Schools are going to be out for a bit which means we will be at home with our crazy kids for at least 2 more weeks...so we thought it would be uber helpful for us all to pull together and curate a list of 100 or more ideas to keep our kiddos busy at home and not on social or gaming for the next 2 to 3 weeks!!! Maybe make it your mission to get through all of these. Comment on our Facebook page and let us know what numbers you accomplished..... and what was a fav.

OK, READY, SET...AND HERE YOU GO!!!!

 

1. Scholastic Learn at Home, 20 Days of Learning, Reading & Inspiration, https://classroommagazines.scholastic.com/support/learnathome.html?fbclid=IwAR3KVbZcvbxbjwuEfuNJ97OkfdK_jx9KzSOokA8rFgSZgXJ_wYPGitB3HiU

2. Be a good citizen and make contact with an elderly person in your neighborhood and offer assistance in going to the grocery store or other chores they need to be done in order to allow them to stay safe and at home!

3. Teach your kids new skills like baking & cooking! Who needs a microwave?

4. Use the breaks in the rain to get out in the yard and play in the fresh air! Kids do so much better when they have outdoor recess, lol!

5. Spring clean, organize & purge for GRACE donations - learn the importance of giving back to the community!

6. Medieval Times has several virtual educational opportunities. 

   1. Go behind the scenes and learn about their horse the horses and falcons they use in their live tournament shows! Follow on Facebook for details! https://www.facebook.com/MedievalTimes/?utm_campaign=sendgridemail&utm_source=sendgrid&utm_medium=email

   2. Help Medieval Times name one of the future stars of our show! Their nation-wide contest begins this MONDAY. Submit your entry and have a chance to win four Medieval Times tickets! https://woobox.com/y6zu6u?utm_campaign=sendgridemail&utm_source=sendgrid&utm_medium=email

7. Go to your local toy store and buy fun learning board games and play at least three games a day! Games are even a great way to learn!

8. Massive board game night tournament with all the (mostly forgotten) board games we own!

9. Kids can also make their own games! Board games, card games, you name it! My daughter spent a lot of time this winter creating soccer and football games played with cards for moves and pieces made out of legos

10. Life skills like planting a garden & how to do their own laundry!!!

11. Virtually Visit & Tour 12 Famous Museums  https://www.travelandleisure.com/attractions/museums-galleries/museums-with-virtual-tours?fbclid=IwAR0dyA4F4kj1tFv09KXJ742eZsU1q7frxABEXYgLYgUWi4pTgA24vtYpq9I

12. Get outside, take a walk, bicycle an offer to take your elders neighbor’s dogs for a walk!

13. Gyms such as Orange Theory & Planet Fitness offer free virtual classes so get the kids active with online workouts!!!

14. Ideal for upper elementary to high school students, this is a good lab simulation to do if you have 3-4 people to participate. It’s an AP lab but if they can count and collaborate they will understand the lesson. The material is easy to substitute, instead of candy you could use small crackers or beads, use a cup instead of a beaker, etc. https://secure-media.collegeboard.org/apc/ap03_apes_tragedy_stu_35071.pdf?fbclid=IwAR3i9cQB5MDE4umq_-wEdJ5n9WBR8tLH4eh8ZE9EWf5r0wGrs2nmK-KwV9I

15. Create a career dream board using Pinterest.

16. Kids of any age can build a website using sites like Wix or Square-space. Most have free plans.

17. The website canva.com is a free and easy graphic design tool that is fun for kids to create cards, Facebook posts, posters, etc.

18. Paint by numbers is a good activity as well for patient kids.

19. Go on a nature hike & collect rocks and then paint & paint a kind message on them and then redistribute into your neighborhood parks….surprise & delight!

20. Order Kiwi Crates...they will come just in time to break up next week! STEM activities delivered!! They gave me this code to share for 50% off! https://www.kiwico.com/Referred/?i=AmandaN273

21. Spa day, inside your own home! Paint each other nails, including dads & brothers! Makes for a really funny Instagram post!!

22. Each kid could take a night and cook for everyone! I loved it when our family did that! My sister always made “Sonic” we had tater tots, hot dogs, and a milkshake. So cooking would be a great idea! Plan the menu and everything.

23. Get your tent out of the attic and set it up in your living room and create a reading space for your kiddos!

24. Tape alphabet cards at eye level all around the house. Then YOU can relax and sit on the couch for this game. Call out a letter and have them go find it on the card and bring it back to you. This can also be taken a step further by calling out letter sounds, etc. I have a toddler so this is on toddler level but I’m sure this game works for any age! And we get a reason to sit while they run.

25. Salt dough Crafts.

26. Plant cherry tomato plants. Super easy and you will have cherry tomatoes as we reward!

27. Make brushing teeth 2 times a day the norm & Take them to the dentist.

28. Plant a garden for bees and butterflies. I know seeds are out in stores.

29. Practice social distancing,  Virtual play dates!!! I already started booking my little one up with some new friends to talk to over FaceTime and play Roblox. She loves doing this

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31. I’m a “mean mom” w 3 teens. I took all the electronics, phone, and remotes (until 4 pm). They played board games, built a fort, broke out the Nerf guns, took the dog for a walk, etc. BTW no you are not a mean mom, you are a BRAVE and SMART mom. Learn a new language through Babbel. 30 minutes/day.

32. Set up a little writing center to practice writing.

33. We’ve played a lot of Simon Says, worked on some home projects and played Red Light Green Light around the house tonight. Haha. We’ll be going on scavenger hunts around the neighborhood, doing tons of craft projects, organizing and cleaning the house, having a few movie nights, baking and cooking together, etc.

34. For those with teenagers, instead of paying someone, let your teens help out with home projects like painting a room in your house!

35. For your younger kids: We’re going to repaint their bedrooms and get them involved. It could be the best thing ever or a complete nightmare. Whatever the outcome it is a memory!

36. 1000 hours outside!!!

37. With all the extra TP that everyone has seemed to stock up on have them make a wall marble maze. Tape empty tubes to the wall (painters tape works great!!) drop the marble in - make it even more fun - have them get creative with different routes marble can take - then have them predict where it will go!!

38. Time to get those flowerbeds in shape...

39. Clean out closets and dressers and put small clothes into Good Will donation box. 

40. Get the kids to help clean the house windows inside and out. Clean baseboards, doors, light switches, and light fixtures.

41. Learn Origami

42. Hidden Jewel 💎 Stables Aledo is open for Horse 🐎 Care Program- pm for rates I can offer a special rate - we learn total horse care, riding and barn care we are a couple of mins from town.

43. I know it can get stressful and I just released a podcast over Anxiety. It could be helpful for parents to listen to! https://anchor.fm/BattlePod

44. Storyline Online has tons of great online stories for kids (to be read aloud to) by actors!

45. The scholastic website has free resources and activities for kids!

46. NewELA has activities for kids to do!

47. Super Teacher Worksheets is a website (however not free-19.99 a YEAR, not per month) that has activities, worksheets, creative projects for ALL ages and ALL grade levels!

48. Write and send postcards to friends and relatives & elderly in nursing homes! Little ones can draw pictures and those can also be delivered to nursing homes!

49. Math online learning resources: Prodigy: play.prodigygame.com

50. Khan Academy: www.khanacademy.org

51.  Reading online learning resources:v Squiggle Park: www.sqiigglepark.com & Storyline: www.storyonline.net

52. Science online learning resources: Mystery Doug: www.mysterydoug.com &National Geographic: kids.nationalgeographic.com

53. Writing online learning sources: Typing Club: www.typingclub.com

54. Social Studies online learning sources: History for Kids: www.historyforkids.net

55. Open & Go lessons that Inspire Kids: https://mysteryscience.com/school-closure-planning?fbclid=IwAR1PEh_nPzsNx8ndccLOk_F-OdYmq9BRR636rI5DHdTkJtYLCqGgkXeHHX0

56. Check out shapegrams - 1st four are free!https://shapegrams.com/author/tony/?fbclid=IwAR2NshBCeveG9qg_ETOjqxzg9R8fbIOYz4v3yAfH5qCd5gq4I0SysVm5md8

57. Fun & Cheap Family Game Night Ideas & Board Games: https://www.moneycrashers.com/family-game-night-ideas-board-games/?fbclid=IwAR1AXPdnxL4CGZx_UErREjaZqbgfKEr_SZXrNzqCMmBCCN89miAfZsDfPzY

58. Make jewelry, bracelets and necklaces out of your old jewelry you will never wear again. Easy easy, just go to your local craft store and buy stretching string and make new designs & then give to your local nursing homes!

59. Have each kid pick a topic they'd like to learn about and spend 30 mins each day on that topic.

60. Go through all the old mail laying around (ok, that one's not for kids although they do enjoy helping tear stuff up & then if you have shredder then kids will have a blast helping shred everything!

61. Bake something every day.

62. Hire a professional to teach your kids to learn organizing skills! Sorted in Style serves Grapevine, Colleyville & Southlake! Follow them on Instagram @sorted_in_style for free tips & tricks to keep rooms, pantry and closets tidy & organized on their organized! Contact info: Katy Beth @ 903-244-9561 

63. Use all of our building toys on one giant structure

64. Races of various kinds in the backyard (hopping on one foot, crab-walk, walking backward, etc.)

65. Try stop motion animation with play-dough.

66. FaceTime grandparents a lot how funny it will that be for their grandparents to learn a new tech!

67. Watch everything on Disney+

68.  Inventory the plants & wildlife (from bugs on up) in your yard and then learn the parts of plants/flowers & how they function (bonus if they learn the Latin names).

69. Write a short story & illustrate it.

70. Have the kids help with yard work in between playing games outside. They're little, but they like getting dirty and "working" in the gardens.

71. GoNoodle! Great for guided movement, relaxation, etc.

72. We have some extreme dot to dot books (1400 dots) that the kids love, especially the 5-year-old!

73. Working on learning to sew using stuff we have on hand.

74. Card making/scrapbooking projects (mostly for me but kids can do it too).

75. Getting the garden ready, we need to weed and work the ground. I might get seeds and we'll set up to have our own starts this year.

76. Make tents and reading caves : ) flashlights, tidy snacks, books, and pillows!

77. Have a shadow show in the reading tent (we used blankets over chairs or a table)

78. Get binoculars and learn about the birds near your house, look them up on google and search for their birdcalls on YouTube.

79. Learn how to make a stuffed animal.

80. Collect a bunch of tape markers and cardboard boxes. That'll keep them busy for a day or two.

81. Watch all the handwashing videos & vote on your favorite. Discuss why each good, helpful, funny. The Holderness parody one is hilarious, the Vietnam Tiktok one is great choreography, some have good songs, etc. Also, pick your favorite song with a 20-second refrain or verse perfect for handwashing length of time.

82. Puzzle races: put several puzzles (20+ piece puzzles) in a paper bag and shake it up. Pour pieces out and give each person the puzzle box they are to put together. Go! (Cooperation tends to be a result as pieces are traded.)

83.  Family puzzles. Ones that are 500-1000 pieces and a challenging but not frustrating picture

84. Write a story cooperatively. One person picks a character and the other picks a setting and then go gangbusters together.

85. Play the folding picture story one! We called it “eat poop you cat” one person draws a small picture across the top of a paper the next person writes a sentence that describes that picture and folds 

86.  Over the paper top of the paper hot dog style to cover the picture. So the 3rd person only sees a sentence and they have to draw a picture. They fold over the sentence.

87. Any and all art is fun at home: beading, painting, drawing, playdough or kinetic sand, sewing, etc. when my daughter was young we could do art all day.

88.  If your school is going on #quarantine and running #schoolonline, get #GlobalKids for the special price of just $10.98. Take a screen-free, curiosity + creativity boosting, global empathy + engagement trip around the world, from the comfort of your home

89. My daughter (6) has enjoyed doing yoga at home. There are kid-friendly YouTube videos and printed cards with poses. Also, try Zumba or Dance-along videos on YouTube

90. We home school exclusively and the best advice I have is checking out Pinterest. There are tons of ideas for activities, games, etc.

91.  I’ve had them draw maps of places and then make directions from one place to another to see if someone else could follow it.

92.  We’ve done scavenger hunts, indoor treasure hunts where they follow clues through the house to a "treasure" at the end (could be candy, a movie, whatever), and a lot of charades.

93.  My daughter wanted a dollhouse for her 18" dolls. We saved cardboard boxes and got more from Dollar general and got to work. The closets and couch are cardboard as well.

94.  There are a few easy "kitchen chemistry" type science experiments that are easy to do, like making slime, baking soda and vinegar reaction, etc. We put food coloring under the baking soda in a mini muffin pan and used Pipette to drop vinegar in and then you can see the color!

95.  Last summer we did an experiment to learn what each ingredient did for a cake (so we made one following the recipe, one without eggs, one without milk, etc.). We then compared and contrasted different cakes ... Then we ate a lot of weird cake.

96.  Have a pet spa day at your house and give the dogs a bath and brush them!

97.  Play sidewalk chalk outside

98.  Popcorn + movie marathon

99. Listen to kid podcasts - we love story pirates and smash boom best.

100.  Have an Olympics with a bunch of events competitions - funny ones, helpful ones like cleaning and really fun ones like a minute to win in style.

101.  We’re going to learn to make sushi!

102.  We are going to bust out our hiking gear and try new hiking paths. As long as you stay away from overpopulated areas you will naturally stay a safe distance from others and sick people generally don't hike!

103.  Do a study on planets, then have the kids create their own planets- how big is it, wherein the universe is it located, atmosphere conditions, can it sustain life, how long is a day/year, name it, etc.

104.  Design a new spacecraft, draw plans, then create out of legos or household items. Spend some time pretending you're on different planets with different gravity, you could seriously spend a whole week on just fun space activities. But that's not limited to space- these ideas would work for animals, geography, body systems, historical events/time periods, etc. Beyond that, do some fun physics experiments like making a bridge out of straws, egg drop protectors, paper airplanes, etc.

105.  PuppetMaster: an app where you can animate anything from a drawing to a stuffed animal.

106. Dig through cabinets and figure out recipes for that thing you got at the grocery store and thought "this is interesting surely it can be used for something!" And then make it!

107.  Audible!

108. Make ice cream & homemade chocolate sauce!

109.  I let them “paint the fence” with washable paints outside.

110.  For any Mo Willem fans out there. He writes some of our favorite children’s books and will be posting a new video every day on the Kennedy Centers channel. LUNCH DOODLES with Mo Willems! Kennedy Center Education Artist-in-Residence at Home The Kennedy Center’s first-ever Education Artist-in-Residence, Mo Willems… https://www.youtube.com/watchv=MjaYnyCJDdU&feature=youtu.be&fbclid=IwAR2AGLptdEqt3fv5DMwxHI5jQn3KwvUTyMnAeCD3etQ9YLGFc6p1YMmBh7g

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