Education – Page 6

Your favorite classes have gone virtual; register today!

March 24, 2020

We love to support our community and are happy to announce some of your favorite kid places are offering virtual classes. This is a learning process for everyone as we transition to being face to face to now sitting behind a screen but take a leap of faith and sign up for a class or two! Plus, it will give you a small break to hop on a conference call, fold a load of laundry or work with a sibling. We will add to this list as more places offer them– let us know of others in the comments below.

Enroll-
Flex Academies ONE
Classes taught LIVE by Flex Academy’s instructors. The classes are taught via a password protected Zoom room and an extensive list of classes are offered for kids in grades PreK-6. You are sure to find a class right for your child. Classes are categorized into arts, fitness, life skills and language classes. The great part is you can pay as you go or purchase a pack of classes. Visit the FAQ for answers to common questions and head to their YouTube channel to see classes in action.

Tunes 4 Tots
Tunes 4 Tots Virtual is designed to bring the Tunes 4 Tots experience to you at home! This is a structured activity for you and you little on to enjoy together. Be prepared to sing, dance, laugh, and learn during this precious quality time with your child!

Red Panda Art Studio is offering virtual art classes, email Stephanie for details.

International School of Music is now offering online music lessons for you and your little ones! Private live online lessons are available in all instruments from piano, guitar, violin, to voice, drums, flute, clarinet, saxophone, trumpet, cello and more! Their top rated teachers tailor lessons to students’ interests and goals so students have fun playing their favorite music! Contact them today for an introductory lesson.

The Children’s Art Studio is doing online art classes! You will meet virtually each week to work on drawing, painting, printing, and sculpture. Offering virtual classes for ages 4-13. As of now, they have 4 classes set up– you will be sent a materials list and the Zoom link after you enroll.

Amore Learning is kicking off two enrichment classes via zoom! Tuesdays at 3:15 they will offer Creative Writing with a focus on graphic novels. Thursdays at 3:15 they will offer Fashion Design, a new spin-off on their unique writing program. Find details above or email.

Anna Banana Arts & Crafts is offering virtual art classes, email Anne for details.

Middle C is offering virtual music lessons. Middle C Music is happy to announce that starting this Saturday, May 2, at 9:30 a.m., Gjinovefa Sako will launch another ukulele class for children 3- to 5-years-old. And the parents are encouraged to join in! These classes are held online over Zoom, and are a continuation of the fun music-learning course that Ms. Sako has been teaching at Middle C Music for years. The children learn how to play many popular songs in addition to getting a headstart in their general music education. Email to sign up and for more information. Call the store for information- (202) 244-7326.

Meadowlark Music on Zoom! In the spirit of offering connection and music during this challenging time, they are offering classes online this Spring. The age range is the younger crowd, 0-5 years.

My Gym Live!
Instead of meeting in person each week, you and your kids will attend My Gym LIVE classes as a supplement to your children’s home education, learning, fitness, and play. They are allowing unlimited on-line classes to anyone who signs up and a loyalty package for those who stay enrolled once they re-open.

Circle Yoga
Classes vary and they are offering kids and adult yoga via Zoom. Classes will be posted at least 24 hours in advance of their scheduled start time.

Kids Yoga Class with Elina RangelovaYoga and Wellness Coach
Anandita Kids Yoga is devoted to promoting wellness to children and families, supporting healthy mind, body and spirit by the art of Yoga and Meditation. She hopes to spread some joy to the kids with online kids yoga classes. Email with any questions.

Kidville Lights, Camera, Live!
Head over to The Kidville Playground and start streaming their daily dose of Kidville LIVE classes for kids under five. Register for your class of choice and then join via an exclusive ZOOM link.

ArtJamz was founded in 2010 by Michael Clements, former Editor-in-Chief of Capitol File Magazine as a public art studio to unite DC’s artists and creators, and there’s never been a more important time to unite creatives than right now. Pivoting from their paint and sip format, ArtJamz is bringing the interactive experience to your home by offering virtual painting lessons starting at just $10. The perfect activity to do with the whole family and inspire creativity, they are offering 3 kits at different price points ranging from $10-$100. They also offer live virtual painting instructions taught by one of their talented artists. The kits come complete with everything you need to have your own paint party experience, including a stretch canvas available in either mini or small, 5 paint colors, 2 paint brushes, and an artist mustache.

Miss Amy’s Music Makers is now offering online Music Together classes via Zoom and Facebook Live for you and your little ones! With Music Together Online, Miss Amy will bring music class to your living room. Your whole family will have a blast singing, dancing, and jamming along to Maracas songs during weekly classes. They will offer 3 mini classes a week! Facebook live or zoom on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday mornings! ENROLL HERE

The Lane is offering 2 live programs at various times as of now on weekdays.

For more fitness studios offering online classes for both kids and adults see this list from Washingtonian.

FREE–
Big Love Yoga was created to support families by bringing yoga into our homes. Geared to older kids to parents, and adults of all ages. Please consider joining when you can!
Family Mix (Mother and 12-year old daughter host) Thursdays 4:45-5:45 pm
Yin Yoga (all levels welcome) Fridays 4:45-6:00 pm
Daring to Rest Yoga Nidra (all levels welcome) Sundays 5:00-5:45 pm
Yoga Flow (all levels welcome) Mondays 10:45 am-12 pm
Classes are free (or donation if able).

Foublie
Foublie is helping out parents with kids 2-4 by providing free weekly activity guides released every Friday. Cook + play + learn activities are taking on covid-19 stay-ins with some food fun. Each week they send an email with food based play, learning and cooking ideas.

Arts on the Horizon is offering programming to our children and families through a new series of videos on our YouTube channel link here. They offer free 20-minute, interactive story time sessions three times a week (Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays). Each session will be led by one of their teaching artists and the content will be geared for children ages 2-6. The sessions will include stories, songs, warm-ups, movement, and more.

National Children’s Museum launched a daily, digital “STEAMwork” series on the Museum’s Facebook. Each day at 2:30pm, talented members of their team feature different STEAM projects, challenges, experiments and story times for children under twelve and their caregivers.

KID Museum Make It!
Stuck at home? Let’s make the most of it. Each week they’ll be sharing maker activities for you and your family. Try different challenges every day and share what you’ve made.

Badlands Play Virtual Camp

Tinkergarten
Offering fresh outdoor play ideas on Facebook on Tuesday’s at 11:30am, designed to inspire a week’s worth of play.

Delish Cooking Class
Every day at 1pm, check out the site so you verify you have the ingredients on hand

Michaels Crafty Kids
Prerecorded videos of easy how to make crafts. More projects can be found here.

MoCo Movement
On their Facebook page they have been streaming live workouts and classes.

Young Artists of America at Strathmore (YAA) is offering a schedule of FREE virtual musical theatre classes and activities as part of the #YAAPlaysOn initiative during this difficult time. Here is what they currently have on tap for the next 4 weeks-
Mondays- 4:00pm: Virtual Dance Class: Technique & Conditioning
Tuesdays- 7:00pm: YAA Watch Party
Wednesdays- 4:00pm: Virtual Song Class: Modern Composers’ Songbook
Thursdays- 5:00pm: Virtual Talk Back with a Star from Broadway.
7:00pm: YAA Watch Party
Fridays- 4:00pm: Virtual Acting Class: Acting for Film
Saturdays- 11:00am: Virtual Dance Class: Dancing Through Musical Theatre History

Have on hand-
Kiwi Crates
All Fired Up has take-home kits

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13 kid-worthy podcasts
20 classic outdoor games to introduce to your kids
Eating dinner at home
Hour by hour weekday live streaming events and activities for kids
Sample schedules and ideas for the week
Educational resources at your fingertips

13 kid-worthy podcasts

March 22, 2020

Podcasts have become an obsession for a lot of adults. Some listening while they’re traveling, commuting, working, cooking and sometimes even while in the shower. There are a plethora of options when it comes to choosing a podcast and that includes a variety for children also. Our family typically listens to podcasts in the car on the way to the beach but now that we are home, we are beginning to listen at home in exchange for a movie or screen time. We’ve listed a variety of quality podcasts {most are free}; science, storytelling, music and history. All of these are easily accessed through smart phone, tablet, or computer, so prepare for hours of entertainment and even some learning opportunities.

Pinna
Pinna is an on-demand audio streaming service that reimagines kids’ entertainment. Each podcast, audiobook and music compilation on Pinna is expertly developed and carefully curated for kids 3-12. From science and fantasy to interactive game shows and mysteries, Pinna has hundreds of hours of programming to pique the interest of every kid.
*They have extended the free trial period to 60 days with the promo code PINNA4KIDS

Wow in the World
Hosts Mindy Thomas and Guy Raz guide curious kids and their grown-ups on a journey into the wonders of the world around them. They go inside our brains, out into space and deep into the coolest new stories in science and technology.

But Why: A Podcast for Curious Kids
But Why is a show led by you, kids! You ask the questions and they find the answers. It’s a big interesting world out there. On But Why, they tackle topics large and small, about nature, words, even the end of the world.

Story Pirates
The Story Pirates aren’t your typical swashbuckling sailors. They don’t steal gold, pillage villages, or claim land; they’re searching for a different kind of treasure: kids’ wildest, most imaginative stories. It all started in a Harlem school auditorium when a group of friends put on an absurdist sketch comedy show based on stories written by kids.

Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls
A fairy tale podcast for kids about extraordinary women from all over the world. Based on the bestselling series Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls, each episode delves further into the lives of women from the books, encouraging young listeners to ask questions and explore their interests. Narration by real-life women who are pioneers, creators, champions, leaders, and warriors!

Book Club for Kids
This biweekly podcast features middle schoolers talking about a popular middle-grade or YA book as well as sharing their favorite book recommendations. Public radio figure Kitty Felde runs the discussion, and each episode includes a passage of that week’s book read by a celebrity guest. This is best for tweens and teens.

Best Robot Ever
Best Robot Ever is the home of the most innovative kids and family audio programming, including original podcasts produced by Gen-Z Media and its friends, and distributed in partnership with PRX. Shows featured on Best Robot Ever have won nearly all of the major podcasting awards that stand for great quality programming, including the Peabody, Best Kids & Family Podcast from the Academy of Podcasters, and iTunes Best of the Year. From exciting adventures and addictive mysteries, to hilarious game shows and popular science programming, you’ll find the best content for your next long car ride or after-dinner family listening. Tumble-Science, Earth Rangers and Pants on Fire are a few to mention.

Brains On!
Brains On! is an award-winning audio show for kids and families. Each week, a different kid co-host joins Molly Bloom to find answers to fascinating questions about the world. The mission is to encourage kids’ natural curiosity and wonder using science and history…but there’s no age limit on curiosity, and episodes of Brains On can be enjoyed by anyone.You can listen to Brains On and their other podcasts — Smash Boom Best and Forever Ago — at home, on the go, or even as you’re nodding off to sleep!

Stuff You Missed in History Class
Join Holly and Tracy as they bring you the greatest and strangest Stuff You Missed In History Class in this podcast by iHeartRadio.

Little Stories for Tiny People
Little Stories for Tiny People is a children’s podcast featuring original audio stories that will delight the tiny people in your life. Perfect for bleary-eyed parents, innovative teachers, and at-wits’-end babysitters looking for an alternative and non-annoying way to engage the toddlers and young kids they love at bedtime or any time! Each story is lovingly written and performed with attention to the whimsical senses of humor children often possess.

Circle Round
Created and produced by parents of young children, WBUR’s Circle Round adapts carefully-selected folktales from around the world into sound- and music-rich radio plays for kids ages 4 to 10. Each 10- to 20-minute episode explores important issues like kindness, persistence and generosity. And each episode ends with an activity that inspires a deeper conversation between children and grown-ups.

Saturday Morning Cereal Bowl
The Saturday Morning Cereal bowl is a weekly, two-hour program of music for the entire family to enjoy. This isn’t simply kids music. It’s two hours of some of the best family music you’ve ever heard. So sit back with the kids and enjoy!

Peace Out
Short stories that help children calm down and relax by guiding kids through visualization and breathing exercises. Perfect for parents or teachers who want to teach mindfulness and self-regulation.

A letter from a homeschool mom in regards to our new realities

March 19, 2020

Parents are figuring out how to juggle work, managing a home, caring for kids, pets and elders and now adding teacher to their routine each day. As anxiety heightens we thought hearing one perspective of a local homeschool mom may be helpful in navigating these new waters. The takeaway from her outlook is to take a deep breath {several actually throughout the day} and don’t expect to have your kids sitting down at a table learning from 8:30am-3pm. Don’t forget to take care of your needs as a parent also.

Dear new homeschoolers,
Our world has been turned upside down and anxiety is running on high. Adding into the witches cauldron a bit of panic, a roll of toilet paper, and an unavoidable new view to educating your children, you may be ready to toss out the potion and pour a glass of wine – but it’s only 9:00am.
Welcome to the world of homeschooling!
There is an entire community of us who have chosen this journey on our own – minus the panic, fear, and anxiety that is running rampant – and we are here for you {search for homeschool in Facebook}.
You didn’t choose this path. Are you hoping to wake up from a homeschooling nightmare to a school bus outside tomorrow morning? The reality will soon set in that homeschooling is your only option until we return to our regularly scheduled lives, so put on your big girl panties and get your head in the game.
Just kidding. No big girl panties required – you can do this without losing your sanity and without drinking mid-afternoon. Do you want to know the biggest secret we homeschool families keep? Once you read it, you can’t unread it. And I promise that you can feel this way too.
We actually enjoy our kids. We actually like being around them. We actually want to partake in their lives and set the most influential examples for them.
We also spent years freaking out over how to educate them ‘the right way’ before realizing that homeschooling is not hard. It is not supposed to break you (or your child). It should not mean crying, kicking, or yelling. How can this be, you may ask? How can you work, homeschool, keep up with your house, and get food on the table day after day? Buckle up, here’s the best advice you are going to get.
Throw away the schedule that is circulating all over social media. It will set you up to feel like a failure. It will lead you to giving up before you’ve even had a chance to truly begin. It will push you farther away from your child instead of bringing you closer together. A school day should never be 7 hours of scheduled 30-minute long learning activities. It doesn’t matter your child’s age or grade level, when working one-on-one, lessons can be completed faster than you can make lunch. This may sound crazy, but when thinking about a child’s attention span, it makes complete sense. Anything longer than this will not be absorbed and will cause tempers to flare – on both sides of the table.
Give respect to your children. Do not lecture them and expect them to learn. Talk with them and let them be the guide. You will be amazed at everything they know – and everything they are hungry to learn. You can look up answers together, laugh at mistakes, and find commonalities you never knew you had. Will you butt heads? Probably, but you are the grown-up, not the child… which means that you should not argue. You should ask your child to explain their reasoning. Through calm and engaging conversation, you will be able to plant the seeds your child needs to grow.
Think outside of the standard education box. You have been trained to follow the same set of rules applied to every child in a classroom… but your child is not the same as the classmates he had. You can provide so many more opportunities right now than you know. With hundreds of websites and apps offering free resources, your child can follow along as zoos offer live classes, create stop-motion videos, listen to podcasts, or email pen pals across the globe. You can keep things as simple as you need or as intricate as your child desires. There is no way to fail this journey unless you give up.
Set examples:
Do you want your kids to read without a fight? They need to see you choosing to read throughout the day.
Do you want them to pick up after themselves? Don’t yell or repeat yourself, just hold a fun conversation and start picking up with an invitation for them to help. They will catch on.
Be together sometimes and be apart often. Read books together – all ages – big kids need to be read to, too -and do it every day. It can be at bedtime or lunchtime or first thing in the morning, but read. Here’s the one you’ve been waiting for – the one recommendation that your child may struggle with the most: Let your children be alone. Do not hover. Do not interrupt. Let their whining and boredom be ignored while granting them the freedom to harvest creativity. Turn off iPads and screens, turn on background music, set a few boundaries, and then walk away. Watch your child bloom before your eyes.
Homeschooling is not rocket science. It’s generally a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants kind of lifestyle, and one that includes cooking together, cleaning together, laughing together, and learning together. It’s filled with challenges and excitement – and moments you would miss out on if things were different in the world right now. So take a minute to breathe in the gift of time that you have just been granted. You get the chance create a deeper relationship with the human beings that you have created. Forget all the expectations you have sitting on your shoulders and just enjoy this time. The world will eventually fall back into it’s regular routines, but you have the chance to greatly change the way you have previously lived.”

Elizabeth MacDonald is a professional writer, author, blogger at Our Lucky Seven, and homeschool mom of five. Juggling life for MacDonald is a bit like balancing on a tightrope while baby wearing, flipping pancakes, and holding a conference call, but somehow everyone makes it across alive and happy.

Hour by hour weekday live streaming events and activities for kids

March 17, 2020

All of us do better with a routine but let’s face it, during this time of unknown, routines may have to fly out the window. However, thanks to some great people and organizations you can find some stability in checking in online at the same time each weekday for some fun activities. Most if not all, will archive the live video for you to watch if you aren’t able to log on at that specific time.

11:00am CST daily: Artist, Cassie Stephenz is doing a themed robot week complete with printables, writing prompts and she goes live each day to walk you through something.

11:30am EST Tuesday’s: The first-ever virtual Tinkergarten experience kicks off Tuesday morning. Led by co-founder, Meghan Fitzgerald, this 20-minute session is designed to inspire a whole week’s worth of play. Join with a kiddo and a cardboard box, and feel free to share with any other families in need of some inspiration this week!

1:00pm EST daily: the one and only Mo Willems through the Kennedy Center is offering Lunch Doodles! Grab some paper and pencils, pens, or crayons and doodle together; explore ways of writing and making.

2:00pm EST: Doug Kammerer of NBC 4 Weather is going to teach math and science.

2:30pm EST Tuesday: National Children’s Museum may be closed but they are still here for you! Join Tuesday as they kick-off daily STEAM time on Facebook Live with CEO, Crystal Bowyer, and her 5yo son, Preston. Check their IG stories and website for the “Museum Kid Daily Schedule” for all you superhero caregivers doing your best. Stay safe + be well + keep dreaming.

3:00pm EST daily: Cincinnati Zoo will be live streaming several animals and exhibits.

Various times: Artists around the country have started a Google Doc full of their live stream performances. You can send a donation if you’re able or just enjoy. All of the information are on two tabs on the document.

The Lane {Anti} Social Club is bringing the fun to your living room until we can welcome you back to ours. In the meantime, sign up for any and all of the events and join their slack channel for some grown-up real talk.

Badlands has launched an IGTV channel and YouTube channel with virtual camp programming which will include fun shows and activities like dance parties, science experiments, crafts, drum circles and more opportunities to get your family moving and to keep their staff working!

While this is not a particular activity to attend at a designated time, this Google Doc offers a long list of ideas children can do while their parents works from home.

Two Oceans Aquarium in Cape Town have daily streamings of animal feedings.

A movie is always a way to cozy up, enjoy one another or just let your child relax. Here is a list of 23 feel-good movies you can now stream and 150+ educational shows on Netflix organized by category.

Recent posts:
Sample schedules and ideas for the week
Educational resources at your fingertips

Sample schedules and ideas for the week

March 15, 2020

We’ve included a few sample schedules from a teacher and one that went wild on social media this weekend. If you are interested and able, you can keep your children on a similar routine they are on at school to make this transition easier on everyone. If you’d like to create your own schedule, click here to change this one and make it your own.

Below you will find some options of creative activities to do with your child this week. Please comment on this post with your ideas so we can all take advantage of everyone’s ideas and tag us on Instagram so we can see the ideas. Make sure to follow us on Facebook & Instagram as we will post the many ideas we find from our community each day!

Links to the ideas from the above image:

Take a nature walk and use this cute scavenger hunt for kids to stay engaged. We also take a trash bag to collect trash as well as gloves and small shovels. Some of our favorites and the closest to DC are Great Falls, Rock Creek Park, Turkey Run, Scott’s Run.

Create a schedule for your kids to hop on a Zoom call with classmates or Facetime. Older kids may use Play Station and other gaming options to virtually meet each other. Your kids are going to miss their friends and this is a nice way to connect.

Monochromatic assemblage via kaliteachesart
Louise Nevelson became well known for her monochromatic (which means: one color ) assemblages. Assemblage is art that is made by assembling or bringing together different elements, often everyday objects, scavenged by the artist or bought specially.
1. Pick a color. Look around your home for at least 15 objects of that color. They should also be: no larger than the palm of your hand and must be different shapes and sizes (you can not use more than one of the same thing)
2. Arrange objects to create a specific shape; a circle, triangle, rectangle, square or other shape of your choice, maybe something less familiar…be creative!

Play a board game from your stacks in the playroom. We play a game and decide if we still enjoy it. This will be one of many ways, our family donates things we no longer need or want.

Family Canvas Challenge which typically takes four weeks to complete but if everyone is home you can work on it more quickly. After you click the above link to get the starter email you will get all of the information on how to begin. Here are some materials worth purchasing and having on hand.
Large canvas or a pack of smaller ones (we have these on hand all of the time), assortment of paint brushes, Tempra paints, acrylic paint pens, stencils and liquid watercolor.

Make a recipe together! Our third grader loves to bake and is motivated when he is able to research and find a recipe and then create it on his own or with help. Support your local bookstores and grab a cookbook or look up a recipe online. We love these knives for when our kids help in the kitchen.

Who doesn’t love receiving snail mail? Everyone! Challenge your children to write a letter each day to someone special Here is a list of other ideas to encourage writing.

The Smithsonian may be closed but don’t fret you can virtually visit 12 famous museums!

This is also a great resource someone started which shows you a list of educational websites that are waiving sign-up fees and encouraging parents to take advantage of with children home.

Whittle School offers online resources for parents.

Need groceries delivered instead of going into a store? Try Imperfect Foods!

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