Updated June 3, 2020
I know a lot of kids (and parents) are starting to go stir-crazy. Vacations have been cancelled, and time outside the home has been very limited. A subscriber shared a great resource on 101+ Virtual Tours of Popular Tourist Attractions Around the World. These are world-famous places, both natural (such as the Great Barrier Reef) and created by humans (such as Versailles or Taj Mahal). The article has details on each one as well as information on how to do the tour. I highly recommend checking it out!
The COVID-19 pandemic has quickly altered the daily routines of people around the world. We know the uncertainty that surrounds schools and the safety of staff and students is of utmost concern. The need for immediate assistance is urgent and we want to help. This blog focuses on connecting kids to valuable online resources while schools are closed.
If you are an Educator trying to connect with your students, Microsoft continues to provide free tools like Office 365 and Teams to schools looking to connect virtually. Two Microsoft offerings worth pointing out:
- Office 365 A1 – Free versions to all educational institutions: This version provides unlimited chat, built-in group and one-on-one audio or video calling, 10 GB of team file storage, and 2 GB of personal file storage per user. You also get real-time collaboration with the Office apps for web, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote. No restrictions for # of users.
- Minecraft: Education Edition: We know kids are going to want to play video games while off, why not capitalize on this free education edition! Microsoft has extended access to Minecraft: Education Edition to all free and paid O365 Education accounts through the end of June 2020 and published a M:EE remote learning toolkit with links to >100 Minecraft lessons and STEM curriculum.
Interested in more? You are invited to participate in free webinars tailored for Microsoft Education. The content covers best practices using Microsoft Teams as the digital hub that brings conversations, content, assignments, and apps together in one place. Sign up here: https://hubs.ly/H0nCQzr0
FREE RESOURCES FOR PARENTS
Parents just looking for educational ways to keep your kids entertained during the mandated closure, keep reading...
I know the thought of being locked-in and home-bound has scared many of my friends. Luckily modern technology has enabled many museums, zoos, and aquariums to setup virtual tours and webcams of their facilities. Here is an link to 20 virtual field trips you can take with your kids. The Panda on Zoo Atlanta's Panda Cam was absolutely adorable! I must have caught him right at dinner time. I enjoyed knowing that 191 other people were watching the Panda with me. 
Here are a list of TED Ed Lessons we recommend. If you see one you like, you can enter the name of the video in the search box. Each lesson comes with questions as well. I personally enjoyed some of the Logic & Reasoning Riddles!
The number of Educational Companies offering Free Subscriptions due to School Closings is growing every second. This website has an updated list of all of the amazing educational resources, along with short descriptions. A few of my favorites are:
- BrainPop
- CoolMath
- Discovery Education
- Freckle
- GoNoodle
- Khan Academy
- MobyMax
- National Geographic
- PBS Learning Media
- Prodigy
- Scholastic
- Starfall
- Xtra Math
MORE THINGS TO DO WHILE YOU’RE STUCK AT HOME
- Encourage the kids to spend some time off electronics by picking from 25 different screen-free activities for kids.
- Quick & easy 5 minute crafts are the way to go.
- Science games bring lots of fun to learning!
- They won’t even realize they’re learning with these fun math games for kids.
- Are the kids bouncing off the walls? Try these active games for kids.
- Mix things up with these inside games for kids.
- Edible playdough is fun to make, then eat! (Just be sure your kids wash their hands!)
If you are looking for some extra fun educational printables, Check out this Printables Library.
