This whole COVID-19 thing we’re all going through right now, I don’t even know where to start!
First off, I hope all of you are doing well, staying safe and practicing social distancing. Never in our wildest dreams have we imagined how quick the world could come to a standstill.
It’s so…weird. Not just that, but for many who are adjusting to our new “normalcy” it’s going to be even more weird when things blow over and we go back to living our daily lives that were pre-coronavirus days.
I do have to admit: It is so nice to be able to work from home now! I love being at work on time (sometimes earlier!) and not having a 45 minute to an hour-long commute between taking Tristan to school and fighting traffic to get to work. I feel more productive without all that stress and I’m going to miss this new WFH life when I must go back to the office after all of this is over.
But I also miss being around people. Tristan and I rarely leave the house now, except for maybe twice so far to pick up groceries. Other than that, Meshach still must report to work since his job is classified as essential, so he has been doing the bulk of grocery shopping so all of us aren’t taking the risk of possibly getting exposed to the virus.
If you are home with a kid during the COVID-19 outbreak and looking for FREE resources and cool deals, here is a list of things we’re doing during this uncertain time.
Stay on Schedule
Since Tristan is out of school for what I assume the rest of the semester now, we started homeschooling him on school days. I try my best to wake him up around the same time he does for school. I also do the same so I can stay on track with my work schedule as if I’m going to the office (except I’m in my sweatpants not jeans haha!) We eat breakfast and then I give him a project to work on while I get my office work done.
Free Learning Resources
We don’t have a curriculum to follow yet since that will be sent by his teacher later this month. However, we’ve been doing science and writing projects, also reading and math games. He’s also VERY interested in learning how to code.
Scratch
Tristan says they do coding in his STEM class at school and we found a great website that offers FREE coding activities for kids who want to learn. It is called Scratch. It is a program created by the MIT Media Lab and you can use it online or download the desktop app versions compatible with Windows, macOS 10.13+, Chrome OS and Android 6.0+
Cool Math 4 Kids
Loads of free math games and brain teasers on CoolMath4Kids to entertain and teach math for grades K – 6. There are also lessons, quizzes, printable flash cards and more!
Khan Academy
This is a jackpot of learning opportunities for all grade levels pres-school, kindergarten up to 12th grade. Also numerous courses available for many subjects including AP courses for the high school students out there!
The best part – Khan Academy is also FREE!
Treats and Entertainment
When you need a break, here are some things you can do (or eat) to pass the time during COVID-19 lockdown.
Burger King
At this time of writing, Burger King is giving out 2 free Big Kids Meals with any purchase made through their BK App. This is Tristan’s favorite fast food place, he loves their chicken nuggets but occasionally eats a cheeseburger as well.
Note: If our state (or where you live) happen to go into a “Shelter in Place” government order – I’m not sure if fast food places and restaurants offering take out will still be open.
Moe’s Southwest Grill
Free Kid’s entrée with every adult entrée purchase. The kids entrée do not come with a drink and cookie, you’d have to pay separate for that.
Due to restrictions they too are doing take-out only and free delivery on orders over $10 until April 12.
McDonald’s
Select locations are giving out free kids meals, you have to call your local McDonald’s first to see if they are participating.
Also please check your local restaurants to see if they are open and offering takeout or delivery to help support local businesses during this time.
Minecraft
I literally just found this out today! Minecraft is offering FREE downloads of their Minecraft Education Edition pack to help kids stuck at home. It’s available to download until June 30 and you can get it from the Minecraft Marketplace (Tristan had to show me where that is on his PS4 because I have no clue how to operate it) available on all Minecraft gaming platforms. His absolute favorite so far is the Marine Biologist pack.
PBS Kids
Download this free app to watch all the best, educational shows on PBS Kids including fun games. I love watching PBS anyway for their travel shows and special concerts (hello Rick Steves’ Europe!). You can download the app through app stores wherever available.
Virtual Tours
COVID-19 may have stopped all of us from traveling, but we can always do it virtually until we can. Museums like the Louvre, Vatican Museum, and the Smithsonian are just a few of the many you can visit virtually online. I also recommend Google Maps as another way to armchair travel during this ever changing time.
Play Outside
Nothing wrong with a little fresh air and some sunshine if you’re getting it this time of year! The pollen has been very unfriendly with my asthma this season so we don’t spend too much time outside on bad pollen days. So we have that to deal with on top of being cautious of COVID-19.
Well, that’s all I have for now although I am sure more ideas will come along as we continue to navigate our way through this worldwide pandemic. I hope sometime in the next few months COVID-19 will all be a distant memory for us and we can go back to enjoying the things we never knew we missed while on lockdown (like being able to buy toilet paper that isn’t sold out!)
How are you passing the time during self distancing? Comment below and share this post!
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