Child Online Resources and Activities

by | Children and Parenting |

Child Online Resources and Activities

We hope you enjoy our list of online resources and activities for children. Read Dr. Danial’s blog on How do I keep my child busy while social distancing for much more information to help you through this time!

Physical Activities

Inside Activities

  • Wall pushes (Have your child place their hands flat on the wall, and then push as hard as they can!).
  • Create an obstacle course (ex. Jump over the pillow, crawl to the couch, walk backwards to chair, etc.).
  • Have a pillow fight!
  • Do some child-yoga.
  • Simon Says
  • Have a dance party
  • Play freeze dance
  • Musical chairs
  • Play Charades
  • Play with balloons: How long can you keep it in the air? Do a relay. Lots of possibilities!

Outside Activities

  • Take a sensory walk (Count how many different sounds, colors, etc. you can name).
  • Go on a scavenger hunt walk (before you go, assign point values for different things you might see. For example, a bird can be 1 point, an airplane can be 3 points, a garbage truck can be 10 points etc.). How many points will you get?
  • Ride a bike or skateboard
  • Participate in community events. I’ve heard families are doing things such as putting teddy bears on window sills, writing positive notes on driveways, for others to see on their walks.
  • Let the kids run around in the backyard.
  • Go on a hike.
  • Create a hopscotch course with sidewalk chalk.
  • Do some gardening
  • Play freeze tag

Online Resources for Movement at Home

Mentally Stimulating Activities

Educational Activities

  • Spend 30-60 minutes of reading per day
  • Practice math/reading/etc.
  • Have your child choose a topic each week to research and teach to the family
  • Do a science experiment (lots of links in the “Science” section below).
  • Write a story
  • Use engaging websites/games to encourage learning (see below)

Other Mentally Stimulating Activities

  • Cook and bake together
  • Practice a new hobby (instrument, crafts, etc.)
  • Learn to make paper airplanes
  • Build something (fort, Lego, puzzles, etc.)
  • Create a comic book
  • Paint something
  • Have fun with sidewalk chalk
  • Do a puppet show
  • Build a car out of cardboard boxes
  • Learn how to code
  • Practice a new language
  • Create a scavenger hunt
  • Family game night
  • Create a story together. Each day, all of you can take turns adding a sentence or two to the story. See how it turns out at the end of the week.

Online Resources for Mentally Stimulating Activities

MATH                                                                                                 

SOCIAL SCIENCES

SCIENCE

OTHER

Emotion-based Activities

  • Create a “feelings wheel” with a different emotion on each wedge of the wheel. Take turns ‘spinning’ the wheel and sharing a time you felt the emotion the wheel falls on.
  • Create a worry stone out of clay. The concept is that the stone is powerful enough to “hold” your child’s worries, and thus, gives them permission to let the worries go, at least temporarily. The stone can be a valuable tool in helping children overcome their worries.
  • Encourage daily journaling.
  • Engage in mindfulness activities
  • Make a beaded necklace with colored beads indicating different emotions
  • Encourage a time to “draw how you are feeling.”
  • Draw how you imagine your future (1 month, 1 year, 10 years).

Online Resources for Emotion-based Activities

Social Activities

  • Coordinate a couple times per week with other parents to set up a Facetime session with your child and some peers.
  • Do a FaceTime scavenger hunt
  • Consider going “old school,” and setting up a pen-pal type exchange with a friend. They can take turns making each other drawings, asking/answering each other’s questions, etc.
  • Encourage reaching out to peers who may be less likely to receive a message during this time. Especially if your child is more popular or socially outgoing, you can encourage them to send a message or call a peer from school who may be feeling more lonely during this time.
  • Help your child engage socially on a bigger scale. This can mean helping an elderly neighbor, setting up supplies to donate, creating a care package for healthcare workers, etc.

Online Resources for Social Activities

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