A week has passed; how has it only been a week? Being forced to be quarantined can make the time pass so slowly. I seem to remember posting pictures on Instagram of my then six month old baby {who is now 8} and saying, “time please slow down”. Well, it has and not only that, but he is home with me now for the foreseeable future. With this time we are desperately in need of ideas, activities and guidance. Our weekly posts have changed quite a bit and my hope is that they are somewhat helpful in getting you through these uncertain days with some entertainment for your kids. On Tuesday, we will post some of your favorite places to sign your Bambinos up for classes who will be offering a virtual class during this time- let us know in the comments of places you know of. Here is a guide for Working From Home with Kids that has helpful resources and tips.
Log on anytime activities-
This site has a running list of kids’ writers who are reading books aloud and/or hosting other virtual hangs while Storyline Online streams videos featuring celebrated actors reading children’s books alongside creatively produced illustrations.
New Victory Arts Break is allowing an opportunity for you and your family to discover new skills from the comfort of your own home. Guided by New Victory Teaching Artists, every post will tell you what you need, what to expect and what to do. You can create a mini art class and do every activity at once, or just pick one or two to get your wiggles out. Whether you have some energetic kids (or some curious adults), explore these activities to make it work for you.
Monterey Bay Aquarium has ten web cams to choose from, you can experience the wonder of the ocean no matter where you are.
Take a virtual field trip with more than 2,500 museums around the world having made their collections accessible online through Google Arts and Culture; you can also use Google to access virtual tours of National Parks in the U.S.
District Dabble Lab is showing you what they are dabbling in with easy, mini-art lessons you can replicate at home.
Anna Banana Arts & Crafts uploads a video each week with an art tutorial.
Virtual streaming activities that are FREE-
Monday
10:00am: Families can join Laurie Berkner for LIVE “Berkner Break” concerts, streamed most weekday mornings HERE. Laurie offers an abundance of songs, playful movement activities, stories, and more, performing such well-loved favorites. Additionally, each weekday on Laurie’s social media, she’s posting a video of one of her songs for a morning Berkner Breakfast 7:00am, an afternoon Berkner Break 3:00pm, and an evening Berkner Bedtime 7:00pm.
10:30am: DC Library goes live on Facebook for a live video story time.
12:00pm: Pete The Cat virtual story hour on Instagram Live
12:00pm: Artist, Cassie Stephenz is doing a themed art & science week complete with printables, writing prompts and she goes live each day to walk you through something.
12:30pm: Miximal Monday’s with Narwhal & Jelly
1:00pm: Beloved kids’ author (and current Education Artist in Residence at the Kennedy Center) Mo Willem’s has released “Lunch Doodles” live from his studio. Episodes are streamed afterward on the Kennedy Center’s site. Bonus, Willem’s welcomes question- send here.
1:00pm: Cooking Class with Delish is hosting a livestream cooking session for kids and parents.
1:30pm: Sing-alongs geared to pre-K thru 2nd grade with lots of singing and dancing with Erin Mae.
2:00pm: Doug Kammerer of NBC 4 Weather is going to teach math and science.
2:00pm: Draw everyday with author and illustrator Jarrett J Krosoczka.
2:00pm: Oliver Jeffers, author and illustrator will do a read aloud.
2:30pm: National Children’s Museum with STEAMwork on Facebook—a daily digital series of projects and programs that celebrate STEAM-focused learning and play. Click here for the past STEAMworks!
3:00pm: The Cincinnati Zoo is hosting a livestream with a new animal each day. Watch on their Facebook page or on their YouTube channel.
Tuesday
10:00am: Families can join Laurie Berkner for LIVE “Berkner Break” concerts, streamed most weekday mornings HERE. Laurie offers an abundance of songs, playful movement activities, stories, and more, performing such well-loved favorites. Additionally, each weekday on Laurie’s social media, she’s posting a video of one of her songs for a morning Berkner Breakfast 7:00am, an afternoon Berkner Break 3:00pm, and an evening Berkner Bedtime 7:00pm.
10:30am: DC Library goes live on Facebook for a live video story time.
11:00am: B&O Railroad Museum recently launched Junior Junction Story Time and Activities, an online resource to serve children, caregivers, and teachers impacted by school closures. Every Tuesday and Thursday while schools and day-care centers are closed, a new railroad-themed virtual story time with a corresponding activity is posted, all activities are downloadable for printing at home.
11:30am: Tinkergarten will offer a virtual classes that will last roughly 20 minutes and all you’ll need is what you already have on hand. This week’s activity is called “Not a Sheet” so be sure to bring you own sheet or pillowcase.
12:00pm: Pete The Cat virtual story hour on Instagram Live.
12:00pm: Artist, Cassie Stephenz is doing a themed art & science week complete with printables, writing prompts and she goes live each day to walk you through something.
1:00pm: Beloved kids’ author (and current Education Artist in Residence at the Kennedy Center) Mo Willem’s has released “Lunch Doodles” live from his studio. Episodes are streamed afterward on the Kennedy Center’s site. Bonus, Willem’s welcomes question- send here.
1:00pm: Cooking Class with Delish is hosting a livestream cooking session for kids and parents.
1:30pm: Play-alongs geared to kids learning to play stringed instruments Erin Mae.
2:00pm: Doug Kammerer of NBC 4 Weather is going to teach math and science.
2:00pm: Draw everyday with author and illustrator Jarrett J Krosoczka.
2:00pm: Oliver Jeffers, author and illustrator will do a read aloud.
2:30pm: National Children’s Museum with STEAMwork on Facebook—a daily digital series of projects and programs that celebrate STEAM-focused learning and play. Click here for the past STEAMworks!
3:00pm: The Cincinnati Zoo is hosting a livestream with a new animal each day. Watch on their Facebook page or on their YouTube channel.
Wednesday
10:00am: Families can join Laurie Berkner for LIVE “Berkner Break” concerts, streamed most weekday mornings HERE. Laurie offers an abundance of songs, playful movement activities, stories, and more, performing such well-loved favorites. Additionally, each weekday on Laurie’s social media, she’s posting a video of one of her songs for a morning Berkner Breakfast 7:00am, an afternoon Berkner Break 3:00pm, and an evening Berkner Bedtime 7:00pm.
10:30am: DC Library goes live on Facebook for a live video story time.
12:00pm: Pete The Cat virtual story hour on Instagram Live.
12:00pm: Artist, Cassie Stephenz is doing a themed art & science week complete with printables, writing prompts and she goes live each day to walk you through something.
1:00pm: Beloved kids’ author (and current Education Artist in Residence at the Kennedy Center) Mo Willem’s has released “Lunch Doodles” live from his studio. Episodes are streamed afterward on the Kennedy Center’s site. Bonus, Willem’s welcomes question- send here.
1:00pm: Cooking Class with Delish is hosting a livestream cooking session for kids and parents.
1:30pm: Sing-alongs geared to pre-K thru 2nd grade with lots of singing and dancing with Erin Mae.
2:00pm: Doug Kammerer of NBC 4 Weather is going to teach math and science.
2:00pm: Draw everyday with author and illustrator Jarrett J Krosoczka.
2:00pm: Oliver Jeffers, author and illustrator will do a read aloud.
2:30pm: National Children’s Museum with STEAMwork on Facebook—a daily digital series of projects and programs that celebrate STEAM-focused learning and play. Click here for the past STEAMworks!
3:00pm: The Cincinnati Zoo is hosting a livestream with a new animal each day. Watch on their Facebook page or on their YouTube channel.
5:00pm: 123 Andrés bi-lingual live concert
Thursday
10:00am: Families can join Laurie Berkner for LIVE “Berkner Break” concerts, streamed most weekday mornings HERE. Laurie offers an abundance of songs, playful movement activities, stories, and more, performing such well-loved favorites. Additionally, each weekday on Laurie’s social media, she’s posting a video of one of her songs for a morning Berkner Breakfast 7:00am, an afternoon Berkner Break 3:00pm, and an evening Berkner Bedtime 7:00pm.
10:30am: DC Library goes live on Facebook for a live video story time.
11:00am: B&O Railroad Museum recently launched Junior Junction Story Time and Activities, an online resource to serve children, caregivers, and teachers impacted by school closures. Every Tuesday and Thursday while schools and day-care centers are closed, a new railroad-themed virtual story time with a corresponding activity is posted, all activities are downloadable for printing at home.
11:00am: 123 Andrés bi-lingual live concert
12:00pm: Artist, Cassie Stephenz is doing a themed art & science week complete with printables, writing prompts and she goes live each day to walk you through something.
12:00pm: Pete The Cat virtual story hour on Instagram Live.
1:00pm: Beloved kids’ author (and current Education Artist in Residence at the Kennedy Center) Mo Willem’s has released “Lunch Doodles” live from his studio. Episodes are streamed afterward on the Kennedy Center’s site. Bonus, Willem’s welcomes question- send here.
1:00pm: Cooking Class with Delish is hosting a livestream cooking session for kids and parents.
1:30pm: Play-alongs geared to kids learning to play stringed instruments Erin Mae.
2:00pm: Doug Kammerer of NBC 4 Weather is going to teach math and science.
2:00pm: Draw everyday with author and illustrator Jarrett J Krosoczka.
2:00pm: Oliver Jeffers, author and illustrator will do a read aloud.
2:30pm: National Children’s Museum with STEAMwork on Facebook—a daily digital series of projects and programs that celebrate STEAM-focused learning and play. Click here for the past STEAMworks!
3:00pm: The Cincinnati Zoo is hosting a livestream with a new animal each day. Watch on their Facebook page or on their YouTube channel.
Friday
10:00am: Families can join Laurie Berkner for LIVE “Berkner Break” concerts, streamed most weekday mornings HERE. Laurie offers an abundance of songs, playful movement activities, stories, and more, performing such well-loved favorites. Additionally, each weekday on Laurie’s social media, she’s posting a video of one of her songs for a morning Berkner Breakfast 7:00am, an afternoon Berkner Break 3:00pm, and an evening Berkner Bedtime 7:00pm.
10:30am: DC Library goes live on Facebook for a live video story time.
12:00pm: Artist, Cassie Stephenz is doing a themed art & science week complete with printables, writing prompts and she goes live each day to walk you through something.
12:00pm: Pete The Cat virtual story hour on Instagram Live.
1:00pm: Beloved kids’ author (and current Education Artist in Residence at the Kennedy Center) Mo Willem’s has released “Lunch Doodles” live from his studio. Episodes are streamed afterward on the Kennedy Center’s site. Bonus, Willem’s welcomes question- send here.
1:00pm: Cooking Class with Delish is hosting a livestream cooking session for kids and parents.
2:00pm: Doug Kammerer of NBC 4 Weather is going to teach math and science.
2:00pm: Draw everyday with author and illustrator Jarrett J Krosoczka.
2:00pm: Oliver Jeffers, author and illustrator will do a read aloud.
2:30pm: National Children’s Museum with STEAMwork on Facebook—a daily digital series of projects and programs that celebrate STEAM-focused learning and play. Click here for the past STEAMworks!
3:00pm: The Cincinnati Zoo is hosting a livestream with a new animal each day. Watch on their Facebook page or on their YouTube channel.
No specific time-
Weekday’s The Lane will offer 2 live programs at various times which require payment.
Wednesdays-Sunday’s late-morning to early evening: Brooklyn Game Lab Live
Every hour will bring different team members into focus. Most of the content will have an element of participation. They will play games with you. Tell stories. Share interests. They will draw and dance and try to bring some levity and joy into your homes. And the homes of anyone who needs it.
Daily/Various Times: What started as a google doc has now taken off into a website with a listing of independent children’s musicians around the globe who are transitioning live shows to live streams to accommodate social distancing recommendations due to the coronavirus crisis.
Kennedy Space Center has educators reading and discussing space at various times on their Facebook page and even better they launched Teachable Moments, connecting classrooms and homes with resources for investigating the latest discoveries about our universe. There are a range of activities and lessons for children in grades K-12.
Atlanta’s Center for Puppetry Arts is live-streaming free performances on their Facebook page.
Online educational programs that are FREE–
Scholastic Learn at Home
Offering daily lessons combining videos, stories and prompts for drawing and writing activities for grades pre-K-grades 6.
Khan Academy
Students practice at their own pace, first filling in gaps in their understanding and then accelerating their learning.
Swift Playgrounds
Swift Playgrounds is a revolutionary app for iPad and Mac that makes learning Swift interactive and fun. It requires no coding knowledge, so it’s perfect for students just starting out.
Scratch
You can program your own interactive stories, games, and animations — and share your creations with others in the online community.
Ranger Rick
The magazine is making their website free through June, making the current digital editions of our magazines free to the public.
Have on hand-
Kiwi Crates
All Fired Up has take-home kits
Recent posts–
13 kid-worthy podcasts
20 classic outdoor games to introduce to your kids
Eating dinner at home
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I just want to say THANK YOU so much for all the AMAZING content you send to this community! <3
Thanks Amy for your comment. I'm so glad you are finding them helpful.