We have found ourselves in yet another “lock down” in Ontario. With the April Break just a few days away, many parents are scrambling to figure out how we’re going to keep our kids busy during that week. In general though, many kids are now home full time as a result of remote learning, so how do we keep them busy?

I strongly believe that under the circumstances of COVID-19 there is no perfect way to be a “Pandemic Parent”. Some of us will follow strict schedules when the kids are home, while other prefer to go with the flow. Regardless of what your parenting style is during this time, we all need activities to keep our kids entertained. This is where this blog post comes in! I’ve compiled a list of parent-approved and kid-tested activities available online that will keep your kids physically active and their brilliant minds stimulated.

GoNoodle

I discovered GoNoodle thanks to the school assignments my daughter has been receiving. Her physical education teacher shares daily videos to keep her active while she is at home and the GoNoodle ones are so much fun; she dances along and has the best time. One thing I also love is the diversity in the actors/dancers.

Cosmic Kids Yoga

I discovered Cosmic Kids Yoga by total accident on YouTube and somehow my daughter already knew about it! Apparently this is something she practices at school as the channels not only offers yoga for children, but guided meditation as well. I highly recommend it!

Art for Kids Hub

Art for Kids Hub has become a new obsession for Zo and I – all we do is draw and draw new characters from this YouTube channel. They make it so easy to follow along and learn how to draw some of your kids’ favourite characters. I found this to be a great way to unwind at the end of the day and spend a little time side by side.

Kidz Bop Daily Dance Break

Zo loves to sing and dance, so Kidz Bop has been quite popular in our household. Their Daily Dance Break, posted on their YouTube channel, will become essential to keeping our kids active during the weeks that they are off school. By the way, don’t hesitate to dance along with your kids too!

Another neat thing I discovered about Kidz Bop is that they have an “En Español” playlist for songs in Spanish with choreo to match (playlist linked above).

Tip: If your kids are into Kidz Bop, check out their Alexa Skill, Kidz Bop Star.

TVO MPower

I discovered TVO MPower as it was part of the recommended education resources that the Government of Ontario provided to families. It has really great educational games and learning opportunities for Kindergarten to Grade 6.

Tip: I recommend using a touch-screen laptop or a tablet. It might be easier for your child depending on their skill level on a mouse, and it also adds to the interactive experience.

Lunch Doodles with Mo Willems

If you have creative minds at home, then you definitely want to give Lunch Doodles with Mo Willems a go! My daughter is a huge fan of the pigeon character in his books so this was a neat activity to try together. I believe they are adding new episodes daily, so this playlist by The Kennedy Centre will grow and grow.

Sesame Street

We are Sesame Street online veterans in our household; Zo has been learning through this website since she was a wee one. Sesame Street’s online platform has education games for kids to play, fun videos and art for them to create.

The Toronto Zoo

The Toronto Zoo is offering education about the different animals at their zoo through Facebook Live. The videos are then available in their Videos page so we can watch them anytime. My daughter absolutely loves these videos they are a great way for her to learn about the specific animal needs, from habitat to food.

The Royal Ontario Museum

The Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) has a whole suite of educational videos and workshops available online through “ROM at Home”. I particularly love that they have some sessions, for all grade levels, dedicated to learning about Canada’s Indigenous community and people.

The Coronavirus pandemic has impacted all of us in a variety of ways, but one of the silver linings I’ve found is that I am spending much more quality time with my daughter ever before. Give these activities a try WITH your kids; even if it is just a few minutes a day. You will be pleasantly surprised at how happy spending that quality time with you will make them.

I will keep adding to this post as I discover new and awesome content for our children. Stay tuned to my Instagram as I will post in my stories every time I add something new.

Have you discovered a great, interactive and educational online resource that we could add to this post? Leave it in the comments below!