On-line Resources for Homebound Families #1

I, like the rest of the country, am at home these days. Fortunately for me, I have always been good at keeping myself entertained. Today though, many kids aren’t as good at that as in generations past. Anyone in my childhood household who said the word ‘bored’ would get such a long list of chores to do from my mother that the word would never pass through those lips again.

In an attempt to help out families everywhere who are in a situation they never imagined could happen, I have been scouring the internet. I have several goals in mind. The first is to locate and list resources that parents and children might find useful during our period of social isolation. I am trying to sift through them, and only list those that are free to use. Many of us won’t be having the funds to buy anything beyond necessities for a long time to come.

At first, I considered trying to compile a huge, comprehensive list. There are two problems with that idea. First, new resources are being published every day, so my list would be obsolete in less than a week. Second, I’ve seen lists that have 100 or more sites, so many that I get a headache working my way down the list. I don’t want to give anyone a headache. So, I am going to publish 10-20 links at a time, and try to post a new list at least twice a week. Today I am offering educational sites for children, and online storytimes. Most of these sites offer gamified learning, and/or cool videos, or in some other way make learning interesting, and maybe even fun…

Here goes:

Arcademics

https://www.arcademics.com/

Gamified learning for grades 1-6

Bedtime Math

http://bedtimemath.org/fun-math-at-home/

Math activities to do together

Carrot-Top Industries

https://carrot-top.com/educational-resources

Printables about, states, state capitols, and the Constitution

Code.org

https://code.org/

Learn block-based coding through game-like challenges

Django Girls

https://djangogirls.org/

Learn how to create your very own website from scratch (aimed at girls)

e-learning for kids

https://www.e-learningforkids.org/

All kinds of gamified learning for K-5^th grade

Khan Academy

https://www.khanacademy.org/

All kinds of subjects presented through videos and graphics, with quizzes

Khan Academy Recommended Schedule for Kids

https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vSZhOdEPAWjUQpqDkVAlJrFwxxZ9Sa6zGOq0CNRms6Z7DZNq-tQWS3OhuVCUbh_-P-WmksHAzbsrk9d/pub

Math Game Time

http://www.mathgametime.com/

Math games for K-5th grade

NASA Kids’ Club

https://www.nasa.gov/kidsclub/index.html

Interactive games, online coloring, image gallery, and DIY activities

National Geographic Kids

https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/

Online games, activities, videos, galleries, and printables

National Geographic Explorer Classroom

https://www.nationalgeographic.org/education/student-experiences/explorer-classroom/

offering daily live-casts for kids starting March 23 at 2 p.m.

Scholastic Books Kids’ Page

https://kids.scholastic.com/kids/home/

Online and printable activities based on Scholastic’s most popular series

Space Racers

https://www.spaceracers.com/

Cool videos, games, and printables about space

United States Geological Survey

Videos: https://www.usgs.gov/products/multimedia-gallery/videos

Scientific Animations: https://www.usgs.gov/products/multimedia-gallery/videos/science-animations

USGS Kids: https://www.usgs.gov/science-support/osqi/yes/resources-teachers/zots-frogs-usgs-kids

Printable 3D Models Page: https://www.usgs.gov/media/files/3d-paper-models-0

OK, been in front of the computer too long? Are folks getting a bit stir-crazy? Here is a resource that can get people off the computer, running around, and learning at the same time:

CS Unplugged: Computer Science Without a Computer

https://csunplugged.org/en/

CS concepts taught through games and puzzles, without a computer

To finish off today’s list, here are some sites with picture books readings:

Circletime

https://circletimefun.com/

live on-line classes and storytimes for children 0-6 and their parents

Kinedu

https://www.kinedu.com/

learning activities for the 0-4 year old crowd and their families

Storyline Online

https://www.storylineonline.net/