Get out of a rut with these ideas for learning, fun
By Christina Knott
Watertown Daily Times
As a parent working from home right now, I’ve found working from home means my typical 8-hour shift is now a 12-hour one, with lots of breaks for taking care of kid problems in between. Is this the week I hide in a closet to get some work done? How else do you stay sane?
One idea a friend suggested is to share with friends on Facebook what your kids are doing, but refer to them as your coworkers. It does add some levity to the situation to read, “My co-worker just ran down the hall in his underwear.”
I think everyone, kids included, are getting a bit stir-crazy stuck at the house, so we are trying to come up with ideas to keep things interesting.
If you’re in the same situation, here are some ideas to change things up.
Little Free Library
If you are running out of books to read to your little one while larger libraries are closed, now is the perfect time to stop by a Little Free Library location. You may know where one is, but if not, check out the littlefreelibrary.org to see where the nearest one to you is. You can also take the time drop off some books you’ve already read to help others.
Audible is offering free streaming audiobooks for children up through teen years right now. You can listen to “Winnie-the-Pooh” by A.A. Milne or “Brave New World” by Aldous Huxley and tons of stuff in between. Visit stories.audible.com to browse their selection.
Libby
This is an application by OverDrive that is utilized by many libraries, including the ones in the north country. Even if you can’t visit the physical location, the library has thousands of e-books for you to browse and borrow. You can get books for Kindle or to read on your phone or computer. They also have audiobooks for all ages. The best part, your books will be returned automatically (no late fees!).
This website at www.tumblebooklibrary.com offers free e-books for children to view online. They can listen as the narrator reads the story with added audio elements. Or you can turn the sound off and read on your own.
Write a letter
This can be a good way to connect to others while helping children practice handwriting and self-narratives. Write one thing you learned or something fun you did. Tell your recipient something you like about them. Or have them share an interesting fact they picked up.
Learn to sew
This project can help improve fine motor skills, math, organization and attention to detail. One reader, Jessica Patrzyk, and her 7-year-old daughter made over 200 face masks to donate to those who need them. You can find free patterns at several places online including www.allfreesewing.com.
Record a show
Have your child research an animal, a planet or something else of interest and record them telling others about it on your phone. You can give it a fun name or let them wear a silly costume while they perform. Kids love watching themselves on camera, and you can share it with family members curious to see what you are up to.
Photo scavenger hunt
Hand over your old iPhone and let your kids take pictures of things that start with different letters of the alphabet. Kids love taking pictures and showing them off. And it’s neat to see things from their perspective.
The North Country Library System has plenty of free resources aside from books. You will need a valid library card. All of these are available at https://catalog.ncls.org/.
This service provides video-based art and music instruction.
This offers access to over 500 online classes in a variety of categories. Of particular interest now may be lessons for homeschooling, mathmatics, science or general education subject areas.
Pick up some language skills with this site that offers scientifically-proven methodology and a wide variety of learning materials. All lessons are taught by native speakers.