100 things to do with your kids during coronavirus closures

March 17, 2020 2:37 PM

Matt Van Slyke, Connor Sarles,

Posted: March 17, 2020 2:37 PM

Updated: April 2, 2020 11:00 AM

It’s going to be a challenging few weeks for parents. We’re here for you! Below are some things you might want to look into for your kids.

Contact your local school district for free meals for students while schools are closed
Restaurant dining rooms are closing but many local favorites are offering to-go options
Create a daily schedule as a family; take turns being the one who decides what activity to do during certain blocks of time
Have a family meeting; talk with everyone about what they want out of this break
Non-profit Khan Academy offers online learning
Outschool.com has live, online classes for ages 3-18
Try these Brain Breaks to keep kids moving and grooving
Go to a sparsely-populated/empty park rather than a playground — a little fresh air may do you good
Watch Washington state astronaut Anne McClain read a book from space!
Make origami animals and objects
Hold a paper boat race in your tub or at a pond
Explore the arts, history, and foreign places with Google Arts & Culture
The Amazing Educational Resources Facebook page offers just that
Check out Too Cool for School, a virtual kids camp
Scholastic provides learn-at-home resources
Break out the board games
Teach each other card games with a standard deck of cards; make up your own games
Hold a contest to see who can pick up the most dishes/clothes/socks; winner gets to pick the next board/card game
Do a 30-day Lego Challenge
Save the boxes from your package deliveries and use them to make towers or forts
Watch pandas, beluga whales, and other animals on live cams at San Diego Zoo, Monterey Bay Aquarium, Houston Zoo and more
Take a virtual field trip to Yellowstone National Park or even Mars
Discovery Education offers a number of virtual field trips
Watch cooking videos for kids and cook/bake together
Go tent camping in your yard
Start a home garden (indoor or outdoor)
Go fishing (just stay six feet from others)
Try a household or road-trip scavenger hunt
Play hide-and-seek with objects (one person hides them, others have to find them)
Make your own musical instruments
Use FaceTime, Skype, Google Hangouts or another platform to video chat with a friend or family member
Learn how to draw at Art for Kids Hub
Brainstorm and start your own YouTube channel
Play dress-up
Mystery Doug helps answer young students’ questions
Program your own interactive stories, games, and animations with Scratch
GoNoodle provides free movement and mindfulness videos created by child development experts
Learn how long viruses live on surfaces (timely, eh?) and more at How Stuff Works
Explore “The Earth’s most detailed globe” at Google Earth
The Happy Scientist helps kids explore Life, Earth, Chemical, Space and Physical Science
Discovery, create, share and learn at the Smithsonian Learning Lab
Hang out with the Cat in the Hat at Seussville
Check out the games, videos and art on Sesame Street
Here are some Ted Talks you can watch with kids
Try a science project courtesy of San Francisco’s Exploratorium
PBS Kids hosts educational videos and games
Starfall is a free public service to teach children to read
The Old Farmers Almanac for Kids is fun for animal lovers and night-sky watchers
Not spaced-out enough yet? Join the NASA Kids’ Club
Fuel the Brain provides free and inexpensive resources to educators — and parents can benefit, too
Remember Highlights Kids? They’ve got activities, jokes, recipes and more
Scholastic is offering free online courses so your kids can keep learning while schools are closed
BBC History for Kids has a wide selection of historical games and activities
BrainPOP prides itself on making rigorous learning experiences accessible and engaging for all
Mystery Science provides School Closure Planning lessons
GregTangMath.com features a number of teaching games
Illuminations (National Council of Teachers of Mathematics) has a bunch of bright ideas
Math.com has games and resources for keeping young brains active
Prodigy offers a math game
You can browse by grade for books and enter the Math Zone at Funbrain.com
National Geographic Kids has educational games, quizzes and more
Write a letter or make thank you cards for a community hero
Duolingo can help you learn any language
If you need a study break, Disney+ is now streaming ‘Frozen II’ for housebound families
Farm Food 360 offers 11 virtual tours of pig, cow, sheep, grain, apple, and egg farms, among others.
These 12 famous museums offer virtual tours you can enjoy from home
Learn how to improve your chances against coronavirus
Science Mom is offering live, weekday science and math lessons, crafts, and games
Turn lemons into lemonade; learn how to create positive outcomes for kids during this situation
Montessori Northwest is sharing resources and ideas
Create a booklet that summarizes content from research or lessons
Walk the dog (just keep six feet away from other dog-walkers!)
Make your own hand sanitizer
Play the Wiki Game
Donate blood
Create a poster
Create a diorama
Make a paper-mâché model
Write a play or a script
Create a puppet show
Design a board game
Write a song
Complete a drawing or a painting
Design/create a timeline
Create a dance
Make a comic strip
Create a collage
Create a sculpture
Direct a cell-phone-produced movie
Write a story
Write a poem
Construct a mobile
Create some jokes
Produce a PowerPoint
Construct a Venn diagram
Interview an expert
Make a sewing activity
Create a slideshow
Create a scrapbook
WASH YOUR HANDS!

Here are 100 more indoor ideas from The Best Ideas for Kids Facebook page:

Is your business being affected? The Governor’s Office for the State of Washington has put together a list of resources to support Washington businesses impacted by COVID-19, including information related to financial, export, employer and employee, and insurance assistance. Member care line: 509-777-2727 | membercare@aiin.com.

*Note: If your business has had to change these plans, please contact the author for removal