Keep Them Healthy and Learning

It's that time of year! 

Plenty of germs are around, and they're likely sneezing on each other and their teachers!

Typically, my blog posts are directed at teachers, but this one is for teachers, parents, and caregivers. This is a great time to teach them about looking out for germs and protecting themselves. Here are some outstanding books: (These are affiliate links!)

• Germs, Germs, Germs
• Grow Strong!: A book about healthy habits
• Ultimate Kids' Guide to Being Super Healthy: What You Need To Know About Nutrition, Exercise, Sleep, Hygiene, Stress, Screen Time, and More
• The Little Book of Healthy Habits 
• Oh, The Things You Can Do That Are Good for You! All About Staying Healthy

There are also some great videos for them to watch. The key is handwashing: do it right and do it often!

 

 

Here are some other suggestions if you have kiddos home for an extended time:

1. Establish a schedule! Set aside time for reading, writing, educational games, and even a little screen time.

 2.  Make sure they get outside to play! That fresh air is more important than ever!

3. Social time! Although we're trying to keep them away from each other, let them FaceTime their friends. Humans are social animals, and they need each other. Social distancing can lead to loneliness. 

4. Family time! Hopefully, there's time to enjoy each other. Board games and puzzles are perfect ways to have family fun. If you're adventurous, do some baking with the kiddos or even some crafts!

5. Be sensitive to their worries! It's a good idea to see this time as an "adventure," but understand that they know why this is happening and may have worries and anxiety over the situation. Let them talk about their feelings, but try to help keep them from dwelling on their negative feelings

6. Address your own concerns as well! I don't think we have ever experienced a pandemic like this before! Luckily, we have the internet to keep us from becoming socially isolated. Try to follow our exact expectations for the kiddos: avoid too much screen time, stay active, stay social as much as you can, and don't dwell on the "what ifs."  

7. Check in on others! This is a hard time for all of us. Think of the elderly and those with physical limitations. Reach out to working parents who are struggling to find child care. Help out those families who won't be fed breakfast and lunch at school for a few weeks. Many people are suffering financial loss at this time. How can we help them?

 A few other resources to share to keep children learning:

This is one of my newer Boom Learning resources that I've set for free because of the need for online learning during the Coronavirus crisis.  Enjoy!  Healthy Habits Digital Task Cards

If you enjoy the Boom Learning platform, here is a link to more Boom Learning Resources.

Healthy Habits: a booklet for visualization, illustration, and discussion

I also have several free resources to send home for fun work! See these resources HERE: Free Resources

And please, reach out to others. Let this crisis show who you really are. Let it bring out the best in us.