In Wake of Coronavirus: How to Keep Child, Teenager Busy & Happy at Home

Daycares, #schools & Malls are shut and children are at home. These times pose a new challenge for parents to keep their children engaged at home. Parentune has created a special page for parents to keep their children engaged positively and in a fun-filled manner. It's called Corona Summercamp. We will share interesting DIY activities, stories, links on this page and so will the parents on the Parentune network. [Also Read - How Does Social Distancing/Isolation Impact Children?]

This is especially important for the parents of a schoolgoing child, who must ensure that his/her learning does not stop with this unplanned break. Chances are you are facing one of the following situations:

1. Staying at home and working (work from home)

2. Staying at home without having to work

Fun Ideas to Engage Your Child in Corona Times

Don't let Coronavirus(Covid-19) lockdown, affect your child's growth and learning. See all the online resources you can use to keep them engaged and sharp...

For 1 to 3-Year-Old Child

1. Reading & Letter Recognition

Have a bunch of alphabet shapes cut out, and let the child place the correct letter on the related words. For example, ‘A’ on ‘Apple’. Increase the complexity based on age and learning. Tips To Keep Your 3-Year-Old Engaged!

2. Motor Skills & Number Recognition

Give the child multiple pieces of objects, which he/she will count and place at a specific place based on a number you give. You can also do it vice and versa, giving the child a specific number of objects and let him/her choose the correct number for it.

3. Shapes & Colours

This is for the recognition of shapes and colors. You may already have a popular collection of differently shaped objects. Give the child color and shape and let him/her choose the most appropriate object out of the collection. [Read More: 5 activities your preschooler will simply love!]

4. Story Reading

Who doesn’t love to hear a good story? Readout a story from the children’s book or from another age-appropriate storybook. [You can choose age-appropriate books from here: Must-read Books Which Parents Should Read & Why Book Reading Is Beneficial for Children?]

For 3 to 7-Year-Old Child

1. Read Together

Book reading is one of the best methods to enhance the reading, language and thinking skills of your child. You can choose from a range of books to read to for your child, and they don’t necessarily have to be storybooks.

2. Hide & Seek in a Different Way

Hide & Seek can become more interesting when you need to find objects rather than people. Especially when you are confined to an apartment. You can also call it a treasure hunt. Simply hide various objects of value to your child in innocuous places around the house and let your child scamper around and find them with a timer.

3. Memory Games

Memory games can be played in two ways - with objects or with words. You can also, include pictures (use family album if nothing else), and let the child recall the features of the people in it.[Explore - 7 best brain-boosting games for your child]

4. Word Games

Word games have already been popular in many different ways. You can have incomplete words and let your child complete them. Jumble up the letters and let them figure out the correct sequence. Use statements with fill in the blanks.

See more here: 4 Art and craft DIY ideas for your child

For 7 to 11-Year-Old Child

1. Kitchen the Tastey Chemistry Lab

Involving your child in daily house chores have huge benefits, and give the child an idea of what you go through every day to look after them. Build better bonds and managerial skills of your child by involving them in the kitchen or simply a house chore they can safely perform.

2. Drama - Enact Stories

This is a fun way to enhance language and comprehension skills, along with the emotional quotient of your child. Try any storybook and choose a character to play along with your child.

3. Story Building

This is a great exercise to enhance your child’s imagination skills. Give them 5 - 10 different words and let them build stories around them. This is also a good exercise when you are working from home.

4. Dance The Blues Away

Dancing is a good way to engage both body and mind, not to mention a ton of fun, when the whole family is up for it. [See More: Parentune DIY: 3D craft with homemade dough]

For 11 to 16-Year-Olds

1. Draw & Paint

Easy to start, though not easy to do. Try unconventional approaches to drawing, using only pencils. Painting can also help the child put his/her mind to rest during the homestay.

2. Programming Website & Tools

Learning computer programming is an essential skill for the world of hi-tech future and what better age to start. All you need is an internet connection and a computer to start the basics. You can also get your child to create websites using HTML.

3. Aircraft Design / Architecture

One major aspect of a creative mind is to resolve real-life problems, project management, and design. Creating aircraft, building/house models can help the child create something tangible using his/her brain.

Online Resources for Continuous Learning

Here are various learning platforms that you can use to make learn & engage your child... 

1. BrainPop
2. Curiosity Stream
3. Tynker
4. Outschool
5. Udemy
6. iReady
7. Beast Academy (Math)
8. Khan Academy 
9. Creative Bug
10. Discovery Education

YouTube Channels for Child Education

The following are various youtube channels that you can use to make learn & engage your kids... 

1. Crash Course Kids
2. Science Channel
3. SciShow Kids
4. National Geographic Kids
5. Free School
6. Geography Focus
7. TheBrainScoop
8. SciShow
9. Kids Learning Tube
10. Geek Gurl Diaries
11. Mike Likes Science
12. Science Max
13. SoulPancake

Board Games & Books

Lots of board games, library books (and Kindle), tinkering/upcycling with household junk, etc. Some resources to help with kids at home: 

Free Learn from Home

Scholastic has created a free learn-from-home site with 20+ days of learning and activities.

Teaching Remotely for Grades K - 12 | Free Resources and Strategies

Travell the World From Inside Your House

Pretend to travel the world..Go on a virtual tour of these 12 famous museums. 

12 Museums From Around the World That You Can Visit Virtually | Travel + Leisure

Continue Schooling at Home

This is the awesome free curriculum that we use. Everything from preschool activities to 12th grade is here!

Easy Peasy All-in-One Homeschool – A complete, free online Christian homeschool curriculum for your family and mine

Improve Thinking Abilities for Your Child

List of thinking games by grade: Thinking – Easy Peasy All-in-One Homeschool

More of the Free Online Learning Stuff

More awesome free learning websites that we like to use

• Starfall Education: Kids Games, Movies, & Books K-3

• ABCya! • Learning Games and Apps for Kids

• Funbrain: Games, Videos, and Books for Kids

• SplashLearn - Fun Math Practice Games for Kindergarten to Grade 5

• Storyline Online

• PBS KIDS

• Highlights Kids

• National Geographic Kids

• CoolMath4Kids: Home

• Math Game Time - Free Math Games & Worksheets for Kids & Teachers

• Unite for Literacy

• Literactive - Teaching Children to Read

• Science for Kids - Fun Experiments, Facts, Games & Projects

• Switch Zoo Animal Games

• Seussville: Home

• TurtleDiary: Kids Games - Educational Computer Games Online

• e-learning for kids

With malls, schools and offices being closed, and social interactions under a lock-down, it is perhaps one of those times when the whole family is home and staring at each other wondering what to do. Perhaps this is the best time to spend together and bond as a family, and here is an extensive list of things you can all do together. Please feel free to share this with anyone who you think may benefit from this

More Details on Coronavirus

Markets are falling like rocks, as businesses and social gatherings take a hit from Novel-Coronavirus (Covid-19). Even those who are staying in far off places and have little chance of interaction with an infected person now feel curious. It’s easier to fear something that is forcing changes at such a grand scale, also, when words like ‘lock-down’, ‘shut-down’ and ‘bear market’, panic is natural.

However, given what we know of this viral infection so far, there is no need to panic. Instead, increase your awareness about the situation, and cooperate with the safety measures. This article is dedicated to putting all such information, collected from reliable sources at one place and elevate your awareness about Covid-19 from panic or fear to understanding.

We have also covered the initial spread and other information about Novel-Coronavirus in another blog which you can read here: Coronavirus (COVID-19) Infection Symptoms, Precautions & Test Centers in India