Camp Corona
Today we embarked on our new reality in the midst of the global COVID-19 pandemic. We have been working from home and have been practicing social distancing for a few days now but today is the first day the kids are home from school and any without any extra curricular activities. Adapting to this new normal is going to be a challenge especially as it is very likely to extend beyond two weeks but we 100% want to do our part in helping to flatten the curve and protecting our community. I’m so appreciative of the work the medical professionals are doing to treat the sick and educate the masses on best practices.
I’m not sure what we should call this new normal and it’s hard for the kids to understand so for now it’s going to be “Camp Corona” as we’re partially out of school and on Spring Break. We’ve received a lot os support from teachers, friends and educational companies as we all come together to aid our children and come up with ideas to creative routines and foster learning during this time. If you’re on the hunt for some educational ideas/games as you navigate this time please read on for my TAKE.
Know that I’m not an educator and these ideas span multiple age ranges so they may not work for all but they are a starting point for my family as we navigate this uncertain time. The most important thing to remember here is to give each other a break…we’re all doing the best we can. As time goes on and you come across new ideas please share, I’d love to adopt more and will plan to continue to share on my Instagram account. Stay healthy friends!
Daily Routine
Get dressed and out of PJs each morning
Exercise in the morning and afternoon (We started to train for a mile run this morning)
Set up a school/desk area to do work (Do this away from toys and the TV)
Adopt daily chores like making a bed or taking out the trash (I’m going to teach my kids to fold laundry)
Our kitchen has been coined the “Cafeteria” and snack and lunch time will be in the kitchen
Quiet reading time and journaling will become a part of daily life
Adopt play and self direction into learning as much as possible
Take time for arts/crafts
Recycle paper towel holders, bags and boxes into boats, spaceships and robots
Write a daily letter to a classmate
Find ways to connect with family/friends via FaceTime or Marco Polo videos
Educational Tools/Games
Many of these games we had prior to locking ourselves in but I stocked up on new workbooks, math games, a couple of new books and the volcano set via Amazon over the weekend.
Additional Resources
Virtual Museum Tours (ex: National Museum of Natural History)
GoNoodle - dance along activities to help kids stay active
Jack Hartman - Kids Music Channel
Cosmic Yoga - for when the weather outside is frightful
Mystery Science - School Closure Lessons
Scholastic Learn At Home - Lessons by Grade
Listen to stories read aloud on Instagram by favorite authors such as Oliver Jeffers
For Elephant & Piggie lovers - Lunch Doodles with Mo Willems!
A Silver Lining
In the absence of our normal routines I’m trying to find a silver lining…
More time together when our kids are in this short season of life called childhood!
Game Night, Dance Parties and Movie Night will become a regular occurrence!
While the museums may be closed, there are many that we plan to view virtually.
We can finally get back to reading the kids Harry Potter - we’ve had a long break but just started the Prisoner of Azkaban again!
Family baking - the kids have always loved to bake but now we’re going to find more time to do it.
The kids are excited to start their own research project…my oldest has selected her favorite state, Florida. TBD what the end report state is but something similar to a book report with visuals.
Purging - I can finally prioritize time to clean out the kids closets!
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**For accurate information about COVID-19 please refer to the CDC.