Families across Canada are adapting to a new normal of having their children at home right now, while they navigate working from home with kids in the house, or simply having the kids home with them 24/7. Add in no playgrounds, no out-of-home activities and social gatherings, and many of you undoubtedly have one or more kids looking for something to do.
Have no fear! We’ve compiled a list of some fun resources and physical activities you can do with your children, or let them navigate on their own if they’re old enough. Or if you need a break – hey, no judgement here!
YouTube Workouts for Kids
- Cosmic Kids is a great yoga channel on Youtube – they even have themed yoga videos like “Frozen” yoga or “The Wizard of Oz”.
- GoNoodle will get you moving with lots of fun dance videos and music.
- Joe Wicks is another great channel for adults and kids. He has themed physical education videos geared toward little ones, but also some great HIIT workouts for grown ups.
Education and Reading
- Scholastic has some free learn at home resources
- 40 science websites for kids
- Science experiments from Telus World of Science in Alberta
- Art Classes with Mo Willems
- Or you can have stories read to you by famous celebrities:
- Dolly Parton (bedtime stories)
- Josh Gad on Twitter (voice of Olaf in Frozen)
- And many more (just Google it)
Virtual Museums, Zoos and Aquariums
A lot of museums (both in Canada and internationally) are offering free tours or videos that your kids can enjoy (and you can feel good that their screen time is educational!)
- The Royal Ontario Museum has free educational big-screen features (dinosaurs, oceans and mummies!) you can watch in your living room, along with a downloadable education guide
- Check out exhibitions at the Louvre in Paris, France
- Ripley’s Aquarium has different at home videos all the time: meet Aquarium staff educators, watch live feedings, educational encounters, storytime, and much more!
- Visit the San Diego Zoo or the Toronto Zoo
Active Parents is a local website in Ontario that has many great resources for kids all the time, check out their calendar for virtual field trips you can take (to the Great Wall of China, to Mars or to a farm!) and many more activities.
And if you’re looking for some resources on how to talk to your kids about COVID-19, here are some helpful links:
- The Prime Minister and Canada’s chief medical officer Dr Theresa Tam speaking on CBC Kids
- Another simple and effective message from the Prime Minister for kids, told through LEGO (only 1:22 min long)
- Some help from Daniel Tiger and PBS
Stay safe and healthy!