Surviving the COVID-19 School Closure

As someone who works for my local school district, I am fortunate to be home with my kids while their schools as well as mine are closed due to the COVID-19 outbreak. As of this moment, the schools are only scheduled to be closed for today. But I have no doubt that my city will follow the lead of many others around us and close for at least several weeks. So what to do to make sure my kids aren't spending all that time goofing off and playing video games? Here's my list of things I'm planning to do with my kids that might work for you, too, if you're also fortunate (or unfortunate) enough to be staying at home with your kids while the schools are closed down.

Cook Something
My kids love to cook and bake with me. Depending on how old your kids are and how comfortable they are in the kitchen, "cooking something" could be as simple as learning to fry an egg or make boxed mac and cheese, or as complicated as learning to make a complete dish from a family recipe. I love baking bread with my kids, so we're making challah. It's just enough different from plain sandwich bread to feel like a real treat, and the kneading and braiding steps are fun for kids of all ages to help with.

Cooking can also be a great opportunity to practice reading skills, math skills (cut a recipe in half or convert grams to cups!), and fine motor skills. You can even discuss the chemistry behind some of the ingredients and techniques, especially when you're baking instead of cooking.

Fix Something
If your house is like mine, there are always little fix-it projects waiting to be done. Maybe you have a squeaky door hinge that needs a squirt of WD-40, or there's a small rip in a pillowcase that needs mending or a button that's falling off a shirt, or the signal light in your car needs a new bulb, or there's a spot of grout in the bathroom that needs re-caulking. What a great time to not only get something crossed off your to-do list, but also to teach your kids some practical skills! And if it's something you don't really know how to fix, show your kids how to look for help online or call a handy neighbor or friend for tips.

Research Something
In addition to looking for fix-it help online, getting your kids to research an answer to a question is a great use of their time. Assign them a person that they might be interested in (a car designer or a fashion designer or a video game designer, an astronaut or computer pioneer, a politician or activist) or a historical event, or a general topic. Maybe even let them come up with the topic themselves. Have them discuss what they learned with the whole family over dinner. Let THEM teach YOU something for a change!

Learn Something
There are lots of great online education and tutoring sites for all ages, and many of them are free. Here are just a few ideas to get you started:

Khan Academy - I used this site a lot when I was homeschooling my son. Kids progress at their own rate, the explanations are clear, and the site covers math, science, grammar, and history, as well as SAT prep for older kids

Starfall - Although limited to pre-K through grade 3, this site teaches reading and is especially helpful for those struggling with the skill due to dyslexia, ESL/ELL, and other learning difficulties. The free content can also be upgraded for a fee.

Cool Math - Cool Math is actually three related sites: Cool Math Games for preschoolers, Cool Math 4 Kids for ages 3 through 12, and Cool Math itself for ages 13 and up. Since everything is in the form of games rather than exercises or worksheets, kids are more willing to spend time on the site without complaining. In addition to math, there are quizzes on geography, history, science and nature, and other topics. There are also links with tips and tricks for parents and teachers.

How Stuff Works - With a list of categories including health, science, home and garden, auto, tech, money, culture, animals, and more, there's sure to be a topic that intrigues any child. (And I do mean ANY; one of today's featured topics is "How Do Boogers Form in Your Nose?" Not the topic I'd pick, but hey, it's legitimate science.) The quiz section gets into stupid stuff like "Fill Your Makeup Bag and We'll Tell You When You'll Get Married," but there are also a few gems like, "Can You Name All the Cities Taken Over by the Roman Empire?".

Clean Something
Cleaning tasks don't stop when school does, so take advantage of teaching your kids how to help. Teach them to do laundry, clean the oven, scrub the bathroom, rake the yard, strip and remake the beds, hand wash pots and pans. It teaches them practical life skills and makes your life easier. Win-win!

Look at Something
One of my favorite spring traditions that I've been doing with my kids since they were babies is going for a walk to look for signs of spring. We make note of flower and tree buds emerging, listen for birds singing their mating calls, check the neighbors' doors for spring and Easter decorations, and keep our eyes peeled for baby bunnies and other animals. It gets them (and you!) out in the fresh air, gets you a bit of exercise, and works on observation skills and making logical connections between the changing seasons and what they see outside. You can also make it a scavenger hunt and give them a list of things to look for: a robin with a twig in its beak, an Easter egg decoration, a yellow flower, a red car, a chipmunk, a rock that's bigger than a loaf of bread, someone pushing a baby carriage, someone walking a dog, two of the same kind of bird, etc.

Play Something
My kids love games, and we just don't get to play them often enough through the year. Our family favorites include chess, Catan Junior, Ticket to Ride, Monopoly, Mousetrap, Clue, Connect 4, Jenga, and Frozen Surprise Slides.

Listen to Something
And finally, I love spending time with my kids just talking and listening to each other. I tell them family stories, they tell me about their friends. We read each other stories - I'm continually amazed at the classic literature my kids will happily have read to them that they'd never read on their own. Our personal favorite classics include Treasure Island, The Invisible Man, Peter Pan, Julie of the Wolves, Robin Hood, Call of the Wild, and The Secret Garden.

We also love listening to classical music. Even if you're not a big classical music fan, there are some wonderful story-songs designed for children. Try Tubby the Tuba, Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf (especially the David Bowie narration!), Vivaldi's Four Seasons narrated by Patrick Stewart, Saint-Saens' Carnival of the Animals, Grieg's In the Hall of the Mountain King, and the fabulous Classical Kids CDs, which include "Beethoven Lives Upstairs," "Mr. Bach Comes to Call," "Tchaikovsky Discovers America," "Vivaldi's Ring of Mystery," and "Mozart's Magic Fantasy."


Good luck surviving the quarantine!!

The Coolest (Educational) Toys and Games for Six-Year-Olds

My son’s 6^th birthday is rapidly approaching, and as I review his gift request list, I can’t help but want to add a few cool educational toys and games. There are lots of great toys and games out there that kids don’t even realize are educational – they just think they’re cool and want to play with them. No matter what your 6-year-old is into, I bet one of the cool (and - SHHHH!!! - educational!!!) toys or games on this list will appeal to him or her.

Note: Although many of these items are recommended for ages 8 and up, a curious 6- or 7-year old could certainly enjoy and learn from them with a bit of adult guidance.

One more note: Most of these toys are also available at WalMart, Target, Kohl’s, Toys R Us, and similar “brick and mortar” retailers, as well as Amazon.com and other online retailers.

Snap Circuits Jr. ($31.95 from Fat Brain Toys)

This simple electronics kit allows your budding engineer to design his or her own alarm clock, strobe light, doorbell, police siren, voice-controlled lamp, flying saucer, and over 90 other cool projects. You don’t need any tools (the pieces simply snap together), just a couple of AA batteries and a bit of imagination.

Teaches: Basic electronic circuitry, following instructions, logic

AnimaLogic Game ($24.95 from Fat Brain Toys)

The animals have been waiting eagerly for rain, but now they’re getting too much, and the river is rising! It’s your job to help the animals across the bridge in an orderly fashion so they don’t stampede! Choose your level of difficulty, then set up your animals to match that level card. Following three simple rules (only the animal closest to the river in each row can cross the bridge – no jumping; only one animal may cross the bridge at a time; and each animal to cross must be either the same color OR the same species at the one ahead of it), get all your animals safely across the river! If you get stuck, an answer key is provided with one possible solution to each starting card.

Teaches: Logic, problem solving, pattern matching, decision making, spatial/visual skills

Get Bit! Deluxe Game ($19.15 from Amazon,com)

You’ve been shipwrecked on a small island with the rest of your ragtag pirate crew when suddenly you spot a ship on the horizon! You light a fire to signal them, but to be rescued, you still must swim out to the ship – past man-eating sharks! Each player selects a pirate (minimum of 3 players, although 2 can play if they each take 2 pirates) and take all the cards matching their pirate’s color. All players pose their pirate in a row swimming toward rescue – followed by the hungry shark. Players each deal a card and the pirate with the lowest card value moves to the front of the line, farthest away from the shark. As the game progresses, the shark takes a chomp out of the pirate at the end of the line, so the pirate loses an arm or a leg, but then gets to move to the front of the line. Once a pirate loses both arms and both legs, he gets eaten by the shark and is out of the game. When there are only 2 players left, the shark eats the one closest to him, and the remaining pirate is rescued and wins the game!

Teaches: Counting/math, decision making, strategy, risk vs. rewards

Extra fun: The poseable pirates and the shark are fun to play with on their own!!

Zoob Inventor’s Kit ($29.99 at Brookstone)

Take the best of Lego bricks, Lincoln Logs, and Erector Sets, put them all together, and what do you get? Zoobs! The pieces are designed to snap together easily and form joints that can bend, spin, and twist. Create humanoids, animals, insects, aliens, and anything else your mind can come up with! This kit also includes instructions for 30 creations – designed by kids - to get you started.

Teaches: spatial relations, anatomy, creative thinking

Magformers ($47.97 for 30-piece set at Educational Toys Planet; other kits also available)

This set of 30 brightly-colored magnetic squares and triangles can be stuck together at various angles to form all kinds of shapes and structures. Other kits include additional shapes and colors, and the Magnets n’ Motion set even includes motorized gears. Your child’s imagination can run wild as they stick together these shapes to form whatever they can dream up!

Teaches: creativity, spatial relations, shapes, imagination, manipulative skills

SeaScope Land and Underwater Telescope ($34.69 from Educational Toys Planet)

This working 4x telescope can be used underwater or on land to take a closer look at the world around. Includes built-in flashlight (requires two AA batteries), ruler, and thermometer for collecting additional data. Durable and water-resistant, this scope will survive many trips to the local forest, park, and beach.

Teaches: Observational skills, exploration, biology, scientific method, critical thinking

Qwirkle ($21.07 from Jet)

Form chains of tiles by matching shape or color and linking onto existing chains, earning points for each tile added and bonus points for certain setups (similar to Scrabble, but no need to be able to spell).

Teaches: Patterns, strategy, counting/math

Castle Blast ($29.95 from Mindware)

Build an enemy castle, stock it with a princess, a dragon, and a treasure, then use a wrecking ball to knock it down, saving the princess, rescuing the treasure, and avoiding the dragon. Earn or lose tokens depending on how successful you are!

Teaches: Building skills, strategy, hand-eye coordination

Extra fun: You can follow the directions to build the castle, or get creative and design your own. And knocking things down with a wrecking ball is always fun.

Any favorite educational toys or games YOU want to add to this list? Let's play!