Online activities and learning for littles

The most important learning for young children takes happens through play and socialization.

Since peer play is on hold and parents need a break every so often to come up for air, we wanted to share some great websites and tech-based resources for younger children. We hope you find these resources helpful as you explore ways to occupy your child for part of the day.

Early learning activities, videos and games

PBS Kids newsletter, video and gaming apps

PBS Kids launched a new free weekday newsletter with activities and educational games for students ages 2 to 8 to do from home. The PBS Kids video app is also available on mobile, tablet and connected TV devices, and offers on-demand educational videos and a livestream of PBS Kids 24/7, with no subscription required. Plus, the PBS Kids Games app includes nearly 200 educational games that can be downloaded to play offline. 

MarcoPolo Learning

MarcoPolo Learning is a digital learning platform with a Steam-based curriculum for ages 3 to 7. You'll find more than 450 video lessons and 3,000 learning activities for young learners. The company is now offering a 30-day free trial. 

Thinkergarten at Home

Tinkergarten At Home - Free weekly activities and live online class designed for early learners in English and Spanish.

Kinedu

Kinedu - app with educational and fun activities you can do with your child at home for ages 0-4.

Kahn Kids

Khan Kids - free app with original content, interactive activities, and educational content

Fruit Punch Music

Fruit Punch Music - free kids music streaming app designed for toddlers and preschoolers 

Stories, learning to read and reading comprehension

Kids Listen

Kids Listen - audio stories and podcasts for kids grouped by age

Homer

HOMER - reading app with programs to teach children as young as two reading fundamentals

ABCmouse.com, Adventure Academy and Reading IQ

The company Age of Learning is providing closed schools free home access for students to ABCmouse.com, Adventure Academy and ReadingIQ. ABCmouse.com is a comprehensive curriculum for pre-K through grade 2. Adventure Academy is an educational massively multiplayer online game for elementary and middle school students, with thousands of learning activities covering reading, math and science. ReadingIQ is a digital library and literacy platform for children ages 12 and under, with thousands of books to choose from. 

Audible

Audiobook service Audible has a large collection of free streaming audiobooks for kids, including JK Rowling's The Tales of Beedle the Bard and Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. 

Read more: Audible adds Harry Potter, Beedle the Bard starring Jude Law, Bonnie Wright

Storyline Online

A children's literacy website from the SAG-AFTRA Foundation, Storyline Online streams videos featuring award-winning actors reading children's books with illustrations. Each book includes a supplemental curriculum developed by an elementary school educator, which aims to improve comprehension and verbal and written skills, particularly for English-language learners. Celebrity readers include Viola Davis, Chris Pine, Kevin Costner, Annette Bening, James Earl Jones, Betty White and dozens more.

Time for Kids

Time for Kids launched a free digital library to bring the school-based publication for elementary and middle school students into homes for the first time. The first issue will be a special report on COVID-19, and will include resources for teachers and families to facilitate conversations about the virus, and help young people better understand it. 

Epic

Epic is a digital library for kids age 12 and under, which is offering free remote access worldwide through June, based on teacher request. Students will be able to access Epic's digital library collection of 40,000 books, audiobooks and videos. Teachers and libraries can assign books and monitor progress. 

Rivet

Rivet is a free, AI-based kids' reading app and website created by Google's Area 120 experimental workshop that encourages reading practice with 3,500-plus free leveled books for kids. The books are designed for developing readers ages 5 to 10. It's available in the App Store, the Google Play Store and the Amazon app store, as well as on the web through Clever.

Marvel Hero Tales

Based on Marvel Comics, Marvel Hero Tales is a storytelling game app designed to help develop language and reading skills for kids age 7 to 11. Characters such as Spider-Man and Ms. Marvel help players improve their vocabulary and language by creating their own comic books. Developer Kuato Studios is offering a 30-day free trial of the app now. 

Achieve3000

Digital education company Achieve3000 is offering free, differentiated online learning resources for educators and students in grades PreK-12. Find all of the free remote learning resources on their website. 

Books as Teachers

We know that children’s books can act like both mirrors and windows on the world. Mirrors in that they can reflect on children’s own lives, and windows in that they can give children a chance to learn about someone else’s life. We also know that this type of self-reflection and opportunity to read or hear about different lives is essential for young people. 

Research on prejudice shows that coming in contact with people who are different (so called “others”) helps to reduce stereotypes. This is because when we see people who initially seem different, we learn about them and get closer to them through their story. The “other” seems less far away and, well, less “otherly”.

But while it may be ideal for children to actually meet people from different backgrounds in person, if that isn’t possible, books can serve as a first introduction to an outside world.

Diverse books are important because they teach. They help promote respect and empathy for all types of people.  They illustrate injustices. That is the power of a diverse book: You change everything for one kid, and you create empathy in 100 more. 

Especially during this time when school is out, books are able to impart crucial lessons. And they have the unique ability to do so over and over (and over). .

The website Embrace Race is one of our favorite resources as we work toward anti-racism in our families. They note:

“Research from Harvard University suggests that children as young as three years old, when exposed to racism and prejudice, tend to embrace and accept it, even though they might not understand the feelings. By age 5, white children are strongly biased towards whiteness. To counter this bias, experts recommend acknowledging and naming race and racism with children as early and as often as possible. Children’s books are one of the most effective and practical tools for initiating these critical conversations; and they can also be used to model what it means to resist and dismantle oppression.​

Beyond addressing issues of race and racism, this children’s reading list focuses on taking action. It highlights resistance, resilience and activism; and seeks to empower youth to participate in the ongoing movement for racial justice. These books showcase the diverse ways people of all ages and races have engaged in anti-racist activism, and highlight how race intersects with other issues, such as capitalism, class and colonization. The majority of books center activists of color, whose lives and bodies have been on the front lines of racial justice work, yet whose stories often go untold. The essential work of white activists is also included — to underscore that anti-racist work is not the responsibility of people of color; and exemplify the ways white allies have stood up against racial injustice. This list was curated by critical literacy organizations, The Conscious Kid and American Indians in Children’s Literature.”

Here are some more of our other favorites. Please, if you can, avoid going straight to Amazon to buy new books. Especially during the COVID crisis, small & local bookstores need your support. And, even though libraries are closed, many of them have apps for reading ebooks and listening to stories.

Library Apps: Libby & Hoopla

Our favorite San Francisco Local Bookstore: Blackbird Books

Marcus Books is the oldest independent Black bookstore in the country (they are creating a website for online purchases)

An incredible list of books to teach white children and teens how to undo racism and white supremacy from a bookstore in Georgia.

The New York Times created a list to get the conversation about race going early and often

Mother Magazine’s list of books that include persons of different races and ethnicities.

Many more resources for Talking about Race, Racism and Racialized Violence with Kids, compiled by the Center for Racial Justice in Education

Activities

Story Time with Mr. Limata https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC15_SZ8AWVaQDoF76zni9QA

Black Lives Matter Coloring Book printable 

Sesame Street Town Hall

Through June 19, Dottir Press is offering free downloadable PDFs of their books to support families as they unlearn white supremacy

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Please comment here with any other resources you’ve come across that should be added to our list. Together we can continue to do better.

Surviving in Place

We’re all adjusting to this new normal and figuring out new ways of doing things. New ways to connect, new ways to multitask, and new ways to celebrate.

Keeping with our mission to support the healthy development of families through play, community and parent support, we’ve compiled some resources that may come in handy during this unprecedented time. .

PARTY IN PLACE

Are you gearing up to celebrate a birthday? Here are some ideas to make it special (& support local Sunset businesses!) even though you can’t gather with family and friends.

• grab some sweet treats from Butter Love Bakeshop

• order a book box from Black Bird Books

• get a curated toy kit from Recess or let us know if you’d like to rent banners or decor!

• gather loved ones to sing Happy Birthday on a zoom call

• order a Pizza from The Pizza Place on Noriega

• call Boavida for adult snacks and beverages

This will be one to remember. Enjoy!

PLAY IN PLACE

Play is critical to our physical and emotional well-being at any age. In stressful times, play can bring comfort and relieve anxiety. It helps us decompress and stay positive.

• Cardboard boxes can become anything! A blank canvas, a hiding place for a stuffed animal, a doll house, basketball receptacle… anything And if you have a few, tape them together for even more possibilities.

• Chalk fabulous because it is an outside activity, so you get a little fresh air, and it keeps the mess outside. During the COVID pandemic, this is so popular that chalk can be hard to find. An alternative is to make it yourself. There are several recipes out there that take anywhere from a few minutes to a few days. If you need an activity ASAP, check out this recipe for chalk paint.

• Water. If it’s warm enough outside, do this. If not, pop the kids in the bath tub. Water is a wonderful and engaging activity for kids as long as you’re able to supervise. Painting with water, spraying water from a small spray bottle, and “washing” play objects will captivate kids of any age for a surprisingly long time.

• Contact Paper. Tape a piece of contact paper, sticky side out, to a wall or table. You can treat this as an ongoing sensory activity (we just have ours up in the living room, and both kids come and go from it), or use the contact paper as an art project (create a suncatcher, with tissue paper, leaves, flower petals, etc).

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SUPPORT IN PLACE

• FREE Baby/Toddler Sleep Support Group, ZOOM: Weekly Thursday's 10-10:30am PT and ongoing, sign up: jocelyn@angeliquemillette.com 

• Simple Parent Strategies for Limit Setting (2-4 yr olds) During Stressful Times, w Dr. Juli Fraga and Dr. Angelique Millette, $15 ZOOM Webinar Support Group for parents- Wednesday's 1:30-2pm PT and ongoing, register here 

• FREE 'ask an expert' Q&As for parents https://inceptive.org/coronavirus

• free webinars about COVID-19 and pregnancy care, sleep and stress during pregnancy, labor and parenthood https://whrcportal.ucsf.edu/whrcmember/WebinarList.aspx

•  Free childbirth classes through Evidence Based Birth during COVID19: https://evidencebasedbirth.com/birthing-in-the-time-of-covid-19/

KIDS IN PLACE

Resources for Talking to Kids about COVID-19

• https://avivaromm.com/covid19-talking-to-kids/

• Dr Laura Markham on Talking with Kids about Corona Virus

  https://www.mindheart.co/descargables  (Printable E-book in multiple languages)

• But Why? Kids podcast episode about Corona Virus

• “Social Distancing: This is Not a Snow Day” from Medium.com

• “How to Talk to Kids About Coronavirus” from the New York Times

• “How we can help kids increase their sense of control as the coronavirus approaches” from the Washington Post

• “Just For Kids: A Comic Exploring The New Coronavirus” from NPR

• “Coronavirus, Wildfires, Oh My: What to Say to a Child Who’s Scared By the News” from Fatherly.com

• Coping for Parents & Kids during COVID-19- child mind institute

April News

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Hello sweet community, What a strange time we are in.  First and foremost, I hope this message finds you hanging in there.  Because, we're all doing some really hard juggling and working to navigate this new, sloppy normal. The scale of this crisis, the scope of what it means for our families, our children, our health and our jobs is incomprehensible.  We're adjusting the best we can, grieving how our lives were, and trying to being open to what is coming next.   Recess may need to look different after this is all over, but there is no question that we will need the opportunity to connect more than ever.    Whether you're parenting young children now, are a partner of ours, or a Recess Alum, you likely recognize the importance of Recess for future families. If you can, please support us. You can join our High 5 campaign, grab an activity kit, join an upcoming workshop or spread the word that Recess is in need of support.  We are working feverishly behind the scenes to secure government funding to cover overhead and take care of our staff. But with all of the uncertainty, we're needing to pull together as a community to ensure that we have spaces to gather and support healthy development for all families once it is safe to do so.    If 100% of you participate and help us out with just $5, we'll make it. But it really is going to take a village to keep our little village afloat.  To our current members who are sticking with us through this challenging time:  THANK YOU.  We're going to have an amazing party when this is all over. Get ready :) Sending so much respect and gratitude to those who are risking their lives to help us stay quarantined ... not only the doctors, technicians, nurses and hospital support staff on the front lines, but also the retail workers, delivery drivers and multitude of municipal workers.   I don't know about you, but the inability to connect in person is really rocking me to the core of my being. Even my completely introverted self misses the face-to-face interactions. Getting to see that I'm not alone, getting to feel the community, and having the experience of providing a space for kids and caregivers to connect who wouldn't otherwise cross paths.  Zoom surprisingly offers some really nice connection during shelter in place. Just seeing other people's faces and getting to share experiences has been an unexpected treat.  This month, we have a selection of really great workshops offered online.  They are designed to provide some support for you during this time.  Intro to Mindfulness for Parents and teachers - cultivating calm, clarity and compassion Estate Planning Fundamentals for Parents Infant Sleep Solutions  Saturday Support  I especially want to call your attention to the "Introduction to Mindfulness for Parents" workshop that starts Monday.  It's being offered for free to folks on the frontline and their partners.  If you're looking for tools to quiet the inner chaos and find the calm, please join us.  No one will be turned away for lack of funds.   During this crisis we are committed to continuing to share resources and information that will hopefully help us get through it together.  Read on for some kids activities and diversions as you make it through this trying time.  We miss you all so much.   Recess was founded on the fact that community is essential.  Now more than ever that is true.  Thank you all for being here. Much love, Lisa & the Recess Collective Team Supporting our kids some great resources we're using  Activity Kits from Recess.  This week, we have a few more easter kits getting prepped to go out. Grab yours, or a Toy Bundle while they last.   Next week, we'll have some spring themed kits. Contactless delivery for all.   Our favorite music, art & story time activities: 7am - Laurie Berkner Musictime  8:30 a.m. (Tues. and Thurs.) -- Drawing with Toddlers, a short drawing lesson from E. B. Goodale (Under the Lilacs) (Instagram Live @ebgoodale) 10:00 a.m. (Mon.-Fri.) -- Drawing lessons with Wendy Macnaughton (NYT bestselling illustrator) (Instagram Live @wendymac) 11:00 a.m. (Mon.-Fri.) -- Stay at Home Story Time, a ~20 min. picture book read-aloud with Oliver Jeffers (Lost and Found author) (Instagram Live @oliverjeffers, uploaded to YouTube after) a few more  Daily—Live learning events from various Smithsonian experts including meditation, sci-fi talks, and art lectures. (Smithsonian) DIY STEM lessons from the Exploratorium in San Francisco YouTube Kids has a playlist of videos for families with preschoolers.  It's much easier than searching!  Check out Red Tricycle's listings for additional updated listings.   If you're attempting home school of any kind, you'll want to take a look at this phenomenal resource for families from Wide Open School. It's a new, free platform with resources for families & educators arranged in grade-level blocks with online content & offline resources covering academic subjects, emotional well-being, exercise, life skills, special needs & more. Are there other resources you've been enjoying?  Please drop us a line! Community Support After every storm comes a rainbow Give us Five! When this storm is over, we'll need Recess as a place for connection and healthy child development more than we ever though possible.  To ensure Recess is here for us when this crisis is over, please give 5! Either share with 5 friends or give $5 as a one time gift via venmo, or hop over to Donorbox and choose a $5+ regular donation. Either way, every penny will go toward keeping our mission alive. Set up a recurring donation. Lots of other ways to help right now: -Order your Easter Activity Kit.  - grab a gift card (to give or keep) - book your next celebration - book the space for a mini party - sign up for our NEW community supporter membership - enroll in an upcoming workshop - share this post - write a review - set up a one time or monthly tax-deductible donation - send us love notes Parent Support YOU are doing some insanely hard things right now. Those kids keep growing and will benefit from your ability to connect with them, bring calm and perspective, and stay healthy. Join us for support and an opportunity to connect virtually with other families.  Remember, we're all in this together.  April online classes   Introduction to Mindfulness for Parents 5-week class begins (pay what you can)  4/13 Infant Sleep (0-12mo) - online  4/18 Emotionally Intelligent Discipline - online  4/21 Estate Planning Fundamentals for Parents- online 4/24 SATURDAYS: 10am Expecting Parent Groups  11am Not-so-new Parent Groups (ages 0-3yrs) Private offerings   * Breastfeeding support * Newborn Care * Childbirth Prep Refresher & Sibling Preparation Shoot us an email or check out the website to enroll   Mental health resources See the Workshop Schedule Activity Kits and Toy Bundles are available for contactless delivery   Buy Now How to Wash Your Hands—and Other Gentle Lessons from TV Friends.  In stressful times, calming messages are the best medicine for preschoolers. The disruption caused by the coronavirus pandemic can be especially confusing and scary to little ones. In these times, beloved characters from well-crafted TV shows can provide the reassurance, the skills, and even the vocabulary for kids to make sense of their new reality. The episodes linked below—all from shows vetted by child development experts—offer simple, age-appropriate explanations that provide gentle-but-factual info from TV friends kids love and trust. Whether your kids are at home or school these days, you can use these resources to help start conversations about how to stay safe, minimize anxiety, and even have a little fun in the process.  Yo Gabba Gabba, ages 3+ A magical DJ and his life-size puppet friends teach preschool lessons through song. This colorful psychedelic series is high-energy and full of celebrity cameos. Watch the episode "Clean," where DJ Lance Rock and the gang learn about germs, how to stay clean, and the best way to cover your mouth when you cough.  Ask the Storybots, 3+, Netflix.  Families love this science-based series where real-life kids ask the animated Storybots questions about how things work.  Watch "How Do People Catch a Cold?" (Season 2 Episode 8), to hear the bots answer questions about how viruses travel, helped out by guest star Wanda Sykes.  Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood, 3+, PBS Kids.  This gently paced preschool show stars a little tiger who learns new lessons every day, helped by his kind family and community. Watch:  "Daniel Gets a Cold/Mom Tiger Is Sick." Daniel learns the importance of rest when people are trying to recover from an illness. Kids also get glimpses of real-life kids resting when they don't feel good. - "Daniel Gets Frustrated." Lots of kids might be feeling frustrated about changes in routine due to the coronavirus. This episode shares Daniel's experience with frustration and how he deals with it. - "Germs Germs Go Away." A fun video with a catchy tune about handwashing. Doc McStuffins, 4+, Disney Junior/Hulu/Disney+  Kids love to watch Doc (who wants to become a pediatrician like her mom when she grows up) help her toy friends learn about staying healthy and happy.  Watch "A Day Without Cuddles" where stuffed-animal friend Lambie has a sneezing fit on International Cuddle Day and must be washed before she can be cuddled again.    Share Forward Copyright © *|CURRENT_YEAR|* *|LIST:COMPANY|*, All rights reserved. *|IFNOT:ARCHIVE_PAGE|* *|LIST:DESCRIPTION|* Our mailing address is: *|HTML:LIST_ADDRESS_HTML|* *|END:IF|* Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list. *|IF:REWARDS|* *|HTML:REWARDS|* *|END:IF|*