Ideas to help keep kids happy, busy and learning while at home full-time

From all of us here at Greenlight, I hope you and your family are staying safe and healthy during this time.

In my house, we’ve been doing our best to stay healthy and productive. My 11-year-old son has been trying to get 60 juggles with his soccer ball, shooting baskets, playing video games and somehow fitting in some school work (with a lot of help from my wife Kelly and his teachers). My 16-year-old daughter has been hanging out in a hammock in a tree with her friends who are doing the same thing, six feet away from each other. (This must be a teenager thing?) Our golden retriever has always wanted to come to work with me, and with me working from home, he finally gets his chance. My favorite thing about the current situation: playing a lot of board games with the kids.

As we explore this new way of living life as full-time caregivers, teachers, chefs, entertainers and peacekeepers, I wanted to share a few tricks and resources that have been helping Kelly and I keep our four kids happy, busy and learning – while helping us keep our sanity. 😊

The School of Mom and Dad

Home-Schooling Tweens and Teens During Coronavirus Closings

For Younger Kids

• Khan Academy – Parent Quick Start Guide

• Jack Hartmann – Learning with songs 

• Teach Your Monster to Read

• The Monster at the End of this Book (the book or interactive story app)

• PBS

For All Kids

• Khan Academy – Parent Quick Start Guide

• Outschool

• Prodigy Game

• IXL Personalized Learning

• Scholastic

Arts & Culture

• Google Arts & Culture (some amazing stuff here!)

Indoor Recess

• GoNoodle

• Just Dance Now

• Online Yoga

Art projects

We noticed a pileup of cardboard boxes and had our kids use them to create their dream homes. Of course, our daughter built an airplane house, fully equipped with a pool and tennis court. Sky’s the limit, right?

We had the kids illustrate their own short stories – an activity that could last a couple hours or several days, depending on the complexity of the story.

Outside time

We’ve been encouraging the kids to go outside and play in our yard at least a couple times a day.

Quiet time

Sometimes, my wife Kelly and I crave moments of quiet. We’ve encouraged our kids to dust off their favorite books at least once a day for dedicated quiet time. It breaks up the day, and we all read at the same time.

Family games

We’ve been playing a lot of board games with problem solving components to keep the kids engaged and thinking.

What’s been working for you?

I’d love to hear more about what’s working for you. Join us on Facebook and Instagram for discussion and sharing ideas on how to keep our kids happy, busy and learning.

Sending best wishes from my family to yours,

Tim Sheehan Co-Founder & CEO Greenlight