Many schools are closed throughout the nation to help curb the spread of the Covid-19 Virus. If you are now a homeschooler out of necessity (whether it’s doing your schoolwork at home or opting out of the system as a new homeschooler) here are some ideas to get you started on things to do THIS WEEK to help make the transition!
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- Catch up on rest!! There’s no need to get up super early and not a lot of places to go anyway, so stay home and catch up on sleep, rest and rejuvenation!
- It’s a good time to start deep cleaning for spring. Clean out the basement, the garage, that closet that needs to be organized, mop the floors, clean the curtains, organize the bookshelves by title or author. Take the week to get all of that cleaning done! K-12 students should be able to pitch in and help as much as they are able with these tasks!
- If you’re new to homeschooling, start looking over the options available to you and start making your plans and ordering your materials. If you are going to be following the curriculum of your school while the kids are at home, make sure you know what’s expected of them via the communications from the school.
- If you are homeschooling and need some alternatives online while waiting for school supplies to come in check out Khan Academy , Homeschool Connections, or Easy Peasy. Also, see this fantastic lists from Techie Homeschool Mom:
Ultimate List of YouTube Channels for Homeschooling
Ultimate List of Online Courses for Homeschooling
Big List of Educational Apps for Homeschooling
5. Do a read aloud as a family! Find a book to read together and then share it at lunchtime or in the evening. You make great memories that way!
6. A lot of places are closed, but you can still maybe go on a little driving tour, especially since gas prices are so slow! I used to do that a lot as a kid.
7. Do some cooking! Here’s a place to learn about cooking during another great event- the Great Depression! Also cooking a good chicken broth for treating illness and maintaining health! Make sure to bring the kids into the kitchen too and work together! Even little kids can clean celery and add spices to the pot!
8. Get organized! Here’s a digital source for organizing education at home. Here’s a traditional planner, and a check-off planner to make sure your students are completing their work.
9. Watch some good movies! The History Channel has a good episode about the plague that my General Science (6-9th grade) enjoyed. We watched Outbreak on Netflix this weekend, a pretty cheesy film about a viral infection called Outbreak starring Dustin Hoffman and a very cute Patrick Dempsey. They’ve got a number of movies about pandemics and infection that they’ve taken out of cold storage. Not for young kids, but probably fun with teens and adults.
10. For that matter, binge watch some of your other favorite shows that you’ve been meaning to watch together, but just never had the time!
11. Do some arts and crafts!
12. Get outside and do some stargazing!
13. Then get outside and do some spring clean up. Rake, dig, clean and start planning for the planting season. It wouldn’t be a bad idea to clean out the family car too!
14. Remember, it’s still Lent. We just didn’t know we’d be giving up so much! So spend some time in your home with your family praying the office, praying the rosary, making a prayer table or special prayer area. And remember to find joy and gratitude in all that you have, because this too will eventually pass!
Another thing, you can also watch this informative video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-NSPhLHIBA