Unfortunate Blog: Tips and resources for parents with children at home and managing homeschooling due to the Coronavirus pandemic.

Here are some resources for parents for kids to best cope with life under the “stay-at-home” order. I will try my best to make it an evolving resource as new materials come to my attention. Many thanks to my colleague in Burlington, VT (Delyn Hall LMFT), for much of these resources. 

Some general suggestions:

1) Schedule similar to their school day that works around our work at home schedules. 

2) Have kids FaceTime a friend or family member every day. This is incredibly important to maintain social connections. Kids can play games virtually on those calls such as hangman with their friends, iSpy, Battleship, etc. And, of course, there’s always Minecraft and Fortnite. 

3) If you’re having a hard time balancing your child’s need for attention along with daily responsibilities, consider having your child help or try to make a game of it. Have a race to see who can pick up in the living rom the fastest. Find ways for kids to help with cooking. For teens, use it as an opportunity to teach life skills and work together to plan a meal. 

4) Go outside every day at least twice a day and get fresh air. 

5) Craft, read, take naps, play in the dirt, explore the woods, card games 

6) Have a family movie night. 

Corona Virus Resources:   

How to talk to kids about Coronavirus: https://www.livescience.com/coronavirus-kids-guide.html?fbclid=IwAR09qVXCyDlpt_h8GdxPF5MLSj_L2okngxBTUqU2pNjEZj0nQ96wky2-zhs 

A link from the British Columbia Psychological Association: This link is for a workbook for children coping with COVID. https://documentcloud.adobe.com/link/review?uri=urn%3Aaaid%3Ascds%3AUS%3A144989fd-d179-4bca-9629-bf96e3eee0c7 

A Note about the link above: In 2008, Gil Kliman’s Children’s Earthquake Workbook was translated into Mandarin and adapted for the Sichuan Earthquake. A zillion copies (I forget the exact number) were printed and distributed. Maranda Sze (CAPA graduate, analytic candidate at Chicago Psychoanalytic Institute) has now adapted the workbook for the Epidemic and Quarantine which has a new introduction by Dr. Kliman. It will be made available online throughout China, so parents can help their quarantined and frightened children. There are many reports that children in the U.S. are also frightened. Dr. Sze has also created an English version which is attached here. She and Dr. Kliman are working on more details for this version. Feel free to send it to any U.S. schools or other groups you feel are appropriate." --Dr. Jeanne LeBlanc 

Homeschooling Resources:

A Note from an Educator about homeschooling: 

“All you parents out there homeschooling, cheers to you, but this is going to last a while, and you’re going to burn out. A few have a very good chance of becoming a homeschooling parent overnight, but most will end up so frustrated that this will destroy your family. Your kids will be fine if you take it easy and let kids explore the way they should. If you have littles, for goodness sake, let them run around outside if possible and offer them choices of things to explore, and let them choose their activities. Let them get bored. Figuring it out is the life lesson. Observing them in their choices may actually be so eye-opening as to who your little people are. Let them sprout the way they were meant to. Stay safe and sane out there!” 

A podcast for parents about homeschooling: https://livingjoyfully.ca/blog/2020/03/eu219-home-with-the-kids-with-pam-and-anna/ 

Free online educational resources 

A non-exhaustive list of free online educational resources:

The Imagination Tree https://theimaginationtree.com Creative art and craft activities for the very youngest. Audible makes audio books for kids free https://stories.audible.com/start-listen?mi_cmp=21b6d7d8b2f846dc&mi_ecmp=486622220&mi_sc=t&mi_u=amzn1.account.AECDVVH3XX73YXVZGHD47RK4J2GQ 

Free Daily Courses from Scholastic: https://www.wbtw.com/health/coronavirus/scholastic-releases-free-daily-courses-for-kids-stuck-home-amid-coronavirus-school-closures/?fbclid=IwAR3Nh1DV-c-WY40NQgW9BcpgEOJrvSRslP_Ntxp7XkSvtaTSf0sNz_CiKok 

Toy Theater https://toytheater.com/ Educational online games 

DK Find Out https://www.dkfindout.com/uk/… Activities and quizzes 

Twinkl https://www.twinkl.co.uk This is more for printouts, and usually at a fee, but they are offering a month of free access to parents in the event of school closures. 

Indigenous Online School Lessons https://www.cbc.ca/news/indigenous/indigenous-online-school-lessons-1.5501050?fbclid=IwAR0GynkVVWy0bQXkDIgP0ClRQVeEzuoC0HAtZSU0vX05Mf4vruLYUedUs68 

Amazing Educational Resources This is a fantastic resource typically used by home schooling families of platforms that I think have been made free and accessible to the public at this time. Honestly, it is gigantic! You’ll need to weed through it but this would keep you occupied for YEARS. http://www.amazingeducationalresources.com/ Khan Academy https://www.khanacademy.org 

Especially good for maths and computing for all ages but other subjects at Secondary level. Note this uses the U.S. grade system but it's mostly common material. 

BBC Learning http://www.bbc.co.uk/learning/coursesearch/ This site is old and no longer updated and yet there's so much still available, from language learning to BBC Bitesize for revision. No TV license required except for content on BBC iPlayer. 

Futurelearn https://www.futurelearn.com Free to access 100s of courses, only pay to upgrade if you need a certificate in your name (own account from age 14+ but younger learners can use a parent account). 

Seneca https://www.senecalearning.com For those revising at GCSE or A level. Tons of free revision content. Paid access to higher level material. 

Openlearn https://www.open.edu/openlearn/ Free taster courses aimed at those considering Open University but everyone can access it. Adult level, but some e.g. nature and environment courses could well be of interest to young people. 

Blockly https://blockly.games Learn computer programming skills - fun and free. A HUGE list of free online educational resources and activities https://kidsactivitiesblog.com/.../list-of-education.../...   

Scratch https://scratch.mit.edu/explore/projects/games/ Creative computer programming 

Ted Ed https://ed.ted.com All sorts of engaging educational videos 

National Geographic Kids https://www.natgeokids.com/uk/ Activities and quizzes for younger kids. 

Duolingo https://www.duolingo.com Learn languages for free. Web or app. 

Mystery Science https://mysteryscience.com Free science lessons 

The Kids Should See This https://thekidshouldseethis.com Wide range of cool educational videos 

Crash Course https://thecrashcourse.com You Tube videos on many subjects Crash Course Kids https://m.youtube.com/user/crashcoursekids As above for a younger audience 

Crest Awards https://www.crestawards.org Science awards you can complete from home. 

iDEA Awards https://idea.org.uk Digital enterprise award scheme you can complete online. 

Paw Print Badges https://www.pawprintbadges.co.uk Free challenge packs and other downloads. Many activities can be completed indoors. Badges cost but are optional.   

Tinkercad https://www.tinkercad.com All kinds of making. 

Prodigy Maths https://www.prodigygame.com Is in U.S. grades, but good for UK Primary age. 

Cbeebies Radio https://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/radio Listening activities for the younger ones. 

Nature Detectives https://naturedetectives.woodlandtrust.org.uk/naturedetect…/ A lot of these can be done in a garden, or if you can get to a remote forest location! 

British Council https://www.britishcouncil.org/school-resources/find 

Resources for English language learning Oxford Owl for Home https://www.oxfordowl.co.uk/for-home/ 

Lots of free resources for Primary age Big History Project https://www.bighistoryproject.com/home Aimed at Secondary age. Multi-disciplinary activities. 

Geography Games https://world-geography-games.com/world.html Geography gaming! 

Blue Peter Badges https://www.bbc.co.uk/cbbc/joinin/about-blue-peter-badges If you have a stamp and a nearby post box. 

The Artful Parent https://www.facebook.com/artfulparent/ Good, free art activities linked to from this Facebook page 

Red Ted Art https://www.redtedart.com Easy arts and crafts for little ones