The Coronavirus outbreak has affected the lives of millions. One huge effect the spread of the virus has is the closing of schools around the nation. Millions of children are forced to stay at home without the structure of school. Parents around the nation are now scrambling trying to figure out what to do with their children.

However, there are plenty of at home activities for your kids when homeschooling due to Coronavirus. While school might be canceled, children still need to be learning during this time and engaging in educational activities.

What are some fun and educational activities to do at home?

While the coronavirus outbreak has encouraged people to practice social distancing, there are plenty of activities you and your children can do from the comfort and safety of your home or even outside.

1. Take nature walks– Although it is highly encouraged to stay away from crowded areas, you can still go outside and spend some time in the sun. As long as you are careful to keep you and your children at a safe distance from others, going on walks and spending some time in nature is a great way to get out of the house when you need it and to learn about their environment. You can use Google’s image search app to take photos of plants and look up information about the various types of plants you have in your neighborhood.
2. Gardening – This is the perfect time to get started on that family garden project. You and your children can spend some time outside safely this way and you can use this opportunity to teach them about biology as well as the food supply. Gardening is also a known stress and anxiety reliever, so you and your family can take a breather from all the stressful news. 

   

3. Turn cooking into education – With many parents working from home, there is definitely a lot of home cooking going on right now. Get your kids involved in the kitchen with you because this can be great science, math, and reading lessons for them. You can have them choose a recipe to make for dinner then have them read the recipe to you and measure out ingredients. You can also activate their curiosity in science and discuss reactions in the cooking process such as what happens with heat or talk about what certain ingredients do such as yeast versus baking powder.
4. Activate their creativity – Making sure your child is keeping up with their math, science, and language arts is important. However, don’t forget to incorporate some time for learning about creativity and art. You can pick up some art supplies and get them painting or crafting. This can help foster their creativity while at home and also gives them a break from screen time.
5. “Visit” a museum – Although many museums are now closed to help control the spread of the coronavirus, there are still many museums that offer virtual exhibits that your child can explore. The Getty Museum and the National Gallery of Art offer several of their exhibits online so your child can still access these spaces of culture from home. The Smithsonian Institute has virtual versions of its 20 museums as well as the National Zoo. You and your children can choose pieces of artwork to research and discuss.
6. Read books then watch the movie – One of the most important skills to maintain during this time is your child’s reading skills and progress. It can be very easy to rely on digital distractions such as iPads and watching television right now. To help reduce screentime for kids is to encourage them to read books that were turned into movies such as Charlie and The Chocolate Factory or Harry Potter. You can read the books as a family and then plan to have a special movie night once everyone is done reading the book. 
7. Use educational apps – If your children are using technology during their time at home, you want to at least make sure they are spending their screen time with educational apps. You should also choose apps for them that track their learning progress. Readability, for example, compiles a progress report for you that shows you how your child’s reading is improving and the areas they still need to work on. 

Working from home and educating your children at home can be difficult. Apps such as Readability are fun and interactive but also allow for your child to still be learning vital skills they would be acquiring in school. It is important to continue to maintain their education while schools continue to be closed so that they are able to stay on track once schools do reopen.