In South Africa, the lockdown is T minus two days…

Parents of young children have a long twenty-one days ahead of them. Although around the world there are many places where children are at home and many adults are at home and so coming up with ideas becomes a challenge.

Fortunately we got you covered. The past few days i have collected A LOT of ideas of different things for children and families to do during these corona virus times and i dropped this post yesterday with an extravagant listing of creativity [and thanks to everyone who submitted ideas!]

But they haven’t stopped coming. My friend David Jacobs sent me a list from a friend of his who is a parent who homeschools and has a lot of experience in this area:

Ideas from a Home-schooling Parent

David: Since many kids are/will be home from school, sharing an awesome list of ideas from a parent who home-schools.

Online resources:

– BrainPop
– Curiosity Stream
– Tynker
– Outschool
– Udemy
– iReady
– Beast Academy (Math)
– Khan Academy
– Creative Bug
– Discovery Education

YouTube Channels:
– Crash Course Kids
– Science Channel
– SciShow Kids
– National Geographic Kids
– Free School
– Geography Focus
– TheBrainScoop
– SciShow
– Kids Learning Tube
– Geeek Gurl Diaries
– Mike Likes Science
– Science Max
– SoulPancake

Lots of board games, library books (and Kindle), tinkering/upcycling with household junk, etc.
Some resources to help with kids at home:

*Scholastic has created a free learn-from-home site with 20+ days of learning and activities.

https://classroommagazines.scholastic.com/…/learnathome.html

*Pretend to travel the world..Go on a virtual tour of these 12 famous museums.

https://www.travelandleisure.com/…/museums-with-virtual-tou…

*This is the awesome free curriculum that we use. Everything from preschool activities to 12th grade is here!

https://allinonehomeschool.com/

*List of thinking games by grade: https://allinonehomeschool.com/thinking/

**More awesome free learning websites that we like to use**

https://www.starfall.com/h/

https://www.abcya.com/

https://www.funbrain.com/

https://www.splashlearn.com/

https://www.storylineonline.net/

https://pbskids.org/

https://www.highlightskids.com/

https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/

https://www.coolmath4kids.com/

http://www.mathgametime.com/

https://www.uniteforliteracy.com/

http://www.literactive.com/Home/index.asp

http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/

https://www.switchzoo.com/

https://www.seussville.com/

https://www.turtlediary.com/

https://www.e-learningforkids.org/

Please feel free to share this with anyone who you think may benefit from this.

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Then my friend Lisa sent through the first few recipes for children that she is going to be sharing. i posted about Lisa in my previous blog post and you can head over there if you want to sign up to receive them via email:

recipes for children

Some more Educational ideas:

We are in what would have been the school holidays and so there should be some time just for fun. But there are also opportunities to do some learning and David sent through these two:

Audible Stories for kids of all ages – ‘For as long as schools are closed, we are open.’ Kids everywhere can stream an incredible collection of stories, including titles across six different languages, that will help them continue dreaming, learning and just being kids.

Paper Video in the Media – Paper Video is a team of experienced South African teachers who use innovation and technology to dramatically increase the reach of their lessons.

And a Gabillion other ideas and sites, just in case

Holly G Jury is another home-schooling mom who has obviously picked up a ton of resources during that journey and has freely shared them with the internets.

If you have worked through everything in my previous post and make it through this coming list, there may be something going on with your child…

Holly: Help has arrived….

Ok, so LOTS of parents are suddenly home with their kiddos…

We have home schooled these last couple years, so I say WELCOME and let me help you.😉

A few things to remember, this is a PERFECT time to make memories with your children and learn things beyond “normal” math and reading.

This is a great time to really help your child dig in and spend hours doing or learning something that they love or are passionate about.

Don’t forget that there are TONS of documentaries on the streaming services that they might enjoy and learn a lot from.

Here are links that I have gathered to TONS of free fun learning options for all ages from toddlers to AP students to adults. Some are always free and some are only free during this current situation👇

I am making this post public, so feel free to share it far and wide.😍 If you know of a resource for FREE education (either permanent or only during this time) please share it in the comments.

The San Diego Zoo has a website just for kids with amazing videos, activities, and games. Enjoy the tour! https://kids.sandiegozoo.org/

Tour Yellowstone National Park!
https://www.nps.gov/…/lea…/photosmultimedia/virtualtours.htm

Explore the surface of Mars on the Curiosity Rover.
https://accessmars.withgoogle.com/

This Canadian site FarmFood 360 offers 11 Virtual Tours of farms from minks, pigs, and cows, to apples and eggs. https://www.farmfood360.ca/

Indoor Activities for busy toddlers
https://busytoddler.com/2020/03/indoor-activities/…

Play games and learn all about animals
https://switchzoo.com/

Play with fave show characters and learn too https://pbskids.org/

Travel to Paris, France to see amazing works of art at The Louvre with this virtual field trip.
https://www.louvre.fr/en/visites-en-ligne

This Virtual Tour of the Great Wall of China is beautiful and makes history come to life.
https://www.thechinaguide.com/destinati…/great-wall-of-china

Math and Reading games https://www.funbrain.com/

Phonics skills https://www.starfall.com/h/

This iconic museum located in the heart of London allows virtual visitors to tour the Great Court and discover the ancient Rosetta Stone and Egyptian mummies. https://britishmuseum.withgoogle.com/

 Read, play games, and hang out with Dr. Seuss https://www.seussville.com/

300,000+ FREE printable worksheets from toddlers to teens https://www.123homeschool4me.com/home-school-free-printabl…/

Geography and animals
https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/

Math practice from counting to algebra and geometry http://www.mathscore.com/

Fave kids books read by famous people https://www.storylineonline.net/

Crafts, activities, mazes, dot to dot, etc, https://www.allkidsnetwork.com/

High school chemistry topics https://www.acs.org/…/hi…/chemmatters/articles-by-topic.html

Math and reading games https://www.abcya.com/

Math and language games https://www.arcademics.com/

Hands on Elem science videos https://www.backpacksciences.com/science-simplified

Voice based learning… learn through Alexa https://bamboolearning.com/resources

Fun games, recipes, crafts, activities https://www.highlightskids.com/

ClickSchooling brings you daily recommendations by email for entertaining websites that help your kids learn. https://clickschooling.com/

Math as a fun part of your daily family routine http://bedtimemath.org/

Games to get “into the book” https://reading.ecb.org/

Online history classes for all ages preteen through adults https://school.bighistoryproject.com/bhplive

Biology https://www.biologysimulations.com/

 Elem Math through 6th grade https://boddlelearning.com/

Educational games K-12 https://www.breakoutedu.com/funathome

Digital archive of history https://www.bunkhistory.org/

Test Prep for SAT, ACT, etc. https://www.bwseducationconsulting.com/handouts.php

Geometry https://www.canfigureit.com/

Resources for Spanish practice https://www.difusion.com/campus/

Chinese learning activities https://chalkacademy.com/

Music is for everyone https://musiclab.chromeexperiments.com/Experiments

Science, Math, Social Studies https://www.ck12.org/student/

Grammar practice for middle grades https://www.classroomcereal.com/

Daily free science or cooking experiment to do at home.http://www.clubscikidzmd.com/blog/

Chemistry https://www.playmadagames.com/

Reading passages for grades 3-12, with reading comprehension and discussion questions. https://www.commonlit.org/

Vocabulary, grammar, listening activities and games in Spanish, French, Italian, German, Portuguese, Korean, and Latin. https://conjuguemos.com/

35,000 pages of online content on the cultures and countries of the world. https://www.countryreports.org/

K-5th Science lessons https://mysteryscience.com/

Tons of free classes from leading universities and companies https://www.coursera.org/

Free printable K-8 Reading and Math activity packs (available in English and Spanish) https://www.curriculumassociates.com/supporting-students-aw…

Digital learning content for preschool through high school https://www.curriki.org/

A wide range of math content from middle school through AP Calculus. https://deltamath.com/overview

Day-by-day projects to keep kids reading, thinking, and growing. https://classroommagazines.scholastic.com/…/learnathome.html

3 Free Weeks of Maker Stations to keep your children creating at home! Each challenge includes simple instructions using materials around the house, QR code video resources, and a student recording sheet. bit.ly/freemakerstations

Classes for older teens or adults https://www.thegreatcoursesplus.com/lp/t1/freemo…

Online homeschool platform & curriculum for Pre-K to 12th grade. All main subjects are covered, plus extra curriculum courses. http://discoveryk12.com/dk12/

Printable board games, activities and more for phonics and reading all using evidence-based methods. Can be customized to any student’s needs including creating flashcards for other subjects. https://dogonalogbooks.com/printables/

K-8 online math program that looks at how a student is solving problems to adjust accordingly and build a unique learning path for them. https://www.dreambox.com/at-home

Engaging reading game for grades 2-8 that combines strategy, engagement, and imaginative reading passages to create a fun, curriculum-aligned literacy game. https://www.squigglepark.com/dreamscape/

Higher level math series… online video series with detailed solutions to more than a thousand publicly-released College Board SAT Math, Subject Test Math Level 1, and Subject Test Math Level 2 problems.https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbQoCpvYRYRkRRvsObOPHaA…

Foreign languages https://www.duolingo.com/

Interactive video earth science based curriculum supplement. https://www.everyday-earth.com/

A safe research site for elementary-level readers. They are offering — free 24/7 access
USERNAME: read (case sensitive)
PASSWORD: read (case sensitive)
https://www.facts4me.com/

Resources for AP students including live reviews, live trivia, and study guides! https://app.fiveable.me/

Educational brain breaks to help students review essential literacy and math skills, while getting in some exercise. Find over 900 videos to help your child keep learning at home and burn off some extra energy. Our site is best used for ages 4-8. https://fluencyandfitness.com/register/school-closures/

Movement and mindfulness videos created by child development experts. https://www.gonoodle.com/

7,000 free videos in 13 subject areas https://hippocampus.org/

Carmen Sandiego videos, stories, and lessons for all subject areas https://www.carmensandiego.com/resources/

Math Videos with lessons, real life uses of math, famous actors https://www.hmhco.com/math-at-work

Entertaining & educational videos for all levels and subjects
https://www.izzit.org/index.php

Online education program for toddler through high school… https://www.khanacademy.org/

Free Printables for PreK-2nd Grade https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/…/Lite…/Price-Range/Free

Free printables library with activities for children 0-6 https://www.littlesparkcompany.com/printables-library

Free at-home kids yoga lesson plans https://littletwistersyoga.com/online-store/

Magic Spell is a carefully crafted spelling adventure. https://brainbox.games/

Resources for AP students https://marcolearning.com/

Enter your math problem or search term, press the button, and they show you the step-by-step work and answer instantly. 2nd grade through college. https://www.mathcelebrity.com/online-math-tutor.php

Elem Math games, logic puzzles and educational resources https://www.mathplayground.com/

Poetry and music https://www.thewell.world/mindful-mu…/mindful-poetry-moments

3D printing projects and Coding projects, involving math and other K-12 subjects https://www.instructables.com/…/EdgertonCent…/instructables/

Introductory and intermediate music theory lessons, exercises, ear trainers, and calculators. https://www.musictheory.net/

Scads of free resources, games, learning resources, and lesson plans for teaching personal finance https://www.ngpf.org/

Improve your typing skills while competing in fast-paced races with up to 5 typers from around the world. https://www.nitrotype.com/

Illustrated recipes designed to help kids age 2-12 cook with their grown-ups. Recipes encourage culinary skills, literacy, math, and science. https://www.nomsterchef.com/nomster-recipe-library

Online curriculum that builds better writers. https://www.noredink.com/

80+ do at home science activities https://elementalscience.com/…/n…/80-free-science-activities

Daily lessons and educational activities that kids can do on their own https://www.superchargedschool.com/

Adaptive curriculum in Math and ELA for Grades K-8
https://www.scootpad.com/

Novel Effect makes storytime a little more fun for kids (and grown-ups too!) As you read out loud from print books (or ebooks!) music, sound effects, and character voices play at just the right moment, adjusting and responding to your voice. https://noveleffect.com/

Quick & easy at home projects curated for kids 2 and up
https://www.kiwico.com/kids-at-home

Teaches students how to write a paragraph through interactive online tutorial http://www.paragraphpunch.com/

PreK-12 digital media service with more than 30,000 learning materials https://www.pbslearningmedia.org/

Curricular content hub specifically designed for K-3 students.
https://pebblego.com/free-pebblego-capstone-interactive-acc…

Science and math labs and simulations https://phet.colorado.edu/

An online physics problem and video bank designed for conceptual, standard, honors or AP1 physics. https://www.positivephysics.org/home

Prodigies is a colorful music curriculum for kids 1-12 that will teach your kids how to play their first instrument, how to sing in tune & how to understand the language of music! 21 for free https://prodigiesmusic.com/

Free videos from around the world from grade 3-12
https://www.projectexplorer.org/

QuaverMusic is offering free access to general music activities to all impacted schools, including free student access at-home https://www.quavermusic.com/info/at-home-resources/

For students to practice and master whatever they are learning. https://quizlet.com/

ReadWorks is an online resource of reading passages and lesson plans for students of all levels K-12. https://www.readworks.org/

Critical Thinking resources for K-6 students https://marketplace.mythinkscape.com/store/redtkids

Music Based Spanish Learning https://rockalingua.com/

Science simulations, scientist profiles, and other digital resources for middle school science and high school biology
https://sepuplhs.org/

The Shurley English program for grades K-8 provides a clear, logical, and concrete approach to language arts. https://www.shurley.com/

Sight reading and sight singing practice exercises. https://www.sightreadingfactory.com/

Music practice transformed https://www.smartmusic.com/

Spellingcity is free right now with code VSCFree90
https://www.spellingcity.com/

Kid-friendly workouts — choose from Strength for Kids, Agility for Kids, Flexibility and Balance for Kids, Warm-Up for Kids, Cooldown for Kids, Stand Up and Move for Kids, OR create your own custom kid workout. https://app.sworkit.com/collections/kids-workouts

A collection of hundreds of free K-12 STEM resources, from standalone models and simulations to short activities and week long sequences of curriculum materials. https://learn.concord.org/

Course sets (Levels 1–5) that combine and thoroughly cover phonics, reading, writing, spelling, literature, grammar, punctuation, art, and geography—all in one easy-to-use, beautiful course. https://www.goodandbeautiful.com/

At home OT, PT, and ST resources designed to build skills in children through movement and play. https://www.theottoolbox.com/

Science projects that can be completed with or without Internet access https://sciencespot.net/Pages/classhome.html

Keyboarding practice https://www.typingclub.com/ or https://www.typing.com/

Next Generation Science video game focused on middle school where students directly engage in science phenomena as they solve problems. https://www.tytoonline.com/

Short videos and readings that answer various burning questions for students. There are vocabulary challenges and comprehension questions. http://wonderopolis.org/

Math practice https://xtramath.org/#/home/index

K-5 curriculum that builds deep understanding and a love of learning math for all students https://www.zearn.org/

A quick start resource to help families pull together a plan for surviving the next 1-2 months at home with their kids, but it can also be a time of slowing down and enjoying kids as they learn.
Preschool through 8th grade https://abetterwaytohomeschool.com/learning-at-home-everyth…

450 Ivy League courses that you can take https://www.freecodecamp.org/…/ivy-league-free-online-cou…/…

Spelling 1-4 grade
https://www.spellingtraining.com/

2,500+ online courses from top institutions https://www.edx.org/

22 languages to learn https://www.memrise.com/

Learn to code https://www.codecademy.com/

Miscellaneous games for all subjects k-8 https://www.funbrain.com/

Phonics and learning to read https://readingeggs.com/

PreK – 5 games for all subjects https://www.turtlediary.com/

Online digital coloring pages https://www.thecolor.com/

Every course you could possibly want to homeschool preschool – 8 https://allinonehomeschool.com/

Every course you could possibly want to homeschool for high school https://allinonehighschool.com/

Phonics worksheets for kids https://www.funfonix.com/

Free stories online ages 3-12 https://www.freechildrenstories.com/

National Geographic Young Explorers is a magazine designed specifically for kindergarten and first grade students. Children can listen to the magazine being read to them as they follow along with the highlighted text. https://ngexplorer.cengage.com/ngyoungexplorer/index.html

Learn all about earthquakes https://earthquake.usgs.gov/learn/kids/

Learn all about the periodic table https://www.chemicool.com/

Farmer’s almanac for kids… Date, weather, moon phase, etc. https://www.almanac.com/kids

Guide to gardening for kids https://web.extension.illinois.edu/firstgarden/

Website allows students to play basic games to reinforce math skills and compete against the computer or others https://www.mangahigh.com/en-us/

Space science for kiddos https://www.nasa.gov/kidsclub/index.html

Math Games, Logic Puzzles and Brain Builders https://www.mathplayground.com/

Games, quizzes and fact sheets take kids on a journey through time. https://www.bbc.co.uk/history/forkids/

NGAkids interactives offer an entertaining and informative introduction to art and art history. https://www.nga.gov/education/kids.html

News and more for kids https://www.youngzine.org/

Randomly generates 356,300,262,144 story starters
https://thestorystarter.com/

Immerse yourself in cryptography https://www.cryptoclub.org/

Math games galore https://gridclub.com/

Tons of science experiments that you can do at home
https://www.stevespanglerscience.com/lab/experiments/

An interactive way to learn history
https://www.mission-us.org/

Just explore, have fun, and learn some science along the way. https://thehappyscientist.com/

Interactive games based on the book series
https://www.magictreehouse.com/

Work on the 8 parts of speech https://www.grammaropolis.com/

Learn all about cells https://www.cellsalive.com/

All sorts of learning here if you dig in https://www.google.com/earth/

Scratch draws students of all types into coding and lays a foundation for future learning. https://scratch.mit.edu/

A wonderful, endlessly detailed way to get kids engaged in the world of art. https://www.metmuseum.org/art/online-features/metkids/

Tests kids’ geography skills. Using images from Google’s Street View, it plops players down in the middle of the street and asks them to figure out where they are. https://www.geoguessr.com/

Allows students to type in any city, state, or country to view an archive of historical photographs and other documents. It’s a unique way to help them learn about history.
http://www.whatwasthere.com//

Short videos about numbers that help kids explore complex math topics and make math more fun. https://www.numberphile.com/

A human visualization platform that allows students to explore the human body in really cool ways. https://human.biodigital.com/login?returnUrl=/dashboard

Helps kids learn to appreciate the arts by providing them with the opportunity to play games, conduct investigations, and explore different forms of art. https://artsology.com/

Lets kids play instruments online. Instruments include the guitar, piano, pan flute, drums, and bongos. https://www.virtualmusicalinstruments.com/

Crafts, activities, bulletin board designs, and finger plays for early education teachers and parents to use with kids.
http://www.preschoolexpress.com/

A large selection of fun songs to help teach preschool and kindergarten students https://www.songsforteaching.com/preschoolkindergarten.htm

Resource section includes free flashcards, coloring pages, worksheets, and other resources for children, teachers, and parents. https://supersimple.com/

Life skills curriculum for students in grades K-12. Their resources include strategies for teaching social and emotional skills. https://www.overcomingobstacles.org/

Coding for ages 4-10 https://www.kodable.com/

No need to travel to one of the Smithsonian’s zoos or museums — this website brings your child everything from live video of the National Zoo to the Smithsonian Learning Lab right to their screen https://www.si.edu/kids

Cool Kid Facts gives your child access to educational videos, pictures, quizzes, downloadable worksheets, and infographics. They can use these to learn about geography, history, science, animals, and even the human body.
https://www.coolkidfacts.com/

This interactive website, hosted by the U.S. Government Publishing Office, allows your child to see the ins and outs of the U.S. government by taking a series of learning adventures with none other than Benjamin Franklin. https://bensguide.gpo.gov/

This NASA initiative covers a wide range of topics including weather, climate, atmosphere, water, energy, plants, and animals. https://climatekids.nasa.gov/

Ask Dr. Universe is a science-education project from Washington State University. Kids can send Dr. Universe any question they may have about history, geography, plants, animals, technology, engineering, math, culture, and more.
https://askdruniverse.wsu.edu/

Your child can play games, learn fun facts, and find out how to turn coin collecting into a hobby. https://www.usmint.gov/learn/kids

From rainbows to tornadoes and winter storms to tsunamis, meteorologist Crystal Wicker breaks down the fascinating world of weather. http://www.weatherwizkids.com/

Kids Think Design explores careers in fashion design, graphic design, interior design, book design, product design, film and theatre, architecture, animation, and environmental design. http://www.kidsthinkdesign.org/

This educational website hosted by the Smithsonian Museum takes a deep dive into ocean life. https://ocean.si.edu/

Brainscape offers over a million flashcard decks for every subject, entrance exam, and certification imaginable. https://www.brainscape.com/

The Theta Music Trainer offers a series of online courses and games for ear training and music theory.
https://trainer.thetamusic.com/en

Banzai exposes students to real-world financial dilemmas to teach them the importance of smart money management. https://www.teachbanzai.com/

Innerbody explores the 11 bodily systems in depth. With interactive models and detailed explanations, this website will help them learn more about the internal mechanics of the amazing human body.https://www.innerbody.com/htm/body.html

Alcumus is specifically designed to provide high-performing students with a challenging curriculum appropriate to their abilities https://artofproblemsolving.com/alcumus

Find and fix learning gaps https://www.mobymax.com/

Algebra games for kids https://www.dragonboxapp.com/

Fractions practice http://www.mathchimp.com/freddysfractions.php

Education for kids all topics https://www.ducksters.com

Math and logic problems for ages 5 and up to adult
https://www.aplusclick.org/

Science podcasts to listen to with your kids https://medium.com/…/19-great-science-podcasts-you-can-list…

Alaskan Wildlife cams http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=viewing.webcams

Coding with Star Wars https://code.org/starwars

Tons and tons and tons of games some learning some just fun https://www.crazygames.com/

Crafts, projects, science, recipes for young children https://www.funology.com/

Amphibian unit studies https://premeditatedleftovers.com/…/amphibians-unit-study-…/

Engineering challenges with things you have at home
https://thehomeschoolscientist.com/paper-structures-engine…/

Online photograph jigsaw puzzles You can set the pieces from 6-1000+ https://www.jigsawexplorer.com/

Toddler and preschool age ideas https://preschoolinspirations.com/

children quote