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Resources for you and your family

We hope you are staying safe and healthy!

The purpose of these articles are to help you keep your children busy during these unprecedented times. We have included links to math, reading, science, art, and geography websites that can help stimulate learning for your young ones.

COVID-19: Tips for navigating children’s screen time during social distancing – Adult

During this pandemic, it is fair to say that pre-COVID-19 family routines may shift, or even completely fall apart! In our new COVID-19 reality, daycare and school are cancelled, parents are working from home and families are engaging in social distancing, leaving no peers for kids to play with. It’s understandable that children and adults may be using screens (television, devices, tablets and video games) more than they typically would, or exceeding the recommended limits of one hour per day for kids ages two to five, and no screen time for kids under 18 months of age (with the exception of video chatting).”

Scholastic Learn at Home – All Ages

Scholastic is offering learning journeys for grade levels ranging from pre-kindergarten to Grade 9. These activities explore a wide range of subjects, and culminate in reading quests that can be done alone, or with a parent.”

CoolMath4Kids – Age 12 and under

Designed for children 12 and under, CoolMath4Kids features a range of math lessons and games designed to make the subject entertaining. Kids can also find a variety of quizzes, brain teasers and more throughout the website.”

At-home science experiments – All Ages

For the mad scientist in your child, here are some suggestions for science experiments that can be done at home, using materials typically found around the house. Ideas range from soap-powered boats and musical straws, to ghost bubbles and instant ice cream. Each idea features a YouTube video demonstrating the experiment as well as a PDF with step-by-step instructions.”

National Geographic for Kids – Age 10+

This website offers a series of adventure games, quizzes, educational videos and more to keep your child entertained and informed. Activities range from educational articles and videos to science experiments and writing your own adventure.”

Free art lessons – Age 10+

If your child is looking to explore their artistic side, free art lessons are a great option. YouTube channels like Wild Free and Crafty are sharing videos of drawing tutorials, demonstrating how to draw things like donuts and sea turtles. The channel also promises to post arts and crafts ideas that are fun for parents too.”

Virtual museum tours – All Ages

A number of museums across Canada have closed in response to the spread of COVID-19, including The National Gallery of Canada, the Canada Science and Technology Museum, and the Royal Ontario Museum. Fortunately, these galleries and others have virtual exhibits and tours that can be viewed online. Families can travel through time from the comfort of their own home.”

Other Online Resources

BrainPop – All Ages 

BrainPop is a group of educational websites with over 1,000 short animated movies for students in grades K-12, together with quizzes and related materials, covering the subjects of science, social studies, English, math, engineering and technology, health, and arts and music.”

Curiosity Stream – All Ages

CuriosityStream is a global independent factual media company and video-on-demand streaming service. It exclusively delivers nonfiction documentaries and series about science, nature, history, technology, society and lifestyle.”

Tynker – All Ages

The #1 coding platform for kids. Tynker fuels creativity in thousands of schools and powers the imagination of 60 million kids worldwide. With 40+ award-winning block & text-based courses and over 3,700 learning modules, there’s a learning path for every kid no matter their age or level.”

Outschool Inc – All Ages

Explore fun, social, and safe learning experiences—taught over live video chat. 10,000+ classes led by qualified teachers. Learn from home for as low as $5/class.”

Udemy – All Ages

Udemy is an online learning platform aimed at professional adults and students, developed in May 2010. As of Jan 2020, the platform has more than 50 million students and 57,000 instructors teaching courses in over 65 languages. There have been over 295 million course enrollments.”

Beast Academy – Ages 8-13

A full curriculum that helps young students master fundamental math concepts with interactive practice and challenges, as well as detailed progress reporting.

iReady – All Ages

i‑Ready is a comprehensive assessment and instruction program that empowers educators with the resources they need to help all students succeed. By connecting Diagnostic data and Personalized Instruction, i‑Ready reduces complexity, saves educators time, and makes differentiated instruction achievable in every classroom.”

Khan Academy – All Ages

Khan Academy is a non-profit educational organization created in 2008 by Salman Khan with the goal of creating a set of online tools that help educate students. The organization produces short lessons in the form of videos. Its website also includes supplementary practice exercises and materials for educators.”

Discovery Education – All Ages

Discovery Education is the global leader in standards-based digital curriculum resources for K–12 classrooms worldwide. We are the home to award-winning digital textbooks, multimedia content, and the largest professional development community of its kind.”

YouTube Channel

Crash Course Kids – Age 10+

Welcome to Crash Course Kids! This bi-weekly show from the producers of Crash Course is all about gradeschool science. We’ll look at Earth, Habitats, Space, Chemical Reactions, Engineering, and much much more with host Sabrina Cruz. So, join us every Tuesday and Thursday for new uploads. This series is beginning with 5th grade science, so we’ll be delving into Earth Science, Physical Science, Biology, Geography, Engineering, and Astronomy. Have a look at our playlists on each subject!”

SciShow Kids – Age 5+

SciShow Kids explores all those curious topics that make us ask “why?” Every Tuesday and Thursday, Jessi and her robot rat Squeaks answer your questions and explain fun, complex science concepts for young, curious minds. Whether conducting experiments, researching new questions, or talking with experts, there’s always something new to discover with SciShow Kids, no matter what your age!”

National Geographic Kids – All Ages

Nat Geo Kids makes it fun to explore your world with weird, wild, and wacky videos! Videos featuring awesome animals, cool science, funny pets, and more, are made just for curious kids like you. So pick a topic you love and start watching today!”

Free School  – All Ages

FreeSchool is a safe and friendly place to expose children to famous art, classical music, children’s literature, and natural science in an age-appropriate and kid-accessible way.

SciShow – Age 10+

SciShow explores the unexpected. Seven days a week, Hank Green, Michael Aranda, and Olivia Gordon delve into the scientific subjects that defy our expectations and make us even more curious!

Kids Learning Tube – Age 5+

Kids Learning Tube educates kids through music and animation in a fun and unique approach to learning.

Additional Website