This is a fabulous list of resources and ideas to inspire and keep you and your family active and entertained while social distancing.
Ideas include free online yoga classes, language learning resources, starting a virtual book club, hosting a virtual hangout or wine tasting with friends, making a family scrapbook or newsletter and SO much more.
Browse inspirational ideas and links to free online resources
“Have you ever seen hot air rise? In this project, explore the physics behind thermal air currents (hot air rising) by harnessing them to power your own spinning flower! Note that this project uses fire and paper, and should only be attempted with adult supervision. Happy spinning! Check out this video tutorial to see all the steps in action!”
Ages 9-16
“For my six-year-old, the best toy is a brand-new LEGO set to build. He loves to carefully follow the instructions, which is why I was so excited to find these instructions for DIY LEGO Instruction Books from Kids Activities Blog. For my little building fans, this is a great activity to bring the energy level down and focus-- for a little while, at least!”
Ages 3-11
“My little architects had a great time noodling around with this fun building activity! Using just a few simple items that we had around the house, the kids had fun creating (and toppling over!) towers. This idea is a fun way to keep your kids occupied while you're fixing dinner. You can customize this activity to your child's age and incorporate a variety of math skills, such as patterning and counting.”
Ages 3-5
“My kids have recently taken on a new project - learning to whistle! While they quite haven't mastered the art of whistling yet, I thought it would be neat to introduce them to whistling with just a straw and a cup of water! We made this simple water whistle, and they've loved tooting along to their favorite songs.”
Ages 9-16
“I'm always on the lookout for fun and easy science experiments to try with my kids, so when I came across this simple straw fountain, I knew I’d found a winner. You’d never guess by looking at it that this little straw triangle could act as a water pump, capable of spraying water halfway across the kitchen! (Grabbing some towels before you start is definitely recommended.) Silly as this straw fountain is, it actually opens up some really interesting questions about centrifugal forces if you want to take the discussion a little deeper. Or, just let your kids explore and experience some amazing spinning science!”
Ages 5-16
“Did you know that electricity and magnetism are closely linked? In this project, experiment with the interplay between the two by building your own miniature electromagnetic train that zips down a track all by itself. Be sure to check out the video instructions for an explanation of how it works!”
Ages 9-16
“The Earth is mighty, and its resources are vast. The more trash piles we create, though, the fewer its resources become. We only have one Earth, and we can each do our part to take care of it. Unsure of where to begin? We can start by reducing the amount of waste we contribute to landfills. Celebrate this Earth Day by putting into practice these five ways to reduce waste around your home.”
“Explore the power of the wind with this colorful pinwheel craft!
Pinwheels resemble wind turbines, or machines that change the energy in wind into mechanical or electrical energy. A wind turbine, like a pinwheel, has a rotor with blades that is connected to a base. When wind hits the blades, the rotor and the base turn as well. As the base turns, it is able to produce either mechanical or electrical energy. The more wind that hits the blades, the more the rotor can turn, and the more energy the wind turbine produces!
Wind power is a great topic to explore with kids during warm summer days, and can easily be demonstrated with this simple craft. These pinwheels come together fast and spin in the wind even faster! We used recycled tin cans, added 3 coats of spray paint and turned them into the perfect planters for our flowers and a way to display our pinwheels!”
“Make your own mini-sized and portable foosball game with easily found materials. Create a whole set of players to complete your team! Once you are ready to go, grab a friend and start the fun!”
Ages 9-16
“If you’ve ever been near a maple tree in the late summer or early fall, you’ve probably watched their seeds twirl down from high branches and fall near the base of the tree. These seeds are a natural example of how helicopters work by creating lift!”
Ages 5-11
“Make your own chalkboard painted block puzzle. You can erase the chalk easily with a damp paper towel and start all over again.”
Ages 3-6
“For a long, long time, people thought that the Sun and all of the other planets revolved around the Earth. This was called the geocentric, or Earth-centered, model of the solar system. Of course, now we know that the Sun is the center of the solar system, not the Earth - the solar system is actually heliocentric, or Sun-centered.”
Ages 9-16
“Your kids will enjoy themselves with the prospect of eating marshmallows while improving their spatial, creative, and geometric skills. Creating these sculptures is an easy activity that allows the kids to learn and have fun!'
Ages 3-8
“My son is fascinated by robotics and AI. While looking into easy projects around the topic, we found this super simple way of mimicking the joints of a finger with a plastic drinking straw! He was immediately intrigued by the project and loved playing with the curling straw. He took this simple mechanism and continued to expand on it to see what other contraptions he could build!”
Ages 3-11
“Make your workspace both more tidy and more fun with this Toy Story 4 Ferris Wheel Desk Organizer! With simple materials, build a Ferris wheel, perfectly sized for tabletop organization. Fill it with small school supplies, and after schoolwork is done, take Woody, Buzz, Forky, and Bo Peep for a spin! Join your friends on an amazing adventure and see the original Ferris wheel in action!”
Ages 9-16
“A pendulum is a hanging weight that swings back and forth, like the swinging arm on a grandfather clock or a swing on a playground. When you pull a swing - or any pendulum - up to one side, gravity tugs it back down. But since the swing is attached by a rope or chain, it doesn’t just drop to the ground. Instead, it swings back and forth, over and over.”
Ages 9-16
“Take your paper airplanes to new heights by making a motorized launcher for them.”
Ages 9-16
“Breathe in. Breathe out. Do you feel your chest expand and shrink when you breathe? That change in size is how you get air into your lungs! It all has to do with the physics of air pressure, which you’ll investigate in this project.”
Ages 7-16
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