How many days have you been sheltering in place, keeping six feet away from others, and avoiding groups of people? This is day 14 of social distancing for me. Since I work in my home office, I am used to being alone much of the day. I’m guessing these days are harder on educators and parents of school-aged kids. After all, you are used to being surrounded by people much of the day. What a loss! This is a time of grieving for each of us. I hope you will honor all the feelings you have during this time and find ways to celebrate the small joys and more silver linings that emerge during this coronavirus storm.
With that in mind, I’ve been thinking of you and gathering supportive resources. Whether you are trying to become a homeschooler overnight, or you are figuring out how to cope with grief, fear, and anxiety, I hope you will find something useful in these resources.
Resources for adults coping with coronavirus social distancing
- Netflix Party online and with friends
- Happy shows to watch
- Soothing and scientific discussions about coronavirus, videos by Science Mike
- Pandemic Meditations (see photo)
- Rooted in Love meditation by Mike Smith, the host of The Harbor™ by Jostens
- Bingo game laughs
- Personal growth with free online courses from The Great Courses
Resources for teaching children about Coronavirus
- Coronavirus and Parenting: What You Need to Know
- Just for Kids: A Comic Exploring the New Coronavirus
- A Kids Book About COVID-19, Free e-book
- How to Talk to Your Kids about Coronavirus, a taped webinar: Start at minute 32 for tips
- Create your own handwashing poster using your child’s favorite song lyrics:
- Handy cheat sheet on how to do social distancing
Physical Activity Ideas
- Kidz Bop has a whole series of dance-along videos. Start with the Dance Monkey dance along video; then dance to the others.
- Make your own physical activity calendar. Use these to get ideas:
- Go Noodle physical activities
Preparation for Puberty Teachable Moments
- Practice being an askable adult
- Talk Turkey Bingo
- When Should Puberty Start in Girls and Boys?
- Stages of Puberty in Boys and Girls
- The Stages of Puberty: Development in Girls and Boys
- Girls’ Puberty Timeline by Girlology. Watch it together.
- The 5 Stages of Puberty in Boys
Home Schooling Helps
- Education companies offering free subscriptions due to school closings
- StorylineOnline provides videos of actors reading children’s books. Start with Harry the Dirty Dog read by Betty White
- Corona Time Resources list
- 12 historic sites to visit virtually
- The Kids Should See This, curated, kid-friendly, educational videos
- Ways to Keep Learning With Your Kids at Home, online forum by Coursera
- Scholastic Learn at Home free resources
- BAM! Body and Mind, lessons for grades 4-8 from CDC
- Free children’s audiobooks
- Find a source of great homeschooling tips and supports provided by an educator. If you want one, check out Delight Filled Homeschooling.
- Amazing Educational Resources List and their Facebook page