As we all try to practice social distancing and many of us are now homeschooling our kiddos while balancing working from home, it can be tough to keep little ones engaged, learning and having fun. Dr. Richard Chan isn’t just an Alaska, Bothell, Monroe and Mill Creek orthodontist, he’s also a dad, so he knows exactly what you’re going through! That’s why the Richard Chan Orthodontics team thought we’d share some fun educational activities to do with kids at home.
Do Science Experiments
DIY science experiments are a great learning activity for kids of all ages and there are a ton of different ones you can do using household products and supplies. Here are a few fun ones:
- DIY Rock Candy – Mommy Poppins shares how to make rock candy at home using water, sugar, skewers and food coloring.
- Rain Cloud in a Jar – I Can Teach My Child has a tutorial for making a rain cloud in a jar with a glass jar, a plate, water and ice cubes.
- Elephant Toothpaste – Sign us up for anything smile related! Visit Preschool Powol Packets for a fun science experiment for kids that involves making elephant toothpaste and relies on chemistry concepts.
- The Classic Volcano – Of course, we have to mention the classic volcano science experiment. Science Fun for Everyone has the details!
Go on a Virtual Field Trip
Virtual field trips are fun things to do with kids at home that can help expand their horizons. Thousands of museums have made their collections viewable through Google Arts & Culture. If you’ve always dreamed of taking your kids to far flung museums, now’s your chance. Check out the collections here. Google is also taking you through national parks in the United States.
Plant a Garden
Planting a garden is fun and educational because children get to learn about nature, as well as nutrition and healthy eating. Plus, little ones are also way more likely to eat their veggies if they’ve grown them themselves. If you have room in your backyard, start your own plot of vegetables and maybe let your child choose between several different options. Then, have them plant, weed and water the garden. Or, you can do a windowsill garden of herbs if you’re short on outdoor space.
Take Advantage of Free Educational Resources
There are a number of free resources full of educational activities for kids. Scholastic has launched Scholastic Learn at Home, which has daily learning experiences designed around a story or video with different options for children pre-k through grade nine. Crash Course has free lessons on YouTube for high schoolers on pretty much every subject, ranging from astronomy to literature. For the tiniest tots, ABC Mouse is offering a free 30-day trial of its online curriculum for ages two to eight.
Read, Read and Read Some More!
Reading is hands-down one of the best educational activities to do with kids at home because it teaches them language skills and comprehension, sparks their imagination and helps you bond. With the extra time we all have on our hands, why not go for a longer chapter book that you can read to your children over the next few weeks by tackling a chapter or two a day. Wired has a list of the best chapter books to read aloud to kids if you need some inspiration.
Bake Something Together
It might come as a surprise to have baking listed as one of our learning activities for kids to do at home. But, it involves weights and numbers, thanks to the measuring required, learning how to follow instructions and a little bit of food science. And, when you’re done, you have a delicious treat to enjoy together. Check out these 21 fun and easy recipes for baking with kids. Or, if you’re trying to stick with pantry staples to minimize trips to the store, you can’t go wrong with wacky cake, which requires no eggs, no butter and no milk.
Do Art Classes
Art classes help children tap into their creativity. While they’re still learning and developing skills, art can be a good way to break up the day between their regular school lessons. Mo Willems, the Kennedy Center’s artist-in-residence, is inviting kids into his studio each day with LUNCH DOODLES. Artist and educator Deborah Putnoi will be broadcasting live on Facebook Monday through Friday at 2pm with art lessons.
We hope these educational activities to do with kids at home help and we also hope everyone is hanging in there! While our offices are temporarily closed in an effort to do our part to flatten the curve, if you have any orthodontic questions or concerns, please, don’t hesitate to reach out! Or, if you’ve been considering straightening your teeth, take advantage of our virtual consultations.
