Learning Resources for Kids at Home
With schools closed, many parents are looking for resources to support our children's learning. While re-creating an entire school day of work and activity can be next to impossible, having a bit of organization can provide a framework for child(ren) - and be helpful if parents are also working from home. Schools and teachers may be providing assignments and online resources, but we wanted to suggest some additional ideas for learning inspiration.
- Khan Academy
- Khan Academy is offering free resources to keep everyone learning for students, teachers, and parents. Click Here
- Khan Academy Kids. Click Here
- Math
- Math Playground math games
- Cool Math 4 Kids
- Google Street View – Get an up close view of the world
- With Google Street View, you can visit famous sites and monuments. For example Rome’s Colosseum, the Kohala Coast in Hawaii, or the inside of Palace of Versailles in France.
- Google Maps' Virtual Treks take you climbing to Everest Base Camp in Nepal to diving in the Galapagos Islands of Peru to searching for polar bears in Churchill, Manitoba.
- Google Arts & Culture – Take a virtual museum tour
- Google Arts & Culture gives you access to the world’s best galleries and museums.
- Free online tours of the British Museum, The Louvre, The Smithsonian and The Vatican,
- The Virtual Museum of Canada has a large digital source of stories and experiences shared by Canada’s museums and heritage organizations. You can even see iconic art pieces up close.
- Cook Meals From Around the World
- Take online classes with Nonna Live, where you'll learn to make classics from an Italian grandma.
- Free lessons from Delish.com with daily cooking videos for parents and children, and Kitchen Quarantine, Instagram lessons from Michelin-starred chef Massimo Bottura.
- Duolingo – Learn a new language
- Duolingo allows you to spend just a few minutes a day learning a foreign language, in a fun game style. It’s free and there’s even an app for kids. You could also have a go at a new hobby.
- Visit a Virtual Zoo or Aquarium
- Visit Ripley's Aquarium of Canada in Toronto to keep an eye on the sharks.
- The San Diego Zoo is livestreaming a number of animals on its website, including koalas, pandas, giraffes and polar bears.
- You can also bring exotic animals like snow leopards into your living room with a selection of live video streams from Australian Zoos.
- Fun Science
- Mystery Doug explores science concepts in short videos
- Wonderopolis teaches science with its "Wonder of the Day" video
Having a variety of online resources to offer your child(ren) can help keep them from becoming bored, while also providing exposure to potentially new ideas or information. Online tools are helpful, but don't forget the value of also sprinkling in learning while having fun with the classics: building Lego towers, word-searches, baking (fractions!), monopoly (still the most fun way to learn about money in my opinion), and puzzles. We'll continue to add to this list and we'd love to know the sites and ideas that are working for you.