Resources for Hands-off Learning at Home
How to make social distancing work for families with children.
By Caro Williams-Pierce, Nihal Katirci, & Ekta Shokeen
Just a few weeks ago, the first author was a rare bird in the USA: the product of unschooling (the wild west sibling of homeschooling). Now, the youngest generation joins her as millions of children around the world can no longer physically attend school, and parents, guardians, and teachers are scrambling. Just as so many adults are struggling to transition their full-time jobs into a fully online format because of the pandemic, they are also struggling to care for, educate, and entertain the young ones in their lives — a one-two punch of chaos that is often accompanied by an underlying fear that what they are doing at home could accidentally set their children back. We write this post to offer a short curated list of sit-and-play resources for learning that can entertain, occupy, and educate the young students in your lives.
Below are five extremely useful resources, ranging from online teaching videos, video games (which yes, are good for you right now!), and synchronous online events, and accompanied by short and sweet guidelines for using them at home with children of various ages. In particular, we’ve focused on well-designed and interesting learning experiences, as we follow the pedagogical belief that a good intellectual challenge is meant to be both enjoyable and frustrating — and while co-playing with your child is always a wonderful experience, you can also just hand these over and go back to your Skype meeting.
We begin with hands-off activities because we want to emphasize that while you have kids at home, you are not homeschooling: you are surviving a pandemic with your family. It is okay — perhaps necessary — that you use hands-off activities for your own personal sanity; after all, teachers and professors (professional facilitators of learning) are also struggling, so it’s okay for you to struggle as well! And hey — the first author’s parents were almost completely hands-off in their unschooling approach, just providing resources and occasional co-playing activities, and she now has a Ph.D. In other words, don’t feel like you have to reproduce the in-person school experience perfectly to provide for your child. Just look at our descriptions of various options below, click a link to pick one for your kid, hand it over, and wander off to do the laundry, read a book, or have another Zoom meeting!
Note that while we put approximate grade levels after each resource, don’t let these limit your choices — kids (and adults!) of all ages can find interesting challenges and learn new things! We also noted when things cost money — unless stated otherwise, these resources are free.
PBS (Pre-K to 12th grade)
PBS has always been a rich resource for home-based learning (remember your favorite Sesame Street character?), and they are a go-to resource during these strange days.
HANDS OFF: Let your child browse the videos according to their interest — you can pick a specific content area (like Mathematics for Kids), tell them to pick a video and report out what they learned and played with over dinner. There are thousands of videos, interactive lessons, and games here — and you know you can trust the folks who brought us Big Bird!
HANDS ON: help your kid pick out a topic they’re interested in (e.g., Colors in Nature, for Pre-K to 4th), and help them prepare for the attached Activity by collecting the art supplies (in this case, pencil, paper, scissors, glue, and colorful crayons). Then watch the video and make your own colorful flowers next to them — put both your works of art in pride of place on the refrigerator.
Time4Kids resources (grades K-6)
Time for Kids is now offering free digital access to their awesome library with resources from Kindergarten to 6th grade! Future scientists, sociologists, and journalists can all find something to love. Also, kids can apply to be kid reporters — journalists and podcasters in the making! (read Kid Reporter Alexis’ post here.)
HANDS OFF: Hand a content area (like Earth Science) to your kid, and ask them to find something they are interested in — or use an interest you already know about (like newly discovered dinosaurs!). Ask them to investigate online, then report out over dinner what they learned. (Bonus: the entire family gets to talk about T-Rex!) Rotate topics each day — maybe today is dinosaur day, and maybe tomorrow is about being creative in the ways we change the world, and the day after is about productive debate (for example, have them read this debate by kids about social media, then develop and share their own position with you over lunch).
HANDS ON: dig through the teacher resources outline, and plan your activities accordingly. Or, if you’ve got a little ‘un, read (or help them read) picture-heavy articles about things they care about (like how crayons are made)!
The Wizarding World (all ages)
The world of Harry Potter is suitable for your voracious and reluctant readers alike!
HANDS OFF: First, a free audiobook or digital copy of the first book available — and see the announcement about Harry Potter At Home. Or got a historian-in-the-making who loves Harry Potter? Send them to The History of Magic, and ask them over dinner what they learned. Artist? Maybe they want to learn how to draw a Niffler or a bowtruckle!
Also, want time to read the news over breakfast? Hand them this page, which the HP folks promise to keep regularly updating, and let them get their own magical news and activities!
Last but certainly not least: Audible (the hosts of the Harry Potter audiobook) is opening up other parts of their collection as well — dig into the vast content here (it includes Winnie the Pooh — awwwwwww).
The Arts Center Online (all ages, both paid/free)
HANDS OFF: Want some actual synchronous face-time with folks? Look at the upcoming fully online synchronous workshops (widely varying, like Spring Landscape Acrylic Painting Workshop, Introduction to Knitting Workshop, The Art of Journaling Workshop), many of which are one-time things with a reasonable charge.
Or, go the asynchronous route and explore their lovely online exhibits, with images, videos, words from the artist (like their exhibit “Did you see that?” by Matt Chinian).
And hey, if you’ve got angsty artsy teenagers, the Arts Center Online has you covered! There are video workshops for doing art at home — or they could take a class in decorative lettering, calligraphy, the art of journaling, etc. — these workshops are being regularly conducted and new ones keep appearing, and they are reasonably priced. They can also post their own art in the weekly Art is Everywhere Challenge, and win a free class!
HANDS ON: Got little ones? Sign up for Online Studio Sprouts here ($5/$7), and have a blast with other families and their little ones!
The Kennedy Center (all ages)
HANDS OFF: Have your older kid explore the collection Media and Interactive — music, dance, theater, opera, visual and media arts — and pick something to focus on (like Alvin Ailey + Revelations). Or skim the selection and pick something out for your kid — maybe they’re not into dance so much, but they want to be an actress (Arthur Miller + Death of a Salesman) or an astronaut (Art/Space). Just make sure that you walk away before they start engaging, because sheesh, this collection is chock full of super amazing and interesting resources, and you might find yourself being hands-on in spite of yourself! Fair warning.
Around the world, people of all ages have joined Mo Willems in his studio for weekday LUNCH DOODLES. The three-week run, all 15 episodes and their downloadable activities, can be accessed free at Lunch Doodles with Mo Willems. As Mo says, “Let the doodling continue!”
Lastly, visit Kennedy Center @ Home to enjoy free videos of extraordinary live and on-demand performances — new releases daily! Watch Beyonce perform a tribute to Tina Turner; learn how kid ballet dancers audition; hear and learn about video game music; or watch the thrice-weekly live (performed with social distancing!) Couch Concerts.
HANDS ON: Dig into the Kennedy Center’s resources for educational activities to do at home, including Remote Teaching and Learning. And although the resources are geared towards teachers and guardians (adults), we think you could just hand that page to a high schooler to investigate, and have them tell you what they learned about learning and teaching online!
