While we are all trying to do our part to practice social distancing in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, many parents and foster parents now find themselves at home with their children who were either in school or childcare.
If you feel like you are running out of ideas of constructive enrichment activities to do with your children and teens, here are some ideas to help.
For Children Under 13
- Daily Lunch Doodles
Beloved children’s author Mo Willems hosts a daily Lunch Doodles episode where he shows kids how to draw some of his characters and explore their feelings with a Mr.-Rodgers-like candor.
- Cosmic Kids Yoga
Get your young ones moving and stretching with yoga, mindfulness and relaxation designed specifically for kids aged three and older.
- Virtual Field Trips
A collection of 20 virtual field trips you can take with your kids ranging from art museums to historic landmarks.
- Circle Round Podcast
Created and produced by parents of young children, WBUR's Circle Round adapts carefully-selected folktales from around the world into sound- and music-rich radio plays for kids ages 4 to 10.
- Sensory Play Ideas
A collection of sensory play ideas and activities to do with kids and toddlers to promote learning and development. Learn more about the importance of sensory play with this infographic.
For Teens (or Yourself!)
- Free Audio/E-books
Programs such as Hoopla and Overdrive offer free electronic library resources and are widely available to sign up for through local libraries
- Crash Course
An educational video resource run by Hank and John Green giving overviews of subjects ranging from history, literature, economics, philosophy and more.
- Yoga with Adriene
A great, approachable resource for adults and older youth to get some exercise indoors while relieving stress.
- Free Ivy-League College Courses
For older teens and college-aged youth, some of the nation’s top schools such as Harvard, Yale and Princeton are offering free courses online across a wide array of subjects.
- Write Some Letters
One of the best ways to get your mind off of stressful situations is to serve others. Why not take some time to write letters of encouragement to people in your local nursing home or hospital?