ideas for kids stuck at home

[Spur's Addiction]

Looking for some suggestions of educational activities to do with the kids while on lock-down. Teachers have been sending suggestions like Khan academy and giving them stuff on google classroom. But there is only so much of that they will do before getting bored. 

I am looking for some things that will give them something to do while still accidentally learning some things. Something like getting them a Raspberry Pi and letting them tinker with it. I am sure there are 'projects' kids could do with it and learn some computer programming in the process. Just not sure where to start. 

Anything else along these lines. My kids are 9 & 11.

 

[cocky0]

There's that little robot Cozmo which can teach some programming basics if you want to lean that way. Other things you could think about doing is including them in the kitchen for meal prep or showing them how to pay bills and balance a checkbook. Honestly I think this is a great time to teach life skills that are not generally taught in school. 

If you're really wanting them to learn programming, there is a website, codecombat.com which mixes video gaming and learning code. I played around with similar things, and they are pretty cool for getting syntax down.

 

[TKE226]

I have kids same age...2 girls. They also have online learning from school to complete. However these days, they are done by 10-11. Our school system has something called "Dreambox" that teaches math and reading concepts through games. They seem to like it. Our youngest, in 3rd grade, her teacher is pretty good about sending emails daily. I looked through them, but most of what she links to are within the County's online system, so doubtful that helps. 

Otherwise, we engage them in homemade science experiments with household products (not fish bowl cleaner!) I think they made puffy paint and something else with shaving cream the other day. They like to bake, however when they bake a lot in a short amount of time, the food will go to waste so we have cut back on that until what gets made is eaten. Its raining here today, but they have also brought back riding bikes. And that is something they can do with other kids provided they stay 6 feet apart, plus its good exercise. 

We have also taught them to clean the house beyond just their rooms and normal stuff. And do dishes. They are learning about money the hard way, as we had to deduct money from both of them for being mischievous. 

 

[JimG]

They are learning about money the hard way, as we had to deduct money from both of them for being mischievous. 

I got no kids, but can they learn about spreadsheets and possibly setting up some kind of business? What are their interests? 

What if they get a few $$ and buy some stock? 

Have them research something they are interested in and make a presentation? 

 

[TKE226]

I got no kids, but can they learn about spreadsheets and possibly setting up some kind of business? What are their interests? 

What if they get a few $$ and buy some stock? 

Have them research something they are interested in and make a presentation? 

Reminds me of being a kid watching stocks in the newspaper daily. I think we had a school project to pick a few and watch them for a week. 

Well the one is a wizard in powerpoint, so she actually helps me. 

 

[Spur's Addiction]

Yeah we have thought of things like having them help with meals etc.

 

[cocky0]

You could get them one of those old school chemistry sets for some fun and learning around the house. Add in some phenyl-2-propanone, methylamine, and some hydrogen. Then have them look up reductive amination using mercury aluminum amalgam. I bet they'd learn something useful between now and he time school starts back up.


Might want to invest in some gas masks though.

 

[FurmanCock]

You could get them one of those old school chemistry sets for some fun and learning around the house. Add in some phenyl-2-propanone, methylamine, and some hydrogen. Then have them look up reductive amination using mercury aluminum amalgam. I bet they'd learn something useful between now and he time school starts back up.


Might want to invest in some gas masks though.

I ended up with hair dyed purple from some concoction I was mixing up from one of those chemistry sets, when I was a kid.  Luckily a) I was on the porch at the time, and b) I had on goggles at the time -- I wasn't a complete idiot...just unsupervised.