With the spread of the Coronavirus across the U.S, our extended time at home is proving to be stressful times for families. As you juggle functioning at home and keeping your kids occupied and learning, Dan Pegram, children’s author of Pop-Pop Airplane, How do you Fly?, has shared an excellent list of quarantine activities which will bring the entire family together and keep everyone sane at an equivalent time.
1. Make Some Noise
If you or your children play an instrument or sing, this is an excellent time to explore your children’s interest in music. If you don’t sing, impromptu singing with a wooden spoon for a microphone can entertain kids for an honest 20 to 30 min. And playing music can give you a much needed break from sitting in front of your laptop. YouTube has an endless assortment of lessons for any instrument including vocals. Just have fun with it!
2. Look at Old Photos
Drag out the old photo albums and travel down memory lane. Show them their baby pictures and different holiday and milestone birthday pics. Children are very interested in what life was like back when we were children. They also enjoy learning about grandparents, aunts and uncles and places you’ve traveled to. It is so much fun laughing at the old photos, the retro clothing and hairstyles and reliving fun times.
3. Read Books
Reading is a skill that opens the world to youngsters. It’s also a skill that needs continuous practice. During this point faraway from school, introduce your children to a number of your old favorite books and discover some new titles. My new book, Pop-Pop Airplane, How does one Fly? teaches children, ages 3 -7, how airplanes fly and is a great book for stimulating inquisitive young minds. For the more advanced readers, chapter books like Elephant & Piggie by Mo Willems are quite popular. There also are a few apps employed by schools called EPIC! and Raz-Kids that provide unlimited access to 35,000 of the simplest children’s books and learning videos so your child can read and learn anytime.
4. Write
As an author I’ve been asked many times, “How do you start writing a book?” My answer is simple, “It’s just like having a conversation with someone and you’re telling them a story or relating some event in your life.” If your children aren’t familiar with journaling, this might be a great time to introduce them to this wonderful writing exercise. Journals don’t have to be formal. Any small notebook may be an excellent spot to start out . Google search “journaling” for some useful ideas and benefits. Another wonderful resource is Teachers Pay Teachers, which contains printables and worksheets to assist youngsters with simple writing projects.
5. Go Outside
Even though we’re quarantine, you’ll plan activities outside your house and show your children how we want to entertain ourselves before the web and social media. Go for Hikes in your neighborhood or on local trails and look for birds and other wildlife. Look up Bird species in your area then see what percentage you’ll spot. This could be the perfect excuse to skip a Zoom meeting and turn into a lifelong hobby.
Purchase your own copy of Pop-Pop Airplane, how do you fly?
Overview
Do you ever see a plane fly by in the sky and wonder, “How does it work?” Well, Pop-Pop Airplane is here to teach every young and curious mind who wants to know just how airplanes stay up. He will teach you about the wings, the engine, and even parts of the plane you’ve never heard about – like the ailerons or the elevators – so that the next time you see a plane go by, you can know a little more about how it flies!
Have fun with your kids with these activities and stay safe.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
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