June 30, 2021 – It is always great to hear that our resources provided during the pandemic were enjoyed by our Littles, Bigs, families, and even people not with our agency. Thank you, Allie, for telling us how you enjoyed our resources! And thank you and your kids for providing us with additional resources. Allie and her kids suggest: https://www.rate.com/resources/fun-at-home-activities-to-save-money if you are looking for things to do this summer.
September 16th – It has been our great pleasure to provide links to our kids, while they were at home. Even with school underway, our youth need activities — some are doing school all virtual, some are in-person, and some are doing a hybrid; thus, the need is still there.
It’s also great to hear that these efforts are helping, which is why I would like to thank Shana M. and her daughter Stephanie. Shana says they are “not in the Berks area” but stumbled upon our posts and have been enjoying the links and activities we shared. We would especially like to thank Stephanie who — according to her mom — is BIG into animals & the environment. Stephanie wanted to share one of her favorites about animals:
https://www.yourlawyer.com/library/animals-of-the-florida-everglades/
If YOU have other suggestions for our resources, please email them to JimS@BigsInBerks.org
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March 30th — Back to some more on-line suggestions. Here’s some Art & Music sites for our Matches, Littles, and families to check out.
https://www.kennedy-center.org/education/mo-willems/
https://www.incredibleart.org/links.artgames.html
https://naturalhistory.si.edu/visit/virtual-tour
Enjoy! And remember…stay home, stay safe, and wash those hands.
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March 27th — OFF-LINE FUN
Up until today, we have passed on some great on-line activities for our Littles, Families, and Bigs. But how about some off-line fun. Here are some ideas for parents/guardians to keep everyone occupied and active mentally & physical.
I SPY – have someone pick an object in the room, and see how long it takes for someone else to guess the object by asking questions.
BLANKET FORTS – Couch cushions, blankets, pillows, whatever you can put your hands on to create a cool fort in your living room or den.
TAKE A WALK – walk around your backyard or around the block. Just remember to exercise your social distancing.
DRESS UP – let them explore your closet or their own, and come up with different crazy outfits.
PAPER AIRPLANES – dust off your old paper airplane skills and pass the tradition on. This provides entertainment during construction and play.
TEA PARTIES – Invite a few of their favorite stuffed animals, and make some tea and cookies.
A HOMEMADE BAND – Kitchen cabinets are full of good “instruments.” Grab a few bowls, pans, and wooden spoons to make a little family band.
SCAVENGER HUNT – Hide some items (legos, etc.) around the house, then set up clues for searchers to follow. This is great for thinking skills, too.
SIMON SAYS – this game is fun and teaches them listening techniques, which is always good.
DANCE – Turn up the music and dance the afternoon away.
These are all simple ideas that keep us busy and encourage play, which is so essential to development. Plus, you may be surprised by how fun these activities are for you, too!
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March 26th — Being stuck indoors for a long period of time with active children can be challenging, so here are some Learning Support and Learning Games for you. As with everything you do with your family, we recommend parents/guardians and/or mentors take a look at the sites before diving in with the children.
https://classroommagazines.scholastic.com/support/learnathome.html
https://mysteryscience.com/school-closure-planning
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Today, our third and final in the series from adventuresinfamilyhood.com takes us to Aquariums. Just like zoos, aquariums have used webcams to let you visit exhibits virtually. In addition, some of them have set up virtual tours led by their staff to give visitors a more in-depth look at their facility. Here are some examples:
- Monterey Bay Aquarium https://www.montereybayaquarium.org/animals-and-exhibits/live-web-cams
- Georgia Aquarium https://www.georgiaaquarium.org/webcam/ocean-voyager/
- National Aquarium Virtual Tour http://samuraivirtualtours.com/example/nadc/index.html
Also, consider travel around the world without leaving your home. Google Maps street view will allow you to visit almost any destination around the world. You could also:
- Virtually discover Yellowstone National Park https://www.nps.gov/yell/learn/photosmultimedia/virtualtours.htm
- Or visit the Great Wall of China https://www.thechinaguide.com/destination/great-wall-of-china
Zoo webcams have allowed visitors to drop in on the habitats of some of their favorite animal exhibits.
- San Diego Zoo at https://kids.sandiegozoo.org/videos
- Zoo Atlanta Panda Cam at https://youtu.be/_6wbfVWVk8Q
- Smithsonian’s National Zoo at https://nationalzoo.si.edu/webcams
- Reid Park Zoo Lion Cam in Tuscon, AZ at http://reidparkzoo.org/cameras/lion-cam/
- Ouwehand Park Polar Bear Cubs in Rhenen, Netherlands at https://explore.org/livecams/polar-bears/polar-bear-ouwehand-twin-cubs-cam-2
Keep checking our website and Facebook for more ideas on activities from home!
Ever want to tour the Louvre in Paris? How about the National Gallery of Art in Washington DC? In this time when most of us are staying at home, you can do just that! Courtesy of adventuresinfamilyhood.com, here’s some suggestions for parents and matches to try while home:
Visit some of the best art galleries in the world virtually. From Paris to New York to Amsterdam, kids can see priceless works of art from the world’s most famous artists.
• Louvre Museum, Paris https://www.louvre.fr/ed/visites-en-ligne
• National Gallery of Art, Washington DC https://artsandculture.goggle.com/partner/national-gallery-of-art-washington-dc?hl=en
• Metropolitan Museum of Art https://artsandculture.google.com/partner/the-metropolitan-museum-of-art
• Gogh Museum, Amsterdam https://artsandculture.google.com/partner/van-gogh-museum?hl=en
• Uffizi Gallery, Florence Italy https://artsandculture.google.com/partner/uffizi-gallery?hl=en