As you all know, the COVID19 is here and many of you are forced inside of your homes. Pretty soon you’re going to feel overwhelmed along with your children. Honestly, unless you homeschool as our family does then you do not need to buy every product out there and sign up for every possible online system. You’ll feel overwhelmed and just throw in the towel.
Let’s be honest, the first couple of days you all are going to take a break and might not do anything else (that’s okay!). You need to remember that homeschoolers have a routine and system in place year round and routines are vital! Even on the road we have a routine and thrive off of it.
However, you also don’t want your kids on their iPads all day, am I right? I know ours get grumpy and angry if they are on electronics too much.
So… here are a few ideas to help them learn but also have fun and occupy their time.
1 - Our favorite lazy day pass time is watching Horrible Histories. It’s free for any Amazon Prime member and you can check it out here.
It’s not horrible, it’s hilarious! The show provides history that include super gross facts about history and your kids will remember loads of information from this show! Farts, burps… that’s the kind of gross stuff it talks about so don’t be afraid! It’s VERY informational and VERY far from scary! The kids just giggle the whole time.
Snag Horrible Histories here if you have Amazon Prime, snag it here if you don’t have Amazon Prime and simply want the books.
If you love this then you’ll also notice that they have a Horrible Science too! Our kids LOVE this!
2 - Games! Who doesn’t love games? I’ve already listed our favorite games on this page, click here. Feel free to check it out and ask me any questions over the list if you’re unsure.
3 - Khan Academy has a lot of great resources that are FREE! They have everything from math to coding. It’s a great resource if your child is into a particular subject so they can dive in and learn what peaks their interest.
4 - Adventure Academy app. This is like a game but the kids have to learn along the way to build their characters and such. Best of all, they can add their friends and play together virtually! This is a paid app but we LOVE it! Our kids will ask for extra time on this because it’s so fun.
5 - COOK! This is a great time to try new recipes and have the kids learn how to measure, use kitchen tools and understand the basics. This is a life skill that I believe lacks in any public school so help your kiddo out by baking a couple desserts or have them join you cooking dinner. Maybe they’ll cook for you! This is messy but necessary so they can understand how to cook for themselves one day with confidence.
6 - Duolingo is a great app that is free and teaches different languages.
7 - Have them budget and plan out a vacation. This could be something as simple as a day at the park with ice cream, packed lunches and games or it can be as elaborate as a huge trip that requires overnight stays, meals, gas money or air fare. Give them a budget, let them research and plan. You might be surprised!
This is another life skill that is important because it makes them budget finances and time! They’ll understand and appreciate how much effort you’ve put into your upcoming trip because they’ll understand what it takes to make that trip worth it.
8 - Write a book. Let their creativity roll out with a pencil and paper. Have them draw out the characters and you can actually publish them online or produce the physical product if you’d like. Try not to be too judgmental as this is a creative process so let them just explore their imagination and go wild!
9 - Read, read, read! If you have access to the local library then go snag a ton of books! If not, look at those books that no ones cracked open since you bought them at the book fair. This is a perfect time to catch up! You could also have them write a prelude or a different ending to their favorite book.
Tip - many second hand stores have books for as low as 25 cents and a lot of choices!
10 - Ask what your kids are interested in and youtube facts about them. Example: what’s your favorite animal? I bet you can find loads of videos on them packed with information you both didn’t know. Research what they want to be when they grow up, want to be an astronaut? What’s that training look like? How do germs spread for kids? Watch science experiments and then try them yourself! The possibilities are endless.
BONUS TIP: - Outschool.com has a lot of classes that are amazing! It’s other parents teaching the kids and typically include things that can peak a child’s interest…. Harry Potter, Roblox and more combined with writing and other educational benefits. Just check it out, it’s worth it!
I’ll admit, I did throw this list together fairly quickly but as a homeschool mom all year round this was just some of the things that we do.
Take a break and enjoy them being home but if you want to keep them busy without starring at Minecraft or Roblox here were some ideas for you. The time will come and you will all feel cooped up so refer back to this list when you need some inspiration.
Talk to you soon,
Amanda