- Create a vision board: The CASA or the caregiver can provide the child with pictures from a magazine that reflect the child’s feelings or future aspirations. Then the CASA and their case child can assemble it together via FaceTime or Skype and plan to share it once in-person visits resume.
- Scavenger hunts: Working with the caregiver, create a list of items that the child can find in the home, then provide the child riddles or clues over the phone so that they identify and then find the item.
- FaceTime/Skype: Communicate via FaceTime or Skype. Activities could include reading an age-appropriate book to your case child, or have them read to you; playing 20 questions;having lunch; playing board games, etc., over FaceTime or Skype.
- Pen pals: Send the child stationery and self-addressed stamped envelopes (to the Voices for Children mailing address) and have the case child write you letters.
- Coloring books: Get matching coloring books for you and your case child and color the same picture, possibly while online together, to send each other or to compare once in-person visits resume.
- Virtual spa day: You and your case child give yourselves an at-home face mask, manicure, or pedicure over FaceTime or Skype.
- Kindoma Storytime: This iPhone/iPad app allows for users to read stories while video chatting. The free app comes with access to 10 books; after that, users can buy stories individually or through a subscription. The books target children ages 3 to 6. Kindoma.com is also beta testing two new apps, Kindoma Drawtime and Kindoma Talktime.
- Interview practice: For older youth, CASAs can research potential job interview questions and help their youth practice interviewing over the phone.
- Virtual movies: Watch the same age-appropriate movie on television or computer and then discuss it over the phone, either during or after the movie.
- Educational videos: Watch a YouTube video about science, animals, or space and discuss what you learned.
- Tutorials: Watch the same YouTube tutorial video, either independently or together via a split screen on FaceTime, and plan to practice your new skill together later.
- Museum Tours: Go on a virtual tour of a famous museum and then each decides on a painting to recreate or put your own spin on.
- Exercise: You can pull up a tutorial for Yoga, a fun dance or game and do it together.
- Missed Activities: Ask older children about the experiences, such as field trips and dances, that they are missing due to Coronavirus / COVID-19 precautions and brainstorm ways to recreate, either virtually or once restrictions are lifted.
WEBSITES WITH FREE ACTIVITIES
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- NASA: They’ve put together a set of teachable moments for teens to tots.
- Space Racers: This is an animated series for preschoolers and offers science-based lessons, games and space-related educational activities
- Ranger Rick: Children’s magazine of the National Wildlife Federation is making its website free to all visitors through the end of June.
- Color Our Collections: Free PDF downloads of coloring pages created from the art in collections of 117 institutions.
- Lunch Doodles: Artist and writer Mo Willems is hosting daily lunch doodle video sessions every weekday at 1 p.m. EDT. Each episode has a downloadable activity page available.
- Story Time from Space: Children’s books that have been sent to the International Space Station are read on video by the astronauts there.
- MeditOcean: The Monterey Bay Aquarium hosts an 11-minute guided meditation video featuring the aquarium’s jellyfish on their Facebook page.
- Monterey Bay Aquarium: They have 10 live webcams where you can view sharks, sea otters, penguins and more.
- San Diego Zoo: They have 11 animal webcams as well as activity ideas and games for children.
- Houston Zoo: They have 6 animal webcams.
- Discovery Education: They offer virtual field trips and learning materials to accompany them.
- PBS Parents: Access to apps, worksheets, experiments, crafts, and recipes.