Making the Most of Social Distancing

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Navigate the challenges of social distancing for families during COVID-19 with practical tips and insights in this post, offering guidance on maintaining connection, fostering resilience, and prioritizing well-being in the face of unprecedented circumstances.

Have you exhausted all of your brilliant and creative ideas? Are you ready to transfer your children to another home instruction site? Let us help you make the most of being all together with some links to amazing FREE resources available during this uncertain time. 

 

Remember – you are doing an awesome job being a parent, hair stylist, personal chef, education manager, cleaning person, and fun coordinator on top of whatever other jobs you may have (your actual job, being a significant other, etc). And you’re doing it all with limited access to ice cream. Hopefully this list will provide a short break for you while helping your family have fun and learn something new!

 

Here is a comprehensive list of many subscription websites that are offering their services for free to parents during this time at home. The creator updates the website frequently.

Education Companies Offering Free Subscriptions due to School Closings (Updated): Amazing Educational Resources

 

We explored some of our favorites and tried to break down by age and topic!

 

(Please preview prior to showing your children) 

 

Virtual Tours and Videos to Keep You Cultured

 

Hear Stories Read by People You May Know

 

Preschool/Early Elementary Interactive Educational Websites

  • ABC Mouse Free 30 day trial of interactive reading, math, art, and geography lessons
  • ABCya Educational and fun games with a link to common core skills
  • Audible Instantly stream many stories, including titles across six different languages!
  • Box Island Teaches children the fundamentals of coding
  • BrainPopJr. Educational videos and related on/off screen activities about many topics
  • Caribu App Family video calling app integrating children’s books and activities
  • Code.org Learn to code through computer science videos and games in 45 languages!
  • Fun Brain Educational games and videos from grammar to science to math to reading
  • Geoboard Virtual version of the manipulative that explores a variety of math concepts
  • Go Noodle Music and mindfulness videos 
  • Interactive Telling Time App that teaches kids how to tell time in a fun way
  • iPad Apps for Early Learners Educational, fun apps for kids with and without disabilities
  • Lunch Doodles with Mo Willems Daily videos from the creator of Elephant and Piggie
  • National Geographic Kids Explore animals through live feeds and science experiments!
  • Noggin Interactive episodes, learning games, and books updated weekly from Nick Jr.
  • Number Pieces Virtual base ten manipulatives help teach multi-digit numbers and +-x/ 
  • Poptropica Virtual world of quests, stories, and games to advance problem solving skills
  • San Diego Zoo Animal fun facts, videos, stories, activities, and ways to save animals
  • Scholastic Play games related to your favorite books! Create your own comics!
  • Scholastic Remote Teaching Daily on and off screen activities, articles, books, printables
  • Starfall Emerging literacy and math activities and printables that align with common core
  • Time for Kids Authentic journalism to motivate young minds

 

Elementary Interactive Educational Websites

  • ABCya Educational and fun games with a link to common core skills
  • Audible Instantly stream many stories, including titles across six different languages!
  • Box Island Teaches children the fundamentals of coding
  • BrainPop Educational videos and related on/off screen activities about a myriad of topics
  • Caribu App Family video calling app integrating children’s books and activities
  • Code.org Learn to code through computer science videos and games in 45 languages!
  • Engineering Activities for Kids (when under quarantine) 24 off screen activities
  • Fact Monster Provides kids a safe, reliable source of information in most subjects
  • Geoboard Virtual version of the manipulative that explores a variety of math concepts
  • Highlights for Kids Activities, jokes, hidden pictures, podcasts, and fun science questions
  • How Stuff Works Answers to some of your most commonly pondered questions
  • Khan Academy Educational instructional videos
  • Learning Games for Kids From typing games to educational lessons to printables
  • Mystery Science Open-and-go lessons that inspire kids to love science
  • National Geographic Kids Explore animals through live feeds and science experiments!
  • Number Pieces Virtual base ten manipulatives help teach multi-digit numbers and +-x/ 
  • Old Farmer’s Almanac Today in history, astronomy, weather, jokes, and puzzles
  • Poptropica Virtual world of quests, stories, and games to advance problem solving skills
  • Scholastic Play games related to your favorite books! Create your own comics!
  • Scholastic Remote Teaching Daily on and off screen activities, articles, books, printables
  • Science Mom Videos and printables from Science Mom and Math Dad
  • Show Me App Turn your iPad into your personal interactive whiteboard!
  • Time for Kids Authentic journalism to motivate young minds

 

Middle and High School Interactive Educational Websites

 

Web Resources Encouraging Movement and Off Screen Activity

 

Preschool/Early Elementary Online Games (that may be educational) Websites

  • Disney Junior Games and videos with your favorite DIsney Junior characters
  • GamesGames Games built with kids in mind including logic and virtual piano
  • Nick Jr. Fun games and printables with your favorite Nick Jr. shows
  • PBS Kids Videos and games with your favorite PBS characters
  • Room Recess Math, reading, typing, and word skill games geared towards grades 1-5
  • Sesame Street Videos, games, and online art activities with Sesame Street characters
  • The Kidz Page Online and printable games, puzzles, and coloring

 

Upper Elementary/Middle School Online Games (that may be educational) Websites

  • Arcademics Educational video games that teach math, language arts, vocabulary, more
  • CoolMath Makes math enjoyable for people who thought it couldn’t be fun
  • Fun Brain Educational games and videos from grammar to science to math to reading
  • GamesGames Games built with kids in mind including logic and virtual piano
  • Lego Videos and games involving your favorite childhood activity
  • Room Recess Math, reading, typing, and word skill games geared towards grades 1-5

 

Resources for Parents

 

The websites listed above have offered their services for free for the duration of social distancing but may not provide free access indefinitely. 

 

Follow us on social media for more updates, tips, and resources! Please share pictures and ideas from your houses with us on social media:

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Also, let us know what you need to get by! We want to provide you with a supportive online community!

 

Special thanks to Eileen Baglivio, Krista Stancati, Katie Marsala, and Kandace Somers for the resources they shared!

 

Graham Behavior Services is actively compiling resources to assist families during this unpredictable time. For tips on managing your children’s behavior while everyone is home, check out our other blog posts. 

Don’t Go Insane: Managing Your Children’s Behavior While Everyone is Home

What Do I Say to My Kids?  Resources for Parents to Have Difficult Discussions about COVID-19

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