Many of us are seeking out high quality indoor activities for our kids. We are pouring over websites to find activities that will engage the minds and bodies of the children in our lives, that bring joy and comfort, especially in times of such uncertainty.
Me too!
But the fatigue from looking through all the options is real. It can be overwhelming to look through and assess each option for it’s quality and whether it will fit our families situation. So this past week I decided to compile a list of the high quality resources where we find great activities for kids. My hope is that this list can alleviate some of that decision fatigue I know I have felt more recently.
Some of these resources we’ve used for nearly a decade, and others we have only recently discovered as a response to our entry into temporary homeschooling. All of them are fantastic and I can personally vouch for each one of them, as we have used them in my home.
No, I’m not affiliated with any of these resources and get no commission from my promotion of them. They are simply the tools that work very well for our family (we have a 5 year old and a 10 year old).
It’s a unique time that we’re all facing right now and it can be overwhelming, and scary, and frustrating. In the same breath, it can be an opportunity to feel more grateful for what we have, find creative ways to connect and support one another, and put some extra love into feeding our children’s minds and hearts. I hope this list of activities for kids helps you in that effort.
So, read through my list and if you have a list of tried and true resources that you have relied on, please share them in the comments below. Let’s make this a post one you can come back to over and over again for support. If we can all give a little, we will all be better equiped to continue caring for the children in our lives during this unique time of uncertainty.
8 Rainy Day Resources for Kids Stuck Inside
(in alphabetical order)
1. Carla Sonheim
Free and paid art classes for children and adults that can be done in 1-1.5 hour sessions. Some require more unique art supplies, but most can be done with items like cardboard, construction paper, glue sticks, crayons, and printer paper. We have been working through different Kid’s Art Week sessions and picking and choosing lessons depending upon the supplies we have at home.
2. Cosmic Kids
Free and paid options for kids Yoga that are presented in story form. They include stories from popular movies like Star Wars, Trolls, and Frozen, as well as books like Harry Potter and Room on a Broom. They are engaging, and help kids get active indoors and in a calm way.
3. Dragon Box
This paid mathematics app is best for elementary aged children. It behaves like a video game but teaches numeracy, basic operations, base-10, and more! The activities for kids are engaging as much as they are educational. After having my 5 year old play it for 20 minutes 5 days a week, his ability to read 3 digit numbers accurately and do computations in his head has increased substantially!
4. Imagine Neighborhood
Imagine Neighborhood is a podcast of stories for elementary aged children that takes the second step emotional intelligence curriculum and presents lessons in a story format. The stories are silly, engaging, and educational. There’s even a podcast titled, “Talking To Kids About Corona Virus Fears,” and another one called, “Macho Has To Stay Inside,” which addresses quarantine.
5. Montessorium
These are a paid literacy and numeracy apps that are best for preschool and younger elementary aged children. It teaches numeracy, number recognition, pattern recognition, base-10 concepts, and more all through traditional Montessori manipulative gone digital. Things like “sand paper” number trace, and sound baskets, are incorporated into the app. These apps align closely with Montessori math and literacy curricula.
6. P.B.S. Learning
Public Broadcasting Station is already well known for their educational entertainment, but they also have a fantastic digital tool where you can search for resources as a home school parent or classroom teacher. You can search by subject or age range and find tons of educational videos and video clips that can continue to inspire learning at home.
7. Scholastic Literacy
If you like themed learning and are looking for a more “packaged” activities for kids, Scholastic Literacy has a slew of units that incorporate literacy and science. Choose a grade level and find a 4 week curriculum that includes books, activities and videos.
8. Sparkle Stories
Sparkle Stories have been part of our family for 6 years now and we love the gentle original stories that David spins. They are relevant, educational, and gentle enough for the most tender of hearts. In addition, Sparkle Stories has a parent podcast and a blog with an extensive library of activities for kids like printables, recipes, and lessons that coincide with the stories. Listen to the stories just for fun, or use them to teach. Either way Sparkle Stories are a great way to reduce screen time, enhance their lives with wonderful stories, and inspire families to do fun projects.
BONUS. Child Mind Institute
This bonus resource is a tool for the adults. It’s a resource that offered a mailing list full of wonderful resources for parents and educators, and anyone who engages with children on a regular basis. It can help you feel less alone, less overwhelmed, and give you concrete tools to deal with real issues you’re having with your children.
Be sure you are caring for your well being – both mental and physical. Trust me when I say it will benefit the children in your life more than you know.
I hope that these resources provide you some relief or support as we continue to navigate this ever changing landscape. If nothing else, hopefully you will have found something new and different here to keep up the novelty of being home another day.
All the best to you and your children. This too shall pass, and when it does, we will all be a bit more compassionate and way more creative about how we approach a challenge.
Please know that every family is different and you’ll need to check out each resource yourself to see if it matches your families needs. Use what feels like a good fit and ignore what doesn’t. It’s not about getting overwhelmed with all we “should” be doing. It’s about using resources that make this whole process feel a little bit better.
Wait! Don’t leave yet!
Have you heard about my COVID-19 Fundraiser over on Ko-fi? For the month of April, I’m donating all donations made to my account to the W.H.O. COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund, PLUS, I will personally match up to $100 of the total donations given.
We can’t always make huge impacts alone, but we can share the load and make a bigger difference together. A $3 donation, the cost of a latte, can go farther than you think. Please consider heading to my ko-fi page to make your contribution.
Like Mother Teresa is quoted as saying, “We cannot all do great things, but we can do small things with great love.”
