekly on Thursdays on TIME and TIME for Kids’ digital and social platforms and on the Adobe Distance Learning Hub. Each episode will feature a new drawing assignment and viewers will be able to vote on the new assignment.

Visit the website for updates on TIME for Kids and to access other resources, including the TIME for Kids free digital library.

—Jennifer Swartvagher

Featured photo: TIME for Kids

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Yabba Dabba Doo! PEBBLES cereal wants to inspire kids’ imaginations and teach them something new over the next 30 days. Starting Wed., Apr. 15, PEBBLES cereal will post a daily video on Facebook, Instagram and the PEBBLES cereal website.

The videos will feature artists and creators whose work has been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, including artists, dancers, chefs, crafters, magicians and more. In addition to sparking kids’ creativity, the series aims to give parents a short break and support the creative community by hiring them to share their talents. In exchange for their talents, PEBBLES cereal is paying each creator $1,500, which is roughly the monthly U.S. median housing cost.

“PEBBLES cereal has a long history of inspiring kids and kids at heart to create and do,” said Amy Brothers, Brand Manager for PEBBLES. “We felt that at this time, it was important for us to show up to inspire kids and support the creative community.”

PEBBLES

Each video will feature a unique activity that kids can do with minimal supervision, and will require only items readily available in most homes. The videos will start with the creator introducing themselves and telling the kids about their talent before they teach kids how to do something new. Parents are invited to join in on the fun too! 

The videos will be released daily at 6 a.m. ET, so kids and parents can view the lessons together over breakfast.

“The creative community needs our support now more than ever,” said Brothers. “We are excited to partner with a creative group of people to share their talents through the ‘Daily YABBA DABBA DOO’ video series.”

You can find new videos daily on the PEBBLES cereal Facebook and Instagram channels, and at the PEBBLES Cereal website. If you would like to submit your own video idea for consideration in the series, send an email outlining your talent to submissions@publicworks.agency.

—Jennifer Swartvagher

Featured photo: Post Consumer Brands

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