23 Fun and FREE Resources for Parents Teaching their Children at Home
The coronavirus crisis has turned lives and livelihoods upside down.
All of a sudden parents have found themselves at home, often with zero support, trying to balance both work and educating their children.
That’s one heck of an adjustment to make in such a short amount of time.
We’re here to help you by providing a comprehensive list of resources for teaching your kids while maintaining your sanity. You don’t have to go it alone. Technology is a beautiful thing. With access to the internet, you and your kids can learn just about anything.
Here is a list of 23 fun and FREE resources for parents teaching their children at home.
- Elmer’s STEAM Activities – Here’s a great explanation of what STEAM learning is, why it’s important, and a great big list of activities you and your kids can complete at home.
- PBS Kids Daily Newsletter – PBS Kids is offering a daily newsletter for parents that is full of lessons and games that are fun for the entire family.
- Scouts: The Great Indoors – This is a fun compilation of indoor survival challenges sure to keep your kids active and having a great time while home.
- Imagination Library: Goodnight with Dolly – Dolly Parton is making bedtime a little easier for both parents and kids with a new story read aloud each week.
- The Hidden Worlds of the National Parks – Google is making it possible to widen your world by exploring every single national park in 3D while travel is limited and kids are home.
- Storyline Online – In an effort to promote children’s literacy, the SAG-AFTRA Foundation features celebrated actors and actresses reading your little one’s favorite stories via video, free to stream.
- Discovery Education: Virtual Field Trips – There is so much to see and explore from the comfort of your couch with Discovery Education’s rotating library of high-quality virtual field trips available on their website.
- Art for Kids Hub – Let your child unleash their inner artist with fun drawing lessons on the Art for Kids Hub website or YouTube channel.
- Scholastic: Learn at Home – Scholastic’s Learn at Home program offers a variety of learning activities, fun and fresh each day, spanning every subject for kids of all ages.
- Stories by Audible – While families are home, Audible is doing their part to contribute to both education and entertainment by providing a library of streaming stories accessible with any device – no account needed.
- Fender: Guitar and Ukulele Lessons – Fender is offering three months of online guitar and ukulele lessons to aspiring musicians of all ages.
- GoNoodle – Need a brain break? GoNoodle is a great resource to get young learners movin’ and groovin’ while stuck indoors.
- Google Earth – When all you want to do is explore, head to Google Earth and see all the creative ways you can use this extraordinary tool while educating your child at home.
- Lunch Doodles with Mo Willens – The Kennedy Center has put together a great resource with drawing lessons by artist, Mo Willems, for kids to enjoy while quarantined.
- Mystery Science – Mystery Science has compiled lesson plans for families full of science experiments that can be completed with nothing more than typical household items in order to keep learning both hands-on and fun.
- Google Arts and Culture – See 3D art exhibits and tour museums all across the world from the comfort of home with Google Arts and Culture.
- Tinkergarten at Home – Tinkergarten is the go-to resource for outdoor learning, but to serve families during the COVID-19 quarantine, they are offering a special program with all you need to find adventure in your own backyard.
- Crayola: Color at Home – Stay creative with Crayola’s online library of coloring pages you can print out and color at home. These make for a great quiet time activity when everyone needs a little calm.
- Khan Academy – Khan Academy is a bit of a heavyweight in the world of online learning. They’ve been around a while and offer a little bit of everything – most notably math and science. They serve learners of all ages – from pre-k all the way to college and beyond. This a resource you don’t want to be without.
- Duolingo – What better time to take up a new hobby or learn a new language than while in quarantine? Duolingo is a great resource for parents and kids alike because it lets you choose from dozens of different languages and offers lessons in bite-size pieces, easy for anyone to fit into their day.
- Scratch – Tech skills are more important now than ever before. Teach kids how to code with Scratch – a program offered by none other than world-renowned university, MIT.
- Learning Resources by Dictionary(dot)com – We’ve covered science, math, art, music, and more. Here is a fantastic compilation of resources for teaching language arts – great for kids of any age!
- Prodigy Math – Want to make math fun? Prodigy takes the pressure off so kids can relax and enjoy the extra practice they are getting without it feeling like another task to check off a never-ending list.
School doesn’t have to be boring.
It’s not one-size-fits-all.
Find what works for your family, your kids. Make it a game. Explore. Mix it up. Try some hands-on learning by baking with your kids, taking a nature walk, or getting on the floor and building with blocks. Throw in a few of these resources and you’ll find a great balance while ensuring a well-rounded education and a love of learning your kids will never outgrow.
If you found our list helpful, please share so other families can benefit as well. Thanks for stopping by!