Intro by Skip Cohen
Sarah Petty and her team are a nonstop machine when it comes to support for photographers. They never slow down, and this post she shared not too long ago is perfect for photographers with kids at home during the pandemic. Each resource is a clickable link for something new to do with your kids online.
And here’s another one to add to the list of things to do – create coloring books for your clients, or your own young children. I talked about it in a post several months back, but it’s still brilliant and all thanks to Steven Gotz in California.
For his clients with young children at home, he took their family portraits and pulled the color, turned them into line-art, and sent them to clients as coloring books for their kids. A client who’s been at home for the last few months is running low on ideas. If the kids are young, think of the fun of customized coloring book pages of their own family.
The pandemic has changed everything in our lives, but it’s also created a greater sense of family. Sarah’s shared some terrific resources, regardless of how old your kids are.
By Sarah Petty
Need to keep your kids engaged with educational activities? There’s a ton out there for kids of every age and most of it’s free. Here are some suggestions.
- Audible Stories – Since schools nationwide are closed, Audible is making its storybooks free. They have hundreds of titles available for elementary, tween and teenage kids.
- Scholastic Learn at Home – Day-by-day learning experiences for kids in Kindergarten to grade 9.
- Free learning workbooks – This site contains a wealth of free printable learning workbooks for kids in Kindergarten to sixth grade.
Podcasts for Kids in Elementary School.
- Little Stories for Tiny People – Original audio stories filled with whimsy and wonder for young listeners and their families.
- But Why: A Podcast for Curious Kids – This production, from Vermont Public Radio, tackles such topics as Why Do People Have Nightmares?, Do Animals Get Married?, and Why Do Lions Roar?
- The Radio Adventures of Dr. Floyd – Learn about history following the on-going battle between Dr. Floyd and the evil mastermind Dr. Steve (along with his sock-shaped assistant, Fidgert).
Podcasts for Kids in Middle School
- StarTalk Radio – This one is for the science lovers. Neil deGrasse Tyson talks about all things space: stars, planets, humans in space, and so much more.
- The Past & The Curious – Humans are a curious lot as this podcast attests to in its mission statement: “true stories of inspiration, humor, and the incredible achievements of all types of people, many of which are sadly under-shared.”
Podcasts for Teens in High School
- Youth Radio – Published by teens, this podcast was created to showcase the power of young people as makers of media, technology, and community.
- Stuff You Should Know – The podcast that brings you the ins and outs of everyday things.
- Radiolab – Radiolab is a show about curiosity where sound illuminates ideas, and the boundaries blur between science, philosophy, and human experience.
Virtual Museums and Collections to Explore at Home
- Smithsonian Natural History Museum Virtual Tour – A great virtual museum tour if your kiddo likes dinosaurs & science.
- British Museum in London – Explore ancient Egypt or the Americas
- NASA Langley Research Center virtual tour – If your kid likes space, then this should be a fun one for them.
- Virtual Yosemite – an immerse experience from one of the most picturesque national parks in the USA.
- International Space Station Tour – Hosted by NASA, this site gives you a glimpse of the work/life area of the astronauts aboard the ISS.
Animal Live Cams & Virtual Tours
- San Diego Zoo live cams – From baboons to penguins, the world-famous San Diego zoo has live cams for about a dozen of their animal exhibits.
- Smithsonian’s National Zoo live cams – They have live cams for their lion, giant panda, elephant, and naked mole-rat exhibits.
- Monterey Bay Aquarium – Provides real-time underwater camera video from their most popular aquatic tanks
Finally, make sure you like my Facebook page so you get notified when I host another Facebook Live. I’ll be answering your questions about how to weather the Coronavirus situation.
