Homeschooling During the Coronavirus?

School Closure Home Learning

Have you unexpectedly been tossed into the throes of homeschooling since the Corona virus pandemic? If you've suddenly had to to become the school teacher, cafeteria lady, and janitor during these school closures, you're well aware that home learning is more difficult than it looks. So, how do you do homeschooling during the coronavirus pandemic? As seasoned homeschoolers, we're here to help. Below is a list of our favorite homeschool resources and some articles specifically addressing these troubled times and how to help your kids cope. What a life lesson this is, right?

This post contains Amazon affiliate links.

For more on our personal journey scroll to the end.

Worried how school closure and remote learning will affect your child? Love them, support them, build them up, and they'll be fine. Think homeschoolers are weird? Maybe, depends on your perspective, but we're more normal than you think. We only had 7 months of brick and mortar school, but our previously homeschooled kids made the best of their first year of brick and mortar school. They miss school so much. When this is all over your kids will look forward to going to school too! I've added a photo album for our long time readers and fans. Enjoy!

I love this post! We have a similar experience.
Keep scrolling to see our homeschoolers' success in public school!

Tips for Home Learning and Coping during School Closures and Covid19 

• How to Homeschool Your Kids After a School Closure

• Help Children Cope with Changes due to Covid19

• Learning at Home During the Coronavirus Pandemic

• How to Make your Home into a Workable School

• Independent Learning Strategies During the Coronavirus Outbreak

• How to Talk to your Kids about Covid19

• More resources for parents, students, and teachers

These are scary times, so here's a Coronavirus meme to lighten the mood.

Educational Resources for Homeschooling during the Coronavirus

• Many of our older homeschool resources that target elementary students are listed in the homeschool tab on this site: Homeschool Learning Lessons for Elementary Age You can also do a search on our site for specific types of lessons like, grammar, math, and science.

• BrainPop has the most fun videos; I love them as much as my kids do. BrainPopJr. is great for the younger set. They are a paid service, but offer a free movie of the week and other free lessons.

• Life of Fred is our favorite home learning curriculum. We checked the books out at the library, that's probably not an option during these coronavirus times. You can get the Life of Fred books online at Amazon and on the Life of Fred website (Get the dolls!)

• Mobymax has free options for remote learning and homeschoolers. The great thing about this website is they find and fix learning gaps. Kids can take assessments to see where they fall and then do educational activities based on their grade level in different subjects. It's a great way to see if your child has been falling through the cracks in public school.

• TeachersPayTeachers and TeacherSherpa both offer great resources free and paid. The lesson plans are created by teachers for teachers, but homeschoolers and remote learners are welcome to download them too! Check out our store on TPT, it has some fun educational skits to do with the kids, we even have a play about the Easter Bunny!

Here's a FREE SCIENCE LESSON RESOURCE on COVID19

• Khan Academy is not for the faint of heart. If you're all in to the homeschooling thing, give it a try. We used it for several years. It's a free learning resource originally targeted toward middle schoolers and high schoolers, but now offers lessons for elementary too. It feels a lot more like "real school" than some of the other online options and keeps track of your progress and grade level.

• Why not give this difficult time a fun spin? Our Summer Camp Handbook is edutainment at its best! Enjoy science experiments, PE Activities, and more disguised as fun! 

• We also love CrashCourse with John and Hank Green. (Yes, that John Green!) You'll even find some of their lessons on Khan Academy. These are super fun, especially for older students.

Best Homeschool Blogs

Weird Unsocialized Homeschoolers

Hip Homeschool Moms

The Relaxed Homeschooler

Life of a Homeschool Mom

I Can Teach My Child

The Educator's Spin on it

Raising Lifelong Learners

First day of public school 2019.

We hope these resources help ease your mind and put you on the right track for remote home learning during the Coronavirus pandemic situation. Remember, homeschooling isn't easy and not all parents nor all kids are cut out for it. 

Bowling allows for socialization and physical activity. During the quarantine,
bowl with your game console or set up milk jugs to knock down with a basketball.

Do the best you can. Don't overdo it! If you take it too seriously, your kids won't enjoy it and neither will you. Make learning fun, make it light, and focus on those skills that are best learned at home: writing letters, sending emails, tying shoes, telling time, how to follow a recipe, chores (consider doing laundry a PE activity,) working on cars, putting together puzzles, dice games, Minecraft Uno or any Uno game, and anything that brings your family closer together.

Dress up day.

Note: This past year, my kids decided to go back to public school. My 15 year-old was placed as a high learning junior taking all senior and college level courses, my 13 year-old is a well-rounded, straight A, school loving eighth grader. 

In previous years, we spent a maximum of 2 hours a day on book learning. The rest  of our day was focused on healthy outdoor activities, field trips to museums, special events at the library, and a local homeschool group for "socialization." Turns out, it was more than enough. 

Take it easy, don't stress out, and remember that YOU CAN DO IT!

Made the grade, first semester honor roll.

Never played football in his life. Made the team!

Loving the school band.

My son was looking forward to performing in the high school play, finishing building a home for Habitat for Humanity, trying out different sports and clubs, and now, that will have to wait until next year. My daughter was on an academic team, loving art club, playing in the school band, and appreciating school for its many wonderful opportunities. I took great pride and joy watching them try new things. My heart aches for their loss and for the loss of those long time public school seniors who are missing out on their last school dance, possibly graduation, and all the joys of being a high school senior. If nothing else, this experience will teach us not to take life for granted. 

Never forget, no matter how stressful it gets, getting to stay home with your kids is a gift.

Good Luck, go hug your kids!

6 Ways to Child Proof a Cell Phone

6 Ways to Child Proof a Cell Phone 

Nowadays, it's common to see toddlers and preschoolers happily engaged with a smartphone or tablet. These devices are ideal when it comes to keeping kids entertained. However, eventually your child will ask for their own phone. When that time comes, you'll want to take the appropriate measures to protect the phone and its software settings. Here are six tips to help you kid proof a cell phone.

This post contains affiliate links.

Tips to Kid Proof Cell Phone

Before your child takes the responsibility of owning their own phone, follow these tips to kid-proof a cell phone.

• The Right Case 

If adults are susceptible to the occasional drop or cracked screen, imagine what damage a kid can do with a phone! All of these phone and tablet devices are fragile and easy to damage. 

A heavy-duty case is the right move for a first-time phone owner. There are also a wide range of options for cases, so heavy-duty doesn't have to mean boring, bulky, or ugly. There are many cute, protective cases perfect for your daughter or character cases for your son. Shopping for a phone case is a fun activity to do with your kids, enjoy the time spent searching for the right case!

• Screen Protector 

While some cases have built in screen-protectors, this is not a universal trait. A screen protector is something every person needs. This thin protective layer protects against cracking and other regular wear and tear. It provides you peace of mind, knowing your kid is less likely to show you a cracked phone screen and help you to avoid costly replacements.

• Family Sharing Protections 

On some devices, like Apple, you can use Family Sharing for calendars, photos, and other storage. This means you can easily share books, apps, and music purchases rather than buy them multiple times. 

In addition, Family Sharing protections allow you, as the parent, to receive alerts when your child tries to download an app, book, movie, and more. You can approve or reject – allowing you to monitor what your child is downloading, as well as the purchases. 

It certainly is upsetting to have surprise purchases in your inbox when your kids don't understand some apps and games cost money! Let family sharing help. 

• Disable In-App Purchases and App Downloads 

Another option is to disable in-app purchases. Some games have micro-purchases in the app where a simple click can rack up a hefty bill. 

Instead of letting your child purchase endlessly, you can go to Settings > General > Restrictions. From there, simply disable In-App Purchases. You can also disable app installation or deletion. This allows you to monitor how your child is using their phone. 

• Monitor Screen Time 

Most smartphones have screen time built in so you can check and track how much time is spent on each app. If you suspect a Candy Crush overload, you can look at your child’s phone and see just how much time is spent on that game. From there, you can have healthy conversations about screen time and how to limit phone usage. 

• Gift Cards 

Over time, you might want to teach your child the value of money and how to wisely spend what they have. An option is to use gift cards instead of connecting to a family account. For example, you can use an iTunes gift card for Apple products or an Amazon gift card for a Kindle Fire or another Amazon device. 

With family settings in place, you can still approve purchases, but you give your kids a little more control over spending.

Bottom Line

Opening your child up to the world by handing them a cell phone is a rite of passage. But before you give them this full responsibility, take some precautions to make sure the entire experience helps prepare them for adulthood. 

Recommended:

App to Limit Cell Phone Use

Phones for Kids

At What Age Should Child Get Cell Phone?

24 Best Educational Toys To Gift Your Kids This Year

Gift Guide: 24 Cool Toys for Kids

As a parent, one of the biggest dilemmas for every birthday and holiday season, is what gifts to buy for your kids. Recently, it's become a trend to give kids gadgets, but always giving the gift of technology is proving detrimental for your kids well-being of our future adults. Instead, why not invest in something that's both educational and enjoyable. This way, your children will develop and grow into well balanced adults and still have fun along their childhood journey.

This post contains Amazon affiliate links.

For More Help
Buying presents for infants and toddlers is even more difficult than for older children. Luckily, there are many websites and blogs to guide you with gift ideas and recommendations. Snugbaby is one such helpful blog. From reviews about the best strollers for your young ones to life-saving advice for new struggling parents, Snugbaby.net has it all. So, be sure to check it out for more helpful gift reviews and advice on parenting little ones.

0-1 year olds Educational Toy Gift Ideas

Melissa and Doug Shape-Sorting Set
This classic toy is a popular educational toy for kids and comes in a variety of themes. See the farm sorting set pictured above, It gives a basic introduction to shapes and colors, as well as, problem solving skills and manual dexterity.  Kids have to insert the blocks into the correct shape.

VTech Musical Rhymes Book
This colorful book with baby-friendly pages engages your toddlers with nursery rhymes while providing a fun way to learn the rhymes.


Skoolzy Rainbow Counting Bears with Matching Sorting Cups
Another simple game, it's an excellent way of teaching colors and simple math skills. Here, toddlers learn to put the bear in the matching colored cup. They also have to count the number of bears available to fill each cup, which makes it a helpful lesson in mathematics.

Download our counting math activity printable to use with this game.

VTech Sit to Stand Learning Walker
This popular toy encourages 9-month-olds to walk while engaging them with colorful activities and sound, thus developing their sensory skills and coordination.

1-3 years (Toddlers)

Learning Resources Alphabet Island Game
Using the classic ABC rhyme doesn’t have to be the only way to teach kids the alphabet. Make learning fun for your toddlers while they go treasure hunting for the alphabet.

Sensory Alphabet Activity

Learning Resources Fine Motor Hedgehog
The spikes on the hedgehog are color-coded and easy to grip, making it a great game for kids to play to  enhance motor skills, color coordination, and sorting abilities.

LeapFrog Scribble and Write Tablet
What a great way to introduce letters and numbers before your kids start preschool. Kids trace the letter or number using the tracing tool without the need for writing with crayons or pencils.

The Learning Journey: Match It! Spelling
Visual learning is a great method to teach kids. Linking words with images helps children learn more quickly. Moreover, the puzzle nature of the game also develops kid’s dexterity.

VTech Smart Shots Sports Center
This game is a great way to introduce an active toddler to sports. The Smart Shots Sports Center comes with a net and two balls. It teaches counting by scoring hoops for points and also teaches shapes, songs, and simple words.

ehome Toddler Musical Instrument
People of all age groups enjoy music, kids are no different. This set contains various musical instruments, so parents don't have to worry about which instrument to buy. Encourage your kids to try out playing the different instruments. Who knows, you may have the next Michael Jackson in your house. These also make a great gift for Easter baskets!

3-5 years (Preschool)

Magnetic Drawing Board Mini Travel Doodle
There's nothing wrong or right when it comes to art. This is the basic concept behind this old, yet popular toy. Give your kid free reign over the board and let the pen do the rest. It's fun for trips with family too!

Tips for Family Travel

Learning Resources Pretend and Play Doctor Kit
Playing doctors is still just as popular as ever. The doctor kit is a great gift for aspiring doctors and it's also a great way to teach kids to be kind, helpful, and patient.

ThinkFun Zingo Bingo Board Game
This award-winning game is a fun family activity. Essentially bingo with tiles that have labeled images, it teaches kids word-picture association, and it's also a great way to teach preschoolers new words.

Ideal My First Magic Set
Magic is always fascinating to kids, and what better way to teach your kids confidence, social skills, and self-discipline than using this fun magic game? The 25 tricks in this set, which comes with props, instructions, and online videos, make a great Christmas gift for children.

Back To Nature Outdoor Toy Set
For little explorers, this set includes a flashlight, binoculars, compass, and a magnifying glass. Make the game more fun by making a map and preparing a treasure and set your kids out treasure hunting. Can you imagine a memorable childhood play experience?

5-12 years (Elementary School)

Snap Circuits Jr. SC-100 Exploration Kit
Does your kid love tinkering around with electronics? This is the perfect gift for engineers in the making. The color-coded circuit components come with a guide and after they have mastered the basics, watch your kids build their own circuits!

See our Snap Circuit Activity for Homeschoolers.

Melissa and Doug Fashion Design Activity Kit
Science isn't the only subject of educational toys. Let your child's creative side flourish with this attractive fashion design kit that contains fashion plates, pencils, and crayons.

Scientific Explorer Mind Blowing Science Kit
This kit is equipped with 11 fun activities that will entertain your little ones’ inquisitive minds. Build curiosity for new things and a love of science with this science experiment kit that's easy to clean and will quickly become your kid’s next favorite toy.

Grow ‘n’ Glow Terrarium
A unique toy that even adults have fun playing, is this gardening terrarium game. Kids plant the Chia seeds in the terrarium. The kit also comes with glow in the dark stickers and resin figurines to decorate.

IQ Builder Building Toy Set
This building toy set, featuring various shapes and sizes, challenges your kids to expand their creative boundaries in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Equipped with a storage box, this must-have STEM toy, barely takes any space in your room. 

ThinkFun Gravity Maze Marble Run Logic Game
Develop strategic thinking skills with this innovative game. It uses blocks arranged in different ways to  creatively work around the effect of gravity. The difficulty level increases as the game gets more complex.

Scharkspark Telescope For Kids
This birthday, gift your kids something out of this world. This wonderful telescope helps kids realize the beauty of our vast universe. Introduce your kids to the amazing world of star-gazing and also teach them to take care of their toys with this real working scientific instrument.

National Geographic Break Open Geodes
For the little James Huttons and Florence Bascoms who love scavenging and exploring, this amazing geology set is the perfect gift. Watch your kids squeal in delight when they discover beautiful gems after breaking open the included rocks.

Thames and Kosmos Candy Chemistry Kit
Inspire your kids love of chemistry with this fun game that rewards kids with handmade sweet treats. Sweets and science have truly undeniable chemistry together, a match made in heaven.


Summary
Parents spend a lot of money and time trying to give the best educational toys for kids. From toys to education, parents try not to compromise anything for the sake of their children. However, the best gift that parents can give their children are good values and a strong support system. Always encourage your children to try new things on their own and give their best effort. Eventually, your little one will grow to guide you on the journey of life, instead of the other way around. 

Good luck on your journey of parenthood; you'll need it!



Recommended:

Activity Games you can Play with Things Around the House

Sensory Play Ideas

Easy Valentines Day Paper Craft for Kids: Love Collage

Heart Construction Paper Craft for Valentines Day

This construction paper craft for Valentine's Day is easy.  The heart collage is simple enough to do with early childhood kids and seniors with dementia, but is also fun for everyone! Adapt the steps as needed for the skill level of your crafters. 

This post contains affiliate links. If you click and make a purchase, I get a small commission.

More Valentine Crafts from Adventures of Kids Creative Chaos.

Supplies:

Pastel Construction Paper

Scissors

Glue Sticks

Magazines (February Magazines work best.)

Get Pop up Valentine's Day Cards.

Vertical lay out, lay out images horizontally (landscape)  for Valentine's Day cards.

Love Collage Paper Craft Activity for Valentine's Day

• Search through magazines for pictures of things you love.
• Tear out the page.
• Fold the page in half, centering the image in the fold.
• Cut the image out in the shape of a heart.
• Arrange the hearts on your paper.
• Glue magazine heart cut outs down with a glue stick.
• Repeat.

Tip: Pick images in the same  color family and the heart collage becomes more work of art than craft. Use it to make beautiful Valentine's Day Cards for family members.

When working with early childhood kids, draw the half heart over the folded paper and let them cut it out to work fine motor skills. When working with seniors in retirement homes, you may need to cut the images out for them, but allow them to choose, fold, and paste. While they're choosing images, reminisce about their Valentine's Day memories.

Recommended:

Fun Ways to Say I love you for Valentine's Day

Make this Monkey Valentine Construction Paper Heart Vocabulary Builder Game

Get these Classroom Valentine Cards for Exchange with Fun Games on them!

Teens Halloween Party Ideas Cool Activities

10 Halloween Decor, Games, and Activities for Teenagers
 

Ah, your little preschool darlings have blossomed into not so darling teenagers. Sigh. At least a few times a year, you'll still get some of those old time, good vibes with birthdays and holidays. Halloween is our favorite time of the year. Rarely have we lived in a place where trick or treating door to door was a possibility, so we've always gotten creative. Throw your teens a Halloween Party with these cool ideas and activities for Halloween! Oriental Trading generously sent us the supplies for this post. We hope you enjoy our tips for Halloween decor, games, and activities for teenagers!

This post contains Amazon and other affiliate links. 

Teens won't admit it, but they love to play funny games and win prizes. Sure, they'll groan how uncool you are, but inside they'll feel all giddy and look forward to the fun! This Halloween, tone it down, be cool, and have fun!

10 Cool Halloween Activities for Teens

Dragons guard the Halloween candy dish.

• These Cheesy Ghost Chicken Nuggets taste delicious and make a spooky appetizer for a Halloween Party. Be prepared to work quickly, the cheese gets solid fast.

• Use a paint marker to write 'Boo' on the bottom of one mini popcorn bucket. Have everyone check their  buckets. Whoever gets the 'boo' wins a special prize. Be sure to tell everyone else to boo the winner! Teens like that stuff, you know.

We like to use these Mythical Halloween Creatures from Oriental Trading as boo prizes.

• Tell teenager party-goers the story of how the Jack-o-Lantern originated and carve Halloween Turnips instead of Pumpkins to keep with the tradition.

The REAL story of the Jack-o-Lantern started with a turnip.

Oriental Trading has tons of cool decorations for Halloween parties. Our teens chose to go with a dragon theme for their Halloween party. We ordered dragon skeletons, swords, gloves for knights in shining armor, and more. 

• For the Halloween party tablescape below, we used a black light up bat wreath as a centerpiece decoration for our candy dish. If you're having a sleepover party, build memories by making a Halloween wreath as a favor to take home. 

• The black light up bat wreath is perfect for various themes. In fact, it can be used as a centerpiece decoration for a Medieval-themed Halloween party. Be sure to include other Medieval decorations. For starters, give your walls an ancient look by covering them with stone wallpapers and hanging shields. Also, provide minimal natural light using chandeliers and torches. Equally important, don't forget to dress appropriately for the event. Men can sport a "noblemen" look by wearing tunics, leggings, and breeches. Meanwhile, medieval costume ideas for women include long gowns and ankle-length tunics belted at the waist.

We filled these mini milk jugs from Oriental Trading with assorted M and Ms.

• Play ring toss with the candy filled milk jugs and some Halloween bracelets. When the kids toss a bracelet over a jug, they win the jug and the bracelet!

Halloween Party Candy Theme Table Decorations.

• Creature Pizza Biscuits are easy and fun to make as a Teen Halloween Party Activity. Just dip them in marinara sauce for a tasty appetizer. Learn how to make them here: Pumpkin Face Pizza Biscuits.

Edible Art: Pumpkin Biscuits.

• The large Dragon Skeleton is perfect for posing for pictures for teens to share on their social media! #HalloweenGames  After they've posed, blindfold them, tape a paper flame (with tape on both sides) to the end of the sword, and play PIN THE FLAME ON THE DRAGON.

Pin the Flame on the Dragon Party Game.

• Make your own Halloween Pumpkin and Ghost lights with plastic cups and cheap string lights. Learn how here: Pumpkin and Ghost Lights for Party. When teens arrive, give them each a cup and some markers. Let their creative juices flow and then collect the cups and pop them on a strand of lights. Hang it on your entry way, so they can see their art work as they head home.

• Don't forget the worms! For a cool teen HALLOWEEN party the best ideas are the grossest (is that even a word) ones. Our world famous SLURPIN' FOR WORMS game is a necessity! Especially, when you use the realistic gummy earthworms from OTC.

Realistic Earthworm Gummy Candy from Oriental Trading.

How to Play Slurpin' for Worms Game.

• On Halloween, a house party full of teens needs haunting! Hang sheets to make mazes throughout the rooms, turn out the lights and light the way with strobe lights or flickering string lights. Add creepy creatures at every corner, and make the final exit a 'dead' end.

Dragon Skeleton for Yard.

Follow us on Pinterest and Instagram for more fun Halloween Party Ideas!

Recommended:

Cool Games and Songs for Teen Parties

Get Halloween Costumes for Teens from Amazon

More Halloween Activities and Recipes from Kids Creative Chaos