6 AFFORDABLE WAYS TO KEEP KIDS BUSY DURING THE LOCKDOWN

As families shelter in place, many parents are faced with the challenge of keeping their children stimulated at home. Here are six things you can do to keep kids busy during the lockdown.

1. TAKE THEM ON A VIRTUAL FIELD TRIP

Zoos and museums may be closed, but many of them are offering free virtual tours online. For example, you can check out the live animal cams at the San Diego Zoo, tour the Louvre and even explore Mars with your kids.

2. PLAY BOARD GAMES AND SOLVE PUZZLES

Board games and puzzles never go out of style. To up the ante, you can have a family board game tournament or puzzle challenge.

3. GO CAMPING IN THE GARDEN

If your family can’t go camping, why not a pitch a tent in your backyard? If you have a fire pit or campfire stove, you can even toast marshmallows.

4. LET YOUR KIDS LISTEN TO A STORY

If your kids like stories (or if mommy and daddy need a little quiet time), there are a ton of fantastic resources online. Some examples are Read & Learn with Simon Kids, where you’ll find live read-alouds of bestselling children’s books, and Story Online, which features famous actors reading children’s books over-animated videos.

5. ENCOURAGE YOUR CHILDREN’S LEARNING

There are many free online resources aimed at helping parents teach their children in a fun and engaging way. Here are a few good ones:

• PBS Kids provides games and activities for children aged 2 to 8. These resources can help kids learn literacy, math and science skills.
  

• Education.com offers a wide selection of fun worksheets for pre-kindergarten and elementary school kids.
  

• WideOpenSchool brings together quality educational resources for all grade levels from Scholastic, PBS, National Geographic and other organizations.

6. ENCOURAGE THEIR PASSIONS

If your kids have hobbies such as playing music, building Lego or making drawings, encourage them to dedicate more time to it. You can even hold a living room talent show for your children to showcase their skills.

Additionally, there are many opportunities on the web for your children to develop their talents and acquire new ones. For example, Nikon is currently offering free camera classes that are suitable for teenagers. There are also music, dance and yoga teachers in the Ottawa area that have moved their classes online.

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