What can we do now?

Creative Learning from Home

Online lesson plans from schools do a great job at meeting academic needs. Creative learning and exploration is a great way to supplement online school assignments and keep kids engaged and active. In the spirit of Big Thought, and from Entertain Kids On a Dime, this creative – and shortened – ideas list (there are more!) may be a print-and-tape for the kitchen wall. 

1.     Play Laundry-List Ski Ball

2.     Design-Your-Own Duct-Tape Bracelet

3.     Make a Lifesize Indoor Boardgame 

4.     Host a Draw-and-Color Contest. Set a timer and, appropriate to kids ages, assign themes. Starter ideas: A dog astronaut. Any story character. The perfect house.

5.     Make Your Own Soap Clouds

6.      Make Crayon Sandpaper T-Shirts

7.     Shoot Off Balloon Rockets

8.     Stage a Family Car Race

9.     Make a Marshmallow Shooter

10.  Make Playdough Mats

11.  Make Fairy Mason Jars

12.  Tie-Dye Baby Wipes

13.  Create Your Own Cardboard Light Tunnel

14.  Take the Bubble-Warp Road

15.  Try Cotton-Swab Painting

16.  Do Frozen-Rice Play

17.  Play The-Floor-is-Lava Game

18.  Time for the Secret-Message Activity

19.  Learn Magic and Put on a Show

20.  Experiment with Balloons/Poprocks 

21.  Make a DIY Giant Paper Airplane 

22.  Collect a Collage
Use magazine pages, computer printouts, package wrappers, or family photos.

23.  Make Potato Stamps 

24.  Make Ice Cream in a Bag 

25.  Make Ice Eggs

26.  Host an Indoor-Hopscotch Tourney 

27.  Make a Scavenger Hunt

28.  Write and Shoot a Video. Take it in steps: Brainstorm ideas. Narrow to a storyline. Write storyline. Storyboard (optional!). Rehearse. Shoot. Consider costumes and venues. Host a computer-screen debut.

29.  Be an on-air journalist. In the make-a-video spirit, have a young intrepid journalist interview a member of the family. Topics? What do you think of social distancing? Funniest memories. Favorite teacher and why.