Quarantine Life: Easy and simple homeschool activities to FILL your day
School is canceled.
So, life is a little crazy right now, huh?
Coronavirus has got everyone stuck at home, under one roof for a bit, and you don’t know what to do with your kids?
You want them to learn and keep busy during this time, but you don’t really feel cut out to homeschool.
Can you relate to this?
Have you looked at buying various workbooks online, but feel confused — do you just hand the kids a worksheet and call THAT school? Do you have to teach a lesson?
Have you come across cute and crafty projects on Pinterest and you’re just overwhelmed by all the stuff you need to BUY in order to do this homeschooling thing right?
Or maybe have you seen a HUGE list of every education company that’s offering free subscriptions to families right now, but you’re completely drowning in options and don’t know where to start?
We’ve been homeschooling our kids for almost 7 years. Here’s why we KNOW you can do this!
We even traveled for a year and homeschooled our kids while we were on the road. Everything we needed for school was in one carry-on bag. You don’t need a lot of equipment or an extensive curriculum.
But you know that.
You know how to homeschool. How do I know that?
Because, if you sit for hours and do homework with your kids at the end of a long workday every week — you are ACTUALLY very experienced at homeschooling your kids.
All I’m saying is this: I think you’re more prepared for this than you think.
Surviving the Coronavirus quarantine: Easy things to do with kids when school is canceled
Here are 4 MUSTS if your kids’ school is canceled due to COVID-19:
1) Keep it easy.
The beautiful thing about your kids is that they are hardwired to learn. Think of all the questions they ask. Think of the bundle of curiosity that they are. Learning takes part in everyday moments, not necessarily structured lessons and textbooks.
2) Have fun.
Who knows when you’ll ever have another extended period of time like this together? Can you see this as a gift, rather than a burden?
3) Use this time to “life-school” your kids.
If you take time to teach them critical, age-appropriate life skills, like laundry, cleaning the bathroom, vacuuming, making grocery lists, following a recipe, making their own lunch, meal planning, etc. that is 100% educational! Don’t underestimate the importance of life skills in making a well-rounded child.
4) Read as many books together as you can. Need a great booklist to fit your reader?
Read aloud. Snuggle in bed with a good book. Read during lunch. Listen to audiobooks. Don’t mandate book reports. Cook meals based on the book. Watch the movie afterward (examples: Peter Pan, Mary Poppins, Wizard of Oz, the Narnia series, Charlotte’s Web, Pippi Longstocking, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Wonder, Winn Dixie, James and the Giant Peach). Create experiences around the book. But most importantly, have discussions about the books you read together. Sarah Mackenzie of Read Aloud Revival, suggests that you start conversations using questions like:
-Who was the bravest character in the story?
-If you could rewrite the story, what would you change?
-What was the character most afraid of?
-What is something you don’t want to forget from this book, or this chapter?
And have real conversations. Answer the questions yourself. Don’t quiz your child. Share your thoughts about the book, too. This isn’t a wrong/right pop quiz, it’s a discussion. Have fun with it!
Here are 4 DON’TS if your kids’ school is cancelled due to COVID-19:
1) You don’t need desks, a special spot, or a bunch of new books in your home to “do school.”
Get comfy and don’t go crazy buying supplies. This time together will be less about WHAT YOU HAVE and more about the experiences and memories you make together.
2) You don’t have to spend HOURS of the day doing textbook work.
Make a schedule or don’t, it’s up to you. Sleep in late or wake up early. Just don’t feel like you need to complete 8 hours of book work each day. It won’t work for you or your children, and it’s not necessary.
3) You don’t have to replicate your child’s school day at home in order to successfully learn together.
Relish in the flexibility that this time together provides you.
4) Don’t be afraid when your kids use the phrase, “I’m bored.”
Welcome it, despite the fact that it can be so annoying when it’s accompanied by whining and moans and writhing on the ground. Kids today need to experience boredom. They need to discover that they are capable of and responsible for making their own fun. Start slow, especially if they are young and are not used to this concept. Try to dedicate 30 minutes-1 hour of unstructured, no screen, solo playtime each day.
I think the biggest thing homeschooling families struggle with centers around this question:
Am I doing enough learning with my children at home?
So, if you ever start asking yourself this question during this quarantine time, it’s TOTALLY NORMAL! Homeschooling families don’t always feel qualified to do this job. We have to push through feelings of uncertainty and insecurity almost daily, especially at first.
Give yourself some grace.
This may not be easy, especially with the disconcerting events surrounding COVID-19 during this time.
We’re all dealing with a lot more than just educating our kids.
We’re handling a lot of other pressing worries surrounding this COVID-19 pandemic:
grocery shopping.
concern for aging family members.
feelings of isolation.
loss of paycheck.
looming mortgage payments.
If you are fortunate enough to get time at home with your kids during this period, don’t make it something so complex that it adds to your already growing list of stressors.
Here is a list of SIMPLE educational activities to fill your day if you find yourself stuck at home during the coronavirus quarantine.
Cooking Classes
$5 Dinners FB page (cooking classes for kids)
Science
30 days of Hands-on Science Experiments (great for younger kids K-2)
Code.org (coding courses for grades K-12)
Imagination Play + Learning
30-day Lego Building Challenge
Art Lessons
Deep Space Sparkle (variety of easy to follow videos for all ages)
Art for Kids Hub (easy, follow-along videos of drawing, painting, and origami)
Faith-based Resources
All In One Homeschool (comprehensive program, multiple subjects)
Christ-Centered Kids ($25 - meditations and journal for kids)
Daily Plans To Follow
Scholastic Learn at Home (20 days worth of daily activities for grades K-6+)
Khan Academy (breakdown of a typical day, by hour)
Free Audiobooks
Sparkle Stories (audiobooks online)
Hoopla (free with library card)
Overdrive (free with library card)
LibriVox (app with free public domain audiobooks)
Growing Book by Book (links to videos of authors reading their books aloud)
Educational Podcasts
Wow the World (cool stories of science and technology)
Circle Round (explores important issues like kindness, generosity, and persistence)
Noodle Loaf (fun way to learn about music)
Virtual Tours
Music & Theater
The Metropolitan Opera (watch live streams of famous opera performances, check the schedule)
Broadway HD (monthly fee, view Broadway plays online)
Stress Relievers
Ideas for Older Kids
Make a few silly Tik Toks together
Crash Course (Youtube channel of fun, short educational videos)
Family Board Games (just for teens)
Still need additional activities to add to your day?
Buy an old clock, computer, or electronic gadget at a thrift store. Give the kids some tools, and let them take it apart and explore the internal workings.
Put out a table of craft items: hot glue gun, markers, pom-poms, paint, and just let them create.
Go on a walk in your neighborhood. Before you leave the house, make a list of items the kids have to find during the walk — like a scavenger hunt. (Tell children to find and take pictures of things like: a 3-leaf clover, sticks in an X pattern, a flower blooming, a stop sign, a mailbox with flag up, a sewer drain, a red door, etc.)
Do a puzzle.
Take a hike.
Ride bikes on a greenway.
Do math drills outside with sidewalk chalk.
Try origami.
Repot plants.
Talk on the phone or Facetime with friends, rather than texting. This encourages discussion and connection with friends, while still practicing responsible social distancing.
If you must order a book, try these.
Kristin Draeger’s Draw books (Choose one book, let kids draw maps in order to learn geography.)
Cursive Handwriting Book (Expose your kids to cursive writing basics.)
It doesn’t always FEEL easy to homeschool but here are some signs that you’re on the right track and providing learning opportunities:
1) Your kids are excited to do activities.
If you spot this, you’re probably providing them some opportunities to pursue things that are of interest to them! Follow their lead. Do they like fashion? Do they love taking things apart? Do they love cooking? Or coding? If you are letting them have a little control over WHAT they are learning, you will start to see a spark of excitement.
2) Your kids ask a lot of questions.
Sometimes, I feel inundated by questions. After a day of homeschooling, I definitely don’t want to hear anything that sounds like a voice hinting at a question after 8 pm. But questions mean engagement. Engagement means a piqued curiosity. And a piqued curiosity leads to learning. So, welcome those questions…at least during the daylight hours.
3) You’re having a good time.
If you can approach this time together with excitement and enjoyment rather than stress and pressure, you may find yourself surprised by how pleasurable homeschooling can really be.
