Good morning and happy Friday. We did it! Week one of no school with everyone at home is officially behind us. And while I imagine there have been a lot of conversations with children about why they are at home, what COVID-19 is, how it is impacting our lives, and all that we can do to stay safe, this super quick video (just 1:29 minutes long!) provides some great guidance on how to talk with children about the Coronavirus and the uncertainty it is creating in our lives. My favorite takeaway is the importance of encouraging children to ask questions that are meaningful to them, as our perspective is so different than theirs! Older children might also appreciate this easily accessible comic on the virus from NPR.
We also still have space in next week's workshops and we'd love to have your child join us. The drop in story time sessions have been lovely so far, and I'm sure the classes will offer an even more stimulating experience and a refreshing social escape. You can learn more about the offerings and sign up here.
Today's tip:
Given that we are all stuck inside, yet there are so many places we'd rather be, why not take a virtual escape to an amazing national park? At the Hidden Worlds of the National Parks, students can take a guided journey with a park ranger through Alaska's Kenai Fjords, the Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico, Bryce Canyon in Utah, Hawaii's volcanoes, or the Dry Tortugas in Florida. After being cooped up, the amazing views and magical encounters with nature offer a refreshing (imaginary) escape.
After the adventure, kids can complete one of the following off-screen activities:
Create a drawing or painting that shows their favorite part of the adventure
Create a model of the park
Put together a travel brochure about the park. This could be very simple for younger students (think a picture, the name of the park, names and/or drawings of animals or plants that are there), or a more advanced research project for middle schoolers.
Draw an imaginary map of the park
Tell you about everything they learned!