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We hadn’t counted on the coronavirus disrupting our plans. Now our spring break has become a spring pause of at least two weeks and social distancing seems to be the order of the day.
My oldest is much like me – self-sufficient, busy with dozens of hobbies and not afraid to get on the phone with a friend or three to pass the time. But the ten year old has a quick brain and lightening in his veins, so it was time to pull some teaching tricks out of my tool box to get this boy busy.
These suggestions are seasonally appropriate to spring in Florida but could be modified for your needs.
Get Outside
If you are fortunate to live near a green area or a park, and you aren’t on complete lock down, get outside for a walk in the park or a bike ride. Even sports between family members, like tennis or one-touch soccer are an option. Getting fresh air and sunlight will improve your fitness and stave off depression or cabin fever.
Webquests
Webquest.org has an entire library of up-to-date webquests on every topic under the sun. I usually choose the level above my youngest’s grade level for higher engagement but don’t let grade level limits stop you. If your kids is into ancient Egypt, let them have a go at the more challenging material.
Virtual Museum Tours
I got this idea from @AlyssaColeLit‘s tweet about virtual museum tours. You can find a comprehensive list here. If you have an art history book, you can flag favorite works and have kids hunt for them in virtual collections.
A derivative of this is the Virtual City Tour. Most major cities have some variation of this. Here’s one for New York City.
Read Alouds
Try going Victorian and choose a book to read aloud. Audiobooks are also great in a pinch. Though expensive, you can check out popular titles for all ages through online libraries or, if you have a hankering for the classics, Librivox offers free audiobooks of classics read by volunteers.
Found Visual Art
All you need is a smart phone or a digital camera. Take pictures in your community (don’t touch anything!) and upload them to free photo shopping sites like Canva, which offers a powerful free digital editing option. Edit pictures, make a digital collage or create postcards to send to far-off friends and family you may be staying away from for their own well-being.
You can also imitate some of great found art collections, such as this André Vicente Gonçalves worldwide Doors of the World collection. You could photograph the doors in your community – just make sure you don’t take pictures of anything inside without their permission.
Found Poetry
Like Found Visual Art, Found Poetry is an art form that uses the writing of others to create unique connections between words that becomes poetry. I’m a huge fan of Blackout Poetry, in particular. Popularized by Austin Kleon, old, moldy books and magazines regain a new life as you blackout, with a Sharpie or paint, words all the words except for ones you’ve selected. Best when you scan and don’t actually read the page your working with. Once done, your poetry book becomes a work of art. I’ve included a video from my Instagram of one of my blackout poetry books.
Coloring Books
I find with my son, adult coloring books work better than some of the available kid versions. Mandalas, nature diagrams, and reproductions of great works of art offer more opportunities for complex designs and higher engagement. Invest in a large box of colored pencils and glitter pens for more extravagant results.
World Games
I’m not a huge fan of unlimited video games for kids, but games like Halo and Skyrim offer full immersion, epic storylines that engage players with more than just shooting. Check ratings for violence and sexual themes but just play alongside the kids. I still have a soft spot for John the Masterchief. You can expand to online/multiplayer games, just be careful not to send kids to roam in those online places without supervision.
Family Game Night
Things get ugly in my house when we play Carcassonne but if strategy games aren’t your thing, choose from other classics like Monopoly, Chutes & Ladders or Uno and make a game night out of it. Snacks, prizes and even Skyping in friends and relatives can make for a great time.
Mixed-Media Journals
I love these just as a creative and often decorate my writing journals to give myself a creative boost. Stickers, glitter, origami, sketches, photographs – everything is game to encourage your kids to take on an activity that leads to greater reflection and mental serenity. As a variation, choose a theme-per-day for the entire family, let everyone collect artifacts, draw pictures and write narratives about the theme. Share at the end of the day and see who made the coolest connections.
I’m a writer and a teacher, so my ideas might tend toward the cerebral or focus on the written word. If you have any other ideas for engaging children during this period of social isolation, please feel free to add them in the comments.
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