Screen Time: Incorporate Positive and Educational Experiences

Now’s not the time to develop a screen-time-guilty-conscience. In a COVID-19 world, our “new normal” means almost everything we (and our kids) do is chaperoned by screens. Forget about quantity for the time being. The new goal is to pay attention to quality.

Here are some ideas to get your started. 

Travel the World

Physically traveling may be off limits, but that doesn’t stop us from visiting and learning about new places—some you’ve never dreamed of until now…

• Discover the Mysteries of the Abandoned
• Walk along the Great Wall of China 
• 360Cities features expert VR photography from contributors worldwide
• National Geographic Countries: facts, photos, videos, and more about countries around the world
• Ancient Egypt
• Experience the largest cave in the world: Sơn Đoòng Cave in Vietnam 
• Ready to learn about caves right here in the US? Check out Funky Spelunking Spots in National Parks

National Parks

Find out why environmentalist and historian Wallace Stegner called national parks “the best idea we ever had.”

• Explore National Parks
• Grand Canyon
• Old Faithful Live Webcam
• National Monuments and Historic Sites
• National Parks maps 
• Listen to Sounds of the Parks as if you were there
• Get Inspired: “Our national parks are more than sweeping landscapes—they’re urban, cultural, historical.”
• Park Activities You Can Do from the Comfort of Your Home

The Good ‘Ole U-S-of-A

O’ beautiful for spacious skies…

• Explore each state through photos and facts
• State Statues
• 50 Birds, 50 States from National Geographic Kids
• 50 facts about each state

Museums

Visit museums of the world with 360 videos, virtual tours, and online exhibits.

• The Metropolitan Museum of Art: Online exhibits and virtual tours
• The Louvre
• The Guggenheim
• The British Museum
• The Vatican Museums
• United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
• National Art Gallery and Sculpture Garden

The Smithsonian

Yes. It deserves its own section!

• National Museum of Natural History
• Online events: workshops, webinars, and Facebook Watch Parties
• Fun Stuff for Kids and Teens
• Smithsonian Games: puzzles, crosswords, sudoku, spot the difference, and more

Amazing Animals

From live-streaming webcams to the ubiquitous shark footage, these are way better than cat videos.

• The National Zoo webcams
• Cincinnati Zoo Home Safari Facebook Live each day at 3 p.m. EDT
• San Diego Zoo offers 11 different webcams
• Monterey Bay Aquarium
• Houston Zoo webcams
• Australia Zoo (Crikey!)
• Nat Geo Wild’s World’s Weirdest
• Shark Week shorts (probably not meant for the young ones)
• BBC Earth Kids
• PBS Nature Streaming Episodes

Explore Nature

It is possible to enjoy the great outdoors whilst stuck in the remote-learning-indoors.

• The Nature Conservancy’s Nature Lab 
• Nature & Wildlife documentaries
• NOVA Labs 
• PBS DEEP LOOK
• ClimateKids from NASA

Pen to Paper

With social distancing as the new normal, it’s important for kids to express themselves creatively.

• Scribbles and Ink from PBS
• Lunch Doodles with Mo Willems
• Earth Sketch Pad from BBC Earth Kids
• Draw Every day with JJK: NY Times-bestselling author/illustrator Jarrett J. Krosoczka
• Dav Pilkey at Home: Learn how to draw Dog Man, plus weekly activities from the creator of Captain Underpants
• Quarantine Art Club from illustrator Carson Ellis (must sign in with an Instagram account to access “assignments”)
• Nichole Hahn: projects for all ages from sculpture and painting to collage, drawing and more.
• List of authors and illustrators giving free online workshops
• 100s of journal prompts by grade
• Journal Apps, Online Diaries, and Digital Scrapbooks from Common Sense Media
• Kids too young for journaling? Start with an Art Journal

Simply Science

Watch or create. There’s something for everyone.

• SciShow
• Physics Girl
• NASA STEM Engagement
• Scholastic ScienceFlix
• Crash Course Kids
• Junior Mythbusters
• NASA Science’s SpacePLace for Kids
• 10 Things to Do with NASA at Home 
• Science Trivia for kids

Of course, after all that fun learning, it’s probably time for some fun moving. Check out Indoor Recess from GoNoodle!