As the current pandemic brings the world to a grinding halt, we see borders closed, travel restricted, businesses shut down, schools closed, people quarantined, and everyone (hopefully) practicing social distancing. With millions of students home from school due to the coronavirus, parents are struggling to fill the days with more meaningful, educational activities beyond Minecraft and take-home packets from their children’s schools. As a mom who homeschooled my two boys for 10 years, I’ve got plenty of homeschooling hacks to help during the pandemic.
While I don’t typically write about homeschooling on my blog, I love to help others. By tapping into my experience, I can share some homeschooling hacks that will help parents during the pandemic. Plus, I’ve developed some fun (and often stealthy) ways to keep my kids learning all day long. I’ve shared them with some new-to-homeschooling friends and even some clients, but I thought it might be helpful to share here with you, too.
Set a schedule.
While your kids might be able to “do school” in their PJs, you should set a schedule for when some formal learning will take place, even if it’s only for several 30-minutes blocks of time over the course of the day. This means kids will need to stay focused on the activity at hand, with movement, frequent breaks, and hands-on learning built into the day. Homeschooling during the pandemic can be both formal learning and informal educational activities. Need some informal learning ideas? Keep reading.
Let kids move around.
Keep in mind that, even in school, kids aren’t sitting still the entire time, so schedule plenty of time for movement and breaks. And when they do “sit down” to do some learning, don’t insist they sit still in a chair. My youngest son, who has ADHD, would often lay upside down hanging off the couch when doing math problems. My oldest son loved taking his books up to the “fort” in our backyard playset to read outside. Other times, I’d read books aloud while both my boys swam in the pool. Your kids can shoot baskets while they spell words, convert their Twister mat into a multiplication facts game, or practice writing skills with chalk on the driveway. Rethink what learning looks like. Homeschooling during the pandemic is anything but “school as usual.”
Go outside.
Now would be a great time to learn about the plants, birds, bugs, and critters that live in your backyard. Chart the growth of a spring flower beginning to bloom. Learn about pollinators. Go on a neighborhood scavenger hunt looking for a singing bird, something crawling with six (or more!) legs, a squirrel running up a tree, a fallen leaf, etc. (Just practice social distancing when you see neighbors.) Draw a detailed sketch of a native plant. Follow an ant trail. Create a sundial to explore the position of the sun, the shadows it casts, and how this can help you estimate the time of day. Homeschooling during the pandemic doesn’t mean you need to stay inside all day.
Go on a virtual field trip.
Sheltering in place doesn’t mean you can’t go on some amazing virtual field trips, from science museums and national wonders to factory tours and art collections. Take kids on a tour of the Boston Children’s Museum, San Diego Zoo, Yellowstone National Park, The Louvre, and the Great Wall of China. Homeschooling during the pandemic means tapping into all the new, free resources that others are making available during this challenging time.
Get them cooking!
Put the kids in charge of tonight’s dinner, from planning the menu and researching recipes to measuring ingredients and cooking the meal. (Supervise as needed, of course.) Challenge kids to make a healthy, balanced meal, including plenty of fruits and vegetables. If they’re not sure what that means, help them explore the USDA’s ChooseMyPlate.gov for ideas. (With all the canned and frozen goods in your kitchen right now, talk about how they’re just as nutritious as fresh produce.) Explore fractions with kids while they measure ingredients. Teach them how to double ingredients if you were cooking for a crowd. In fact, homeschooling during the pandemic offers a wonderful opportunity to teach important life skills to your kids, whether that means cooking, sewing, doing household repairs, or creating a budget.
Tap into tunes.
Let your kids have fun with music while they’re cooped up at home. Ask them to write new lyrics for their favorite song, or have them create a funny rap about their favorite singer. Challenge them to write a new theme song for their favorite TV show. How about their favorite products? See if they can create a memorable 30-second jingle to advertise a popular game. Homeschooling during the pandemic challenges your kids to flex their creative muscles in ways they wouldn’t normally do at school.
Play games.
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Plant a garden.
Even if you only have room for a windowsill herb garden, kids can learn a lot from this hands-on activity. (Plus, it gets them outside for fresh air and sunshine!) Help them determine whether they want to grow food, attract butterflies, help pollinators, or add some floral beauty to their backyard. Spend time researching which plants will attract local wildlife and what’s best to plant in your geographic location. Challenge kids to design the garden on paper first, taking into consideration the space available, the soil condition, and the amount of sun the garden will get. If you don’t already have seeds on hand, use some from your existing fresh produce (hello, bell peppers!) or order seeds online. Look for even more ideas from KidsGardening.org. Homeschooling during the pandemic allows you to start a garden now and spend the next few months together watering, weeding, and charting plant growth.
Encourage reading.
Get kids reading any way you can, such as reading recipes to cook together, reading comics, reading directions to play a game, etc. It doesn’t always have to be a book. Read aloud to your kids every day (even with older kids) and discuss books together as a family. Tie fun activities into the book you’re reading. Offer snacks relevant to the book, such as creating a DIY version of Butter Beer when you’re discussing Harry Potter. Break out the art supplies and challenge kids to design a map of the book’s setting, create a sculpture of the main character, illustrate a favorite scene, or design a new book cover. Ask kids to create a trivia game based on the book’s plot or write a new ending to the story. For more ideas, read 10 Simple Ways to Raise Kids Who Love to Read. Now might be a great time to subscribe to age-appropriate kids magazines to encourage reading. My kids enjoyed reading National Geographic Kids and several magazines from Cricket Media. Another great way to get kids to read? Let them listen to audiobooks to boost vocabulary and help with comprehension. Right now, Audible is offering free access to hundreds of kids’ books.
Teach with movies.
It’s no secret that there will be plenty of binge-watching going on in the next few weeks. But use this to your advantage. Watch a movie together and talk about its theme (such as responsibility or determination) and its characters (would a better decision have changed the outcome)? Ask them to add a few plot twists or create an alternate ending. For some wonderful “movie learning” ideas, visit Teach With Movies. The reality is that, while you’re homeschooling during the pandemic, your family will probably be spending more time than usual watching movies. Make the most of this screen time with positive discussions and fun activities.
Play with puzzles.
If you’ve got jigsaw puzzles buried in the closet, dust them off and put them together. Also, let kids play with tangrams (a traditional Chinese puzzle consisting of seven shapes), which helps build spatial and geometry skills. For a kid-friendly introduction to tangrams, read Grandfather Tang’s Story by Ann Tompert or Three Pigs, One Wolf, Seven Magic Shapes by Grace Maccarone. You can print your own black-and-white tangrams (or a full-color version at PBS Kids), buy a more durable set (like Tangoes, Jr.) or solve online tangram puzzles.
Encourage building for both boys and girls.
Kids of all ages benefit from the process of building a structure because it involves motor skills, creativity, hand-eye coordination, critical thinking, math skills, problem-solving, and spatial awareness. Break out what you might already have at home, such as Legos, Keva Planks, CitiBlocs, Magna-Tiles, K’NEX, Tinkertoys, Erector sets, gears, and marble mazes. Or simply use what you’ve got at home, such as cardboard boxes and spools (from paper towels, bathroom tissue, and gift wrap), toothpicks, craft sticks, twine, PVC pipe, and other common household objects.
Take some quiet time.
No matter the age, kids (and mom and dad) need some quiet time to relax, process the learning, and daydream. Kids should be unplugged during this time, even if it’s just for 15 minutes. Make sure they take a digital break.
Cut yourself some slack.
By sneaking education into fun activities, you’ll keep your kids “accidentally” learning all day long. Remember, homeschooling doesn’t have to be perfect. It takes a lot of work, planning, flexibility, and patience. Know that you’re doing your best during very difficult times.
