DESTINATIONS

Enriching Breaks for Remote Learning

In addition to remote learning, kids need enrichment that is educational, recreational, and fun. Here are a few activities that might be helpful to include within students’ scheduled breaks from virtual classes.

 

As teachers, homeschool educators, and parents are planning for remote learning this fall, the following activities might be helpful to include during scheduled breaks and time-outs from students’ academics studies. (Scout leaders may also be able to offer these activities for boy scouts and girl scouts to support their badge achievement.) 

Consistency helps students focus, so start with a daily schedule. Teachers often begin the school year with a great deal of structure, because kids learn most easily when they know what to expect. With remote learning, a schedule also allows parents and other caregivers to share duties or to hop on a business call. By building breaks into a schedule—and giving choices and a range of activities—parents can tailor plans to meet their children’s individual needs. Try the activities for elementary students below, organized into virtual field trips, recreation & fitness videos, and educational videos.

Virtual Field Trips

 

Virtual Farm Tour to Dutch Hollow Dairy Farm (50:02 minutes)

Dairy Farmer Nate Chittenden welcomes thousands of elementary students to Dutch Hollow Farm in Schodack Landing, New York for a live tour. Students will learn all about dairy farming, how farmers care for their cows, conserve their natural resources, how milk and dairy foods are produced, and the nutritional benefits of dairy products.

 

Virtual Field Trip to A Candy Factory (6:19 minutes)

Learn how Jelly Belly Beans are made and about the history of the Jelly Belly Company by visiting the factory.

 

Magic of Making-Glass Marbles (7:01 minutes)

See a glass-blower work some brilliant magic to create the spheres of beauty that we call marbles.

Recreational & Fitness Videos

Yoga for Kids (25:04 minutes)

By practicing yoga poses, children can learn how to exercise, develop confidence, and concentrate better. Follow along as Sophia Khan leads a fun and family-friendly introduction to yoga. You’ll get to warm up, practice breathing and poses, and relax with a power down. 

 

Kids Workout (25:04 minutes)

Children and adolescents should do 60 minutes or more of physical activity each day. Most of the 60 minutes should be either moderate or vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity, and should include vigorous-intensity physical activity at least 3 days per week.

 

Join the Challenge Dance Workout for Kids (45:35 minutes)

This workout could be done at school, at home, at an after school program, a summer program, or anywhere you wish! Maricopa County Public Health partnered with the Phoenix Suns, Phoenix Mercury, and Univision Arizona, to produce a fun, easy-to-follow dance workout video for kids.

 

Educational Videos

The Lego Story (17:08 minutes)

As The LEGO Group celebrates its 80th Birthday, take a look back at its history with this short animated film.

 

George Washington for Kids (17:32 minutes)

Learn about George Washington in this biography video for kids! See how George Washington shaped American history, leading the American colonies to victory in the American Revolutionary War and becoming the very first President of the United States!

 

My Fantastic Field Trip to the Planets (35:03 minutes)

My Fantastic Field Trip to the Planets is a musical outer space adventure that teaches kids the planets and our solar system! Blast off with Jake on a live-action, musical, outer space adventure! Traveling inside his toy rocket, Jake’s mission.

Find more Virtual Field Trips & Resources on FieldTripDirectory.com!

 

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Digital Solutions for Teachers

Digital solutions for teachers have probably never been as important as they are now, while schools plan for remote learning this fall. We’re listing a few options for classroom management, communication, and more.

Everyone knows about Google Classroom, but there are multiple digital solutions available that can help teachers manage their classrooms, communicate with parents and students, and access virtual classroom resources. Researching digital solutions has probably never been as important as it is now, as schools plan for remote learning in the fall. We’ve listed a few digital solutions for teachers below.

ClassDojo for Remote Learning

ClassDojo helps teachers create a remote learning community by incorporating classroom management and communication tools. Their fun interface will surely engage students. The platform boasts an easy remote learning set up for schools. Features include communication with students and families, easy lesson and assignment sharing, and a mission to keep it 100% free for schools!

ny2 for Special Needs

For teachers of special-needs classrooms, n2y offers digital solutions that are adapted for unique learners. Their award-winning Unique Learning System is a cloud-based platform that gives students meaningful access to the general education curriculum. Fun and rewarding L3 Skills feature educational games and activities that build on an individual student’s skills. To assist during the COVID-19 pandemic, ny2 is offering a variety of digital resources to teachers including free access through August 31st.

 

Scholastic Education for Digital Literacy Support

Scholastic Education’s digital solutions give teachers 24/7 access to tools for literacy achievement for PreK through 8th grade. Their virtual resources support foundational skills, early literacy, independent reading, vocabulary and word study, and close reading. Choose from seven different digital literacy programs. The Storia program in particular provides unlimited access to the best eBook libraries from nearly any device with an internet connection!

 

Remind for Communication

Remind is a communication app that’s built for education. It provides a simple way to communicate updates, instruction, and more. The two-way communication feature creates a direct line between parents and teachers. Teachers and administrators can browse resources on how to use the Remind app for remote learning

 

OnCourse for Digital Lesson Plans

OnCourse Lesson Planner allows educators to create and post weekly online lesson plans. The platform features custom templates, a standards library, teacher-friendly homework website, and more. Check out OnCourse System’s other apps for more of their digital solutions. They offer an implementation success roadmap to combat “change anxiety.”

Find more Virtual Field Trips & Resources on FieldTripDirectory.com!

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Teacher-Recommended Apps for Home Learning

Enrich the home-learning process with these top 10 teacher-recommended apps and sites for early childhood through elementary students and beyond. Fun, educational apps and sites can be a great way for children to take charge of their learning!

No. 1: Scholastic Educational Platform

Scholastic’s Learn at Home program for families provides virtual activities that focus on core skill topics like literacy, science, math, and social-emotional learning for PreK through 5th grade. Kids can stay busy with read-alouds, award-winning videos, interactive quizzes, vocabulary exercises, active play ideas, crafts, and more. The Learn at Home subscription fee is $5.99 per month. Their Scholastic Kids platform is a free, fun digital space where kids can read, play, and connect with friends! (Scholastic also offers digital solutions for classrooms and educators.)

No. 2: Khan Academy Kids

Khan Academy Kids is an educational program designed for children ages 2 to 7. The program engages kids in core subjects like early literacy, reading, writing, language, and math with charming characters as their guides. Khan Academy Kids is free; it doesn’t require a subscription. Parents can get helpful tips on the Khan Academy Kids channel. (Khan Academy Kids also offers teacher tools for educators who use the app as part of their online curriculum.)

 

No. 3: National Geographic Kids

National Geographic Kids is the perfect site for elementary students looking to explore topics in science, nature, and social studies. The site features fun games, videos, brain boosters, and other cool stuff that they can enjoy independently, apart from a structured curriculum. The site is free to use. For parents concerned about screen time, National Geographic Kids can be ordered as an annual print subscription for only $15. (Educators and parents can find more structured experiences for all grades on National Geographic’s Learn at Home page.)

No. 4: ABC Mouse

ABC Mouse Early Learning Academy is a full, online curriculum for kids ages 2 through 8. The platform motivates children to progress through ten levels of language arts, math, science, social studies, and art using a reward-based system. ABC Mouse offers 1 month free; subscription pricing is $9.95 per month. (ABC Mouse also offers a comprehensive early childhood learning solution for schools.)

No. 5: Adventure Academy

By the creators of ABC Mouse, Adventure Academy is an online learning platform for children ages 8 through 13. The platform’s immersive virtual universe teaches essential skills in math, language arts, science, social studies through adventures and quests. Kids can play with friends, customize characters, and more! An annual subscription costs $59.99.

No. 6: Starfall

Starfall is a fun site where children in PreK through 3rd grade can build literacy skills (phonemic awareness, systematic sequential phonics, and common sight words) and math skills. The site is free to use with limited access and an annual membership with full content is available for $35. (Starfall also offers free resources for educators and school or district memberships.)

No. 7: DIY

On the DIY site, children ages 4 through 13+ can watch inspiring videos, do creative projects, and even make their own videos! It’s a place where they can learn and inspire other kids, too. DIY offers courses in the arts, engineering, music, and so much more. Kids earn digital badges as they acquire skills and can get real badges at the DIY market. Parents are notified every time their child posts something on DIY. DIY offers a free trial; the subscription runs between $15-$25 per month. (Discounts are available for schools and groups of 5 or more.)

No. 8: BrainPop

BrainPop is a playful learning resource that supports core subjects and beyond. Kids in grades 3 and above can explore over 800 topics. Designed for young learners in grades K through 3, BrainPop Jr. offers over 250 simplified topics. Parents can choose from app-only access for just $5.99 per month or the new BrainPOP Family plan with personalized goal tracking for $9.92 per month. (For educators, BrainPop offers a consistent learning experience that can transition between home and the classroom, as well as powerful lesson-building tools. Curriculum subjects are divided into units or topics complete with standards, lessons, and quizzes.)

 

No. 9: Kids Discover

Kids Discover Online is an award-winning library of science and social studies material for grades 3 through 8. Features include progress tracking, read-alouds for kids who need extra support, and a visual Discover Map that helps children learn how to research and make connections. Kids Discover apps are curriculum focused, covering topics such as cells, ancient Greece, the Constitution, and space with engaging visuals and information. At-home pricing starts at $4.99 per month. (Educators can access 2,000 digital, standards-aligned lessons in science and social studies with a school or district membership.) Kids Discover also offers over 200 print titles.

No. 10: PBS Kids

PBS Kids features seemingly endless videos and games for early childhood and elementary students. Kids will delight in seeing their favorite characters as they explore apps that cover topics like engineering, life skills, reading, and more! Parents can check in for resources and tips on parenting and activities. The site is free to use; app prices vary. PBS also offers classroom-ready, digital resources for educators.

Find more Virtual Field Trips & Resources on FieldTripDirectory.com!

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