Five ways to pass the time with kids at home
As you’re home with your kiddos for an extended period of time, some creative planning will help keep the family entertained! Here are five things (besides school work) that you can do with your kids.
1. Doodle with Mo Willems!
Your budding artists will love LunchDoodles with Mo Willems!
If you don’t recognize his name, you likely still know his work– he’s the illustrator who created Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus, and many, many other favorites!
Mo is doodling live everyday at 10am. You can catch the live broadcast here.
Willems is encouraging students to send him questions at LUNCHDOODLES@kennedy-center.org, and he’ll try to answer some of the questions in his videos. “I know a lot of you guys are not in school. You’re at home right now, because of all the things that are going on. Well guess what? I’m at home, too,” he said in a video press release. “We’re gonna hang out together. Matter of fact, I’m really looking forward to it.”
2. Reach out to an Elderly Friend or Family Member
Virtual visits with elderly neighbors or family members are a great way to pass the time and improve someone’s day! Now is an excellent opportunity for your child to try out all those new jokes he’s already told you four times on a little older crowd!
3. Learn Something New Together
From passing on Grandma’s secret dumpling recipe to the next generation to learning to strum a guitar, there’s no time like now to learn new skills together! Have each kid pick a topic they’d like to learn about and spend 30 mins each day on that topic. Encourage them to share what they’ve learned with the family each day.
4. Virtual Animal Field Trips!
While it’s not possible to visit the animals in person, the animals are having quite a time without humans around at the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago!
Each day the aquarium is taking animals on “field trips” to check out other animals! Educational and fun– with each video you’ll learn a little bit about each animal’s story. We’ll warn you in advance– Wellington the penguin will steal your heart completely.
You can follow the penguins (and other critters) on the Shedd Aquarium Twitter.
5. Get those wiggles out!
Make a point once a day to get active– your kids definitely agree with us here.
Now couldn’t be a better time– you can catch yoga classes for kids and family-friendly dance parties streaming for free right now! Getting moving every day reduces stress and anxiety and improves sleep and general wellbeing.
Free Yoga for Kids: ALO Yoga
Austin, Texas-baesd DJ Mel is holding a weekly “Living Room Dance Party“. He uses radio edits of popular songs so the party can be enjoyed by kids of all ages!
