I, like the rest of the country, am at home these days. Fortunately for me, I have always been good at keeping myself entertained. Today though, many kids aren’t as good at that as in generations past. Anyone in my childhood household who said the word ‘bored’ would get such a long list of chores to do from my mother that the word would never pass through those lips again.
In an attempt to help out families everywhere who are in a situation they never imagined could happen, I have been scouring the internet. I have several goals in mind. The first is to locate and list resources that parents and children might find useful during our period of social isolation. I am trying to sift through them, and only list those that are free to use. Many of us won’t be having the funds to buy anything beyond necessities for a long time to come.
At first, I considered trying to compile a huge, comprehensive list. There are two problems with that idea. First, new resources are being published every day, so my list would be obsolete in less than a week. Second, I’ve seen lists that have 100 or more sites, so many that I get a headache working my way down the list. I don’t want to give anyone a headache. So, I am going to publish 10-20 links at a time, and try to post a new list at least twice a week. Today I am offering educational sites for children, and online storytimes. Most of these sites offer gamified learning, and/or cool videos, or in some other way make learning interesting, and maybe even fun…
Here goes:
Arcademics
Gamified learning for grades 1-6
Bedtime Math
http://bedtimemath.org/fun-math-at-home/
Math activities to do together
Carrot-Top Industries
https://carrot-top.com/educational-resources
Printables about, states, state capitols, and the Constitution
Code.org
Learn block-based coding through game-like challenges
Django Girls
Learn how to create your very own website from scratch (aimed at girls)
e-learning for kids
https://www.e-learningforkids.org/
All kinds of gamified learning for K-5th grade
Khan Academy
All kinds of subjects presented through videos and graphics, with quizzes
Khan Academy Recommended Schedule for Kids
Math Game Time
Math games for K-5th grade
NASA Kids’ Club
https://www.nasa.gov/kidsclub/index.html
Interactive games, online coloring, image gallery, and DIY activities
National Geographic Kids
https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/
Online games, activities, videos, galleries, and printables
National Geographic Explorer Classroom
https://www.nationalgeographic.org/education/student-experiences/explorer-classroom/
offering daily live-casts for kids starting March 23 at 2 p.m.
Scholastic Books Kids’ Page
https://kids.scholastic.com/kids/home/
Online and printable activities based on Scholastic’s most popular series
Space Racers
Cool videos, games, and printables about space
United States Geological Survey
Videos: https://www.usgs.gov/products/multimedia-gallery/videos
Scientific Animations: https://www.usgs.gov/products/multimedia-gallery/videos/science-animations
USGS Kids: https://www.usgs.gov/science-support/osqi/yes/resources-teachers/zots-frogs-usgs-kids
Printable 3D Models Page: https://www.usgs.gov/media/files/3d-paper-models-0
OK, been in front of the computer too long? Are folks getting a bit stir-crazy? Here is a resource that can get people off the computer, running around, and learning at the same time:
CS Unplugged: Computer Science Without a Computer
CS concepts taught through games and puzzles, without a computer
To finish off today’s list, here are some sites with picture books readings:
Circletime
live on-line classes and storytimes for children 0-6 and their parents
Kinedu
learning activities for the 0-4 year old crowd and their families
Storyline Online
https://www.storylineonline.net/
https://www.youtube.com/user/StorylineOnline
Famous people read picture books, with a pdf guide for activities for each book
Storytime From Space
https://storytimefromspace.com/
Astronauts aboard the ISS read stories
Storytime Online
https://www.worldbookday.com/storytime-online/
Famous people read books for kids, with some games and workshops, too
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