Quarantine: What to Do With the Kids

The COVID 19 global pandemic means that many businesses and organizations we take for granted in society are closed for the time being to hopefully prevent further spread of the illness. Schools, restaurants, sports, and literally any other extracurricular activities are off the table until further notice. For many, it means being quarantined at home with the kids. The next question, of course, is what do you do with them to fill the time that school has inadvertently given back?

Of course, sending the kids outside in the yard is an option, as long as social distancing is well respected between them and their friends. However, if that’s not possible then the Internet of Things is not just a welcome resource, but a much-needed one.

There are many online options to keep kids entertained and educated that can help limit the disruption the pandemic is causing. Keeping your kid’s educational needs met is important, and while you may not have the necessary teaching skills, learning at home is still possible.

Scholastic Learn at Home offers many levels of educational activities from Kindergarten to Grade 9. They even show what some kids with disabilities are doing! The idea is to simply keep kids engaged, reading, and thinking with new day-to-day activities.

One of the main components of avoiding COVID is social distancing. That means most governments around the world have banned activities that involve large groups of people. Naturally, most local tourist destinations are no longer a feasible option to take the kids. If you want to take the kids to a museum, you can’t…or can you?

Virtual Museums Canada offers a wide range of virtual exhibits from Canada’s museums and heritage organizations. Kids can discover art, nature, history, and science at the click of their mouse.

The Vancouver Aquarium is currently closed due to COVID, but that doesn’t mean you can’t see what the critters are up to! The facility offers numerous ‘creature cameras’ that offer live video feeds of Otters, Jellyfish, seals and more. The aquarium also has a blog where kids can read up on topics such as Ocean Wise and Animal Rescue.

If your kids are more interested in the land-based animal variety, the Cincinnati Zoo has an online Safari to educate and inspire kids of all ages. They have live Facebook videos scheduled to showcase special animals such as Fiona the baby hippo and their giraffes going for a run!

For the more science-minded kid, NASA offers videos and a blog on space exploration. Closer to home, Science World in Vancouver offers a number of home-based activities for kids to try out.

This to-do list is by no means exhaustive. Many museums and organizations offer online tours and tutorials. The British Museum of History has a terrific interactive history of the world and the world-renown Louve in Paris, which has been closed for some time already, has online tours.

Have fun and stay safe!