Resources To Help Enrich Your Child’s Virtual / Remote-Learning

Featured by priarani, posted in THINGS TO KNOW

This back-to-school season looks different for many of us, with options for in-school learning, remote-learning, or both. Whatever choice you make, it’s important to remember that your child’s education is not the teacher’s sole responsibility. Parents and caregivers need to provide at-home learning opportunities that enrich their school curriculum. Below is a list of resources I currently use to help enhance my children’s coursework. I will continue to update this list as I find more.

  1. Break-up the usual reading, writing, and math subjects by taking some virtual field trips worldwide. Earlier this summer, I created a list of museums and theme parks, offering virtual tours. Also, Commonsense.org compiled a list of the highest-rated virtual field trips apps and websites; its a great way to teach kids about the world around them. 
  2. Teachstarter.com provides free, downloadable resources in any subject. The site includes “how-to” blog posts, which is helpful, so I don’t have to guess how to present the material. 
  3. To complement what my daughter is learning in her Spanish class, I downloaded Duolingo. Its a free site and app that also offers French, German, Hindi, and lots of other languages. 
  4. GoNoodle offers movement and mindfulness videos created by child development experts. These videos have become part of our morning & lunch routine – it fuels learning by getting kids focused and motivated. Utilize this website if you’re also working remotely and need to fit in physical education for your child. 
  5. Camp Wonderopolis is a fun, interactive STEM and literacy concept. The five camp themes are music, engineering and construction, health and fitness, tech, and science. 
  6. Take art breaks to help recharge your child’s mind. Kinderart.com is an absolute Go-To for teaching my kids art. You can choose lesson plans on painting, printmaking, drawing, crafts, art history, sculpture, etc..
  7. Chrome Music Lab is a hands-on music platform to help kids learn and explore lessons on rhythm, harmony, melody, and more. You can play with the experiments across all devices with a browser.

Top 3 Face Masks for Kids

by priarani, posted in THINGS TO KNOW

This years most popular fashion accessory = face masks. How do we help kids adapt to this new trend while providing them with ultimate protection? Kid-friendly designs. These are our top three face masks that will help kids adjust to the new norm:

Do you ever hear the saying ‘After every storm comes a rainbow’? Well, a dozen kids helped design the rainbows on these masks. Each has a little label with a big, positive message, like “lift others,” and “keep smiling.” To top it off, Uncommon Goods is donating 100% of profits to NYC Health + Hospitals. 

Disney is using the power of their timeless stories to develop a kid-friendly mask of all ages. 1 million of the profits have already been donated to MedShare to support the medical community. Go, Disney! 

Help create a barrier to protect your little one from the virus around them, while also making them excited about wearing a mask! Scaled to fit ages 2 yrs. – 10 yrs. ; Sanctuary masks are made with two layers of 100% cotton muslin & also includes a filter!

Bonus? Each purchase of a mask helps provide masks to organizations in need!

Virtual tours to enjoy with kids during quarantine

by priarani, posted in THINGS TO DO

Say yes to virtual museums and theme parks! These virtual tours offer a great way for kids to keep learning about the world around them.

MUSEUMS

The Louvre, Paris: Topping the list for the most searched virtual tour, The Louvre does not disappoint. Study art history with your little ones with a fun, sixty-second look at some of the Louvre masterpieces on their YouTube show “One Minute In A Museum”. The museum also brings to life the story of Mona Lisa with a Virtual Reality Experience.

Guggenheim Museum, New York City: Street view by Google allows you to take a realistic tour of the Guggenheim Museum in NYC. Your kindergartener will love virtually zooming through the famous staircase while you enjoy the curved hallways filled with iconic art.

Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City: The MET is the place for teens, their Virtual Teen Event offers activities including art-making, performances, music, and more. If you and your teenager love fashion, the MET offers plenty of online-only exhibits from designers like Christian Dior and Coco-Chanel. For younger kids, hop in the time machine with #metkids – a fun, interactive platform to guide kids through the museum.

National Museum of the United States Air Force, Ohio: Take your kids on a virtual tour of the oldest and largest military aviation museum in the world. They will love exploring inside the cockpits of fighter jets, helicopters and more. While you are on the site make sure to check out the lesson plans for K-12 graders.

Thanks to Google Arts and Culture, we can now enjoy over 2,500 museums without leaving our couch. Make sure to check out their list with the top 10 museums of the world.

THEME PARKS

Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort: Start planning your getaway next Disney vacation with Google’s Street View tour of Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Animal Kingdom, and much more.

LEGO LAND Florida Resort: Take a break from building LEGO’s and ride a coaster in VR at the Legoland Florida Resort. Also check out the Orlando Virtual Tour which takes you through 85 experiences, from theme parks to virtual education.