Academics & Fun!

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Basic Adventure

Goal:       Make the most of the extra time you will have during the school closures due to the COVID-19 situation.

 

 

The Adventure:   Choose activities to keep your kids busy in positive ways, and learning while they are home.

 

 

Reward Ideas: For the ideas for this Adventure I want to share some of the questions asked on the SHARP survey to determine the level of protective factors in a child's life. These will help you understand the underlying concepts in determining appropriate internal 'rewards' for the many suggested activities below.

 

Here are the questions:

 

My parents ask me what I think before most family decisions affecting me are made. (What we learn: Involve kids in the decision-making processes!)

 

If I had a personal problem, I could ask my mom or dad for help. (What we learn: Build the relationship, and avoid over-reacting when kids come to us with information we may not want to hear.)

 

My parents give me lots of chances to do fun things with them. (What we learn: Spend time together as a family doing FUN things! Even work can be made fun if done the right way!)

 

My parents notice when I am doing a good job and let me know about it. (What we learn: NOTICE and ACKNOWLEDGE! Everyone wants to have their work validated!)

 

How often do your parents tell you they are proud of you for something you've done? (What we learn: TELL THEM! Let your kids know that you are proud of them, that you love them, that they matter!)

 

People in my family often insult or yell at each other. (What we learn: Obviously, this one is on the 'shouldn't be happening for healthy mental health' side. Refrain from the insults and yelling. There are ways to disagree and share differing points of view without insulting or yelling. Take advantage of these 'Adventures' to create opportunities to discuss and share viewpoints, and validate the viewpoint of each family member even if you don't share the same viewpoint. You can say things like "I don't necessarily share your viewpoint, but I can see that it's important to you" or "I never thought of it that way. It doesn't necessarily change my thoughts about it, but it certainly gives me a new perspective to consider."

 

We argue about the same things in my family over and over. (What we learn: Don't argue about the same things over and over! This will be easier to do if you follow the tip from above. Acknowledge and validate, and if necessary agree to disagree . . . and move on. And then avoid coming back to the same issue.

 

 

 

 

Fun List of Ideas for your SURPRISE BONUS TIME!!

( for quarantine, school closures, weekend social distancing, anytime!)

 

 

 

Check out the Discovery Family Adventures at MyDiscoveryDestination.com/Discovery

 

• Make a Gratitude List
• Beat the Bug! Pick your favorite song with a 20 second refrain or verse perfect for hand washing length of time.
• Your Voice is Your Vote! You could even watch all the hand washing videos & vote on your favorite. Discuss why each good, helpful, funny. The Holderness parody one is hilarious, the Vietnam Tiktok one is great choreography, some have good songs etc.
• Board games, card games - pull out all of the games you haven't played for awhile.
• Have a Reading Marathon -- read all of your favorite books!
• Museum Virtual Tours
• Poetry Appreciation -- write your own poetry. It's FUN and EASY!
• Play the ChitChat Game
• Brainstorm Ways to #UseTech4Good and #UseTech2Serve
• Put the Kids in Charge of Healthy Habits
• Managing Stress and Anxiety - this one is especially important during the covid-19 pandemic
• Play BINGO
• Plant Flowers
• Practice Public Speaking
• Have some family history fun!
• Enjoy some family fitness
• Make some Music
• Make a Vision Board
• Mentoring
• Try New Things~ Celebrate Efforts
• Have some Math Fun
• Art Appreciation
• Write Your Story and Get to Know Each Other
• Create a Home Maker space
• Develop a New Talent
• Explore Your Dreams
• Make some drums and have a Family Drum Circle
• Learn about Fire Prevention
• Take a walk and learn about being a safe pedestrian
• Work on Leadership Skills
• Enjoy some family traditions or create some new ones
• Build a Bird Feeder. Do some bird watching. Get binoculars and learn about the birds near your house. Use the apps in the Adventure to find out what they are.
• Learn about recycling
• Learn about First Aid
• Explore ways to be KIND
• Decorate the House
• Have a Family Photo Shoot
• Winter Fun: Ice Skating
• Winter Fun: Build a Snow Man
• Winter Fun: Build a Snow Fort
• Winter Fun: Have a Snowball Fight

 

 

Do you or someone you know need internet access? 

Anyone who qualifies for programs like free school lunches qualifies for Internetessentials.com and can get 2 months of free internet access during the pandemic so that everyone can get internet access.  After the 2 months it is $9.95/month. They have increased speeds from 15 meg to 25 meg. Also be aware that Xfinity hotspots you find out in public are now open to everyone whether you are a xfinity customer or not.

 

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Note that most of the resources listed below either are always free or are providing free access for a time during the coronavirus outbreak. However, it is impossible for us to keep up with all of these sites to know if they change their status. Please be aware that some of them may return to paid subscriptions without us knowing about it.

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Academic Learning

  

For kids with schools that aren't providing online education—and for kids too young to even do schoolwork online—here are apps and educational videos to help stay on top of the basics and learn about their world.

 

Waterford Upstart  -  Early Learning Boosts will help you engage your child in positive learning experiences during the week. They will send an email with a video and an activity teaching literacy, math, or science concepts for 3- and 4-year-olds 3 times per week. The activities are simple, age-appropriate, and designed to give your child a BOOST in their early education!

 

Khan Academy - A nonprofit with the mission to provide a free, world-class education for anyone, anywhere.

 

FREE handouts

 

Scholastic Learn at Home:  for grades PreK-K; 1-2; 3-5 and 6-9 -

• Free worksheets & Activities by grade, subject, theme and more
• Watch, read and explore a wide variety of subjects with TrueFlix
• SCIENCE!  Choose your topic, watch a movie, and read the book. You can even dig deeper.
• Scholastic Home Base.your destination for characters, games, stories, and your fellow fans. Make new friends as you explore islands from the books you love.

 

Explore NASA or even help them out!

NASA's website has a plethora of opportunities for kids and adults alike to learn more about astronomy and spaceflight. Whether you want to be an astronaut, kill some time learning about the universe or help the agency work on future space exploration activities, there's no lack of things to do. So, if you're looking for a little out-of-this-world escape while you're stuck at home, we have put together a Space Exploration Discovery Family Adventure that lists LOTS of free space-themed activities from NASA to keep you occupied. . . and earning more points!

Enjoy a story read by an real Astronaut!!  @StoryTimeSpace  offers children the opportunity to have real astronauts read them a book from the @Space_Station

 

450 FREE Coding Classes from Ivy League Schools!

 

Code.org — Online coding classes

 

Many educational websites are waving fees if your students school is closed. Here’s a list of some of them that are waving fees.

Lunch Doodles with Mo Willems

 

READING

READ BOOKS for FREE Here

 

• Epic — A digital library for kids up to age 12.

 

Enjoy stories read by your favorite celebrities as well as regular families across the country.

 

Harry Potter at Home!

 

Audible.com is offering free streams on a select number of children's stories across six languages to keep kids "dreaming, learning, and just being kids," its website said. The service will be available for as long as schools are closed. The books are separated into six categories: "Littlest Listeners," "Elementary," "Tween," "Teen," "Literary Classics" and "Folk & Fairy Tales for All." There is no age limit, and there are some books even adults can enjoy. Books are available in English, Spanish, French, German, Japanese and Italian.

 

Online Storytime:  

• The Logan Family Center: Storybook Pre-school Story Time will post T-W-Th in their Facebook group
• King’s English is hosting daily virtual story time. https://www.facebook.com/KingsEnglishBookshop

 

Be sure to check your local library as well!

 

Also check the Scholastic programs  TrueFlix, ScienceFlix, and Home Base as they provide access to LOTS of educational books for FREE.

 

 

Recess!!

 

Playworks Recess Games

 

GoNoodle Games

 

 

 

 

Virtual Tours

 

Natural History Museum of Utah - Live-streaming fresh content daily.

13 Museums Around the World

San Diego Zoo

Yellowstone National Park

Mud Volcano

Mammoth Hot Springs

Saturn 5 Rocket on YouTube

Great Wall of China

Explore the surface of Mars on the Curiosity Rover.  They are updating from WEBVR to WEBXR now, but 360 Mode offers a digital view!

Gaze into the heavens at Star Atlas, where kids can explore more than 60,000 stars, locate planets, and watch sunrises and even solar eclipses (you can’t see all that in one day at school).

 

 

 

Animal Cameras:

Live Cams at the San Diego Zoo

Monterey Bay Aquarium live cams

Panda Cam at Zoo Atlanta

6 Animal Cams at Houston Zoo

Georgia Aquarium has Jellyfish, Beluga Whales, and more

 FarmFood 360 offers  11 Virtual Tours of farms from minks, pigs, and cows, to apples and eggs.

 

 

Virtual National Park tours You Can Enjoy at home:

Acadia National Park

Arches National Park

Badlands National Park

Big Bend National Park

Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park

Bruce Canyon National Park

Canyonlands National Park

Channel Islands National Park

Cuyahoga Valley National Park

Death Valley National Park

Denali National Park

Dry Tortugas National Park

Everglades National Park

Glacier National Park

Grand Canyon National Park

Grand Teton National Park

Great Smoky Mountain National Park

Guadalupe Mountains National Park

Joshua Tree National Park

Mesa Verde National Park

Mount Rainier National Park

Olympic National Park

Redwood National and State Parks

Rocky Mountain National Park

Sequoia National Park

Shenandoah National Park

Virgin Islands National Park

Wind Cave National Park

Yellowstone National Park

Yosemite National Park

Zions National Park

 

 

 

Discovery Education Virtual Field Trips:

 Polar Bears and the Tundra

 Social Emotional Skills

 STEM

 Arconic's Advanced Manufacturing Hub in Alcoa, Tennessee - learn about the exciting ways robotics and digital technology impact the skills needed to succeed in advanced manufacturing and manufacture your future!

 

 

Online Concerts

 

Seattle Symphony:

This week there will be rebroadcast performances of Dvořák's Symphony No. 8 led by Music Director Thomas Dausgaard on YouTube, Facebook and at seattlesymphony.org/live — a gift to friends near and far.

Thursday, March 26, at 7:30pm PDT
Saturday, March 28, at 8pm PDT
Sunday, March 29, at 2pm PDT — additional matinee performance this week!

Family Programming:  Meet the Tuba w/Principal Tuba John DiCesare at 11am PDT Friday, March 27. A fun, family-friendly exploration of the orchestra's biggest brass instrument.

 

 

• Coldplay Instagram @Coldplay

 

• Sheryl Crow is playing daily concerts in her backyard, wind and all. Check out acoustic versions of "God Bless This Mess" and "Summer Days" on her Instagram page. She is also hosting live meditation sessions.

 

• Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band:  Full version of his Live in Hyde Park show.

 

• The Bouncing Souls just finished up their 30th anniversary tour. They just shared the full video of their hometown show at White Eagle Hall.

 

• If you love high drama check out Rufus Wainwright's Instagram feed. Each day, he bangs out a mini opera on his home piano. Check out "Grey Gardens" and be dazzled by Wainwright’s set of pipes. He’s sharing a different song each day.

 

Check your favorite artists' social media sites to see what they are offering.

 

 

JUST FOR FUN

 

We all know that all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. So when the kids are done learning and bouncing around, these are some good resources for them to unwind.

 

Most National Parks are closed until future notice. Some are open to citizens of the county the park is in. Those that are open are  FREE until further notice. Be sure to check with the park you plan to visit to learn of the current status. This is a very fluid situation, so be prepared for things to change.

 

Arts & Crafts: JoAnn's & CreativeBug 2-month Trial

 

 

 

Additional IDEAS:

• Have each family member pick a topic they want to learn about and spend 30 mins each day on that topic
• Try new recipes!!  Bake something new every day
• Write letters or make homemade cards for homebound neighbors, friends or family members
• Use all of your building toys on one giant structure
• Build a tent with blankets. Include flashlights, snacks, books, and pillows!
• Races of various kinds (hopping on one foot, crabwalk, walking backwards, etc.)
• Build a playdough city, zoo, racetrack, whatever . . .
• Facetime with grandparents, cousins, maybe even friends . . .  a LOT!
• Set up a scavenger hunt
• Learn the parts of plants/flowers & how they function (bonus if they learn the Latin names).
• Write a short story & illustrate it.
• Have the kids help with cleaning up the house or yard work. Organizing can be FUN!
• Have a Lego competition.
• Playing with the pets.
• Sew something.
• Scrapbooking
• Get the garden ready, weed and work the ground.
• Have a shadow show by using blankets over chairs or a table.
• Pull out a bunch of tape, markers and cardboard boxes and let the kids use their imagination to create something.
• Family puzzles.
• Team up and really clean and organize each kid's space, making a donation box for each. Parents are included.
• Make up your own games! Board games, card games, you name it!
• Write a progressive story. One person picks a character and the other picks a setting and then go gangbusters together.
• Any and all art or craft: beading, painting, drawing, play dough or kinetic sand, sewing, etc. when my daughter was young we could do art all day.
• Yoga, Zumba or Dance-along. There are kid-friendly YouTube videos.
• Draw self portraits on blank faces
• Make maps and then write directions from one place to another to see if someone else could follow it.
• Scavenger hunts, indoor treasure hunts where they follow clues through the house to a "treasure" at the end (could be candy, a movie, whatever), and a lot of charades.
• Learn how to write code. Check out the videos here
• Build a house out of cardboard boxes, including the furniture.
• Science! There are a few easy "kitchen chemistry" type science experiments that are easy to do, like making slime, baking soda and vinegar reaction, etc. Check Pinterest for ideas.
• Wash and clean the car
• Play with sidewalk chalk outside
• Have a glow stick party
• Grab some popcorn + watch a movie
• Listen to kid podcasts - we love story pirates and smash boom best.
• Declutter toys!
• Have an Olympics with a bunch of events competitions - funny ones, helpful ones like cleaning and really fun ones like minute to win in style.
• Pull out all the activity books, presents, etc that never got played with, and use those!
• If the kids need to get out of the house try a new hiking path. As long as you stay away from over populated areas you will naturally stay a safe distance from others, and sick people generally don't hike!
• Do a study on planets, then have the kids create their own planets- how big is it, where in the universe is it located, atmosphere conditions, can it sustain life, how long is a day/year, name it, etc.
• Design a new space craft, draw plans, then create out of legos or household items. Spend some time pretending you're on different planets with different gravity, you could seriously spend a whole week on just fun space activities.
• Make homemade ice cream
• Paint with washable paints outside

 

 

NOTE regarding children's play

 

• Move “open-ended toys” to the front. Toys with lights and batteries that sing and talk won’t hook your child into play as well as simple toys. Make the blocks, cars, dolls, kitchens and building toys the most easily accessible.

 

• Limit adult involvement: play is the child’s job, not the adults. Accept play invitations from your child, but don’t feel guilty about letting your child play on their own at other times. Kids need to play independent of adults to exercise their full creativity. Of course, independent doesn’t mean unsupervised.

 

 

 

SUPERAchiever Adventure

Ready to take it to the next level?

You can't really involve the neighborhood in this one at this point, but you can share this list with them. Share with 3 friends for an extra 3 points!

 

by School Closure Resources: