In light of coronavirus, I wanted to share some super easy, affordable at-home learning ideas for parents. As a school psychologist and homeschool mom, I want you to know that learning at home can be easy, affordable, and – gasp-  fun! These resources will also work well on sick days, snow days, vacation days, travel days, and summer vacation. Plus, I’m sharing heaps of free downloads to help you get started. So, whether you’re quarantined due to COVID-19, or you’re stuck inside due to a blizzard, or you’re away from home, this list is for you!

I woke up this morning to an overflowing inbox. Many parents are dealing with weeks of school closures and quarantine. Many parents are suddenly, unexpectedly homeschooling because they have children or family members at risk for COVID-19 complications. If you are in the throes of anxiety right now, please know you are not alone. I am an unexpected homeschooler and I want to assure you that children learn all the time. Kids cannot help but learn- it’s the adults who tend to get in the way. So, take a deep breath, relax as much as you can, and know that it will be okay. We will get through this together.

In the meantime, I’m sharing super simple read-aloud ideas and resources, free and affordable online resources, favorite podcasts for families, tips and tricks to get started with gameschooling, and our top-recommended homeschool resource (aside from the public library). Keep reading and then, when you’re done, leave me a comment with your family’s favorite super simple learning ideas! 

10 Super Easy, Affordable At-Home Learning Ideas for Parents

Before I dive in, here are some helpful resources for those grappling with the COVID-19/coronavirus situation

If you have anxious kids, please know you are not alone. Kids are sponges and they pick up on the energy around them. As a school psychologist and mom to a kiddo who has battled anxiety, I have some favorite resources. You can find them here. 

This book, in particular, is fantastic. I love Dawn Huebner’s books and this one is no exception. It’s filled with helpful resources and will serve as a springboard for important conversations. 

This week, we listened to this episode of the Brains On! podcast. It helped my children to understand COVID-19 and the steps they can take to protect themselves and others in our community. (You know your kids best so pre-listen to see if it will work for you. Just sharing because it helped us.)

We also had a handwashing 101 exercise. It’s something I remember from when I worked at a daycare. I put some lotion on each kiddo’s hands, had them rub it in, and then I sprinkled glitter all over the front and back of their hands and had them rub that in. Then, they tried to wash it off. It was the best handwashing we’ve had in years, you guys!

Often the worst part of anxiety is feeling as if you lack control. It can help immensely to take action in your small patch of the globe. This week, we are making a meal for a local shelter, donating to the food pantry, and buying a gift card for our favorite restaurant (we won’t be eating there this week amid concerns, but we know small businesses are going to be hurting). If you have other ideas, please share them in the comments. We need to be the helpers in times like this! 

FREE-FOR-NOW HOMESCHOOL RESOURCES IN LIGHT OF COVID-19:

• • TeacherFit is an affordable and effective at-home fitness program for educators and it’s free for now. Read my review here!
  • Other Goose (for ages 2-7)

RELATED POSTS:

• • Social Media Overwhelm and Sensitive Souls
  • Mothering a Worrier | The Homeschool Sisters

1. First and foremost: make sure you read-aloud daily

As a school psychologist and homeschool mama, I know reading aloud is the most important thing you can do in your homeschool every single day.

It almost seems too easy, doesn’t it? The act of picking up a book and sharing a story with your children doesn’t feel like much, but it packs quite the educational punch.

When you read aloud to your children, you are a reading role model. You are modeling reading fluency, proper pronunciation, and pacing. You are showering them with rich vocabulary, sophisticated language patterns, and you’re growing their fund of factual knowledge. Better yet, you’re connecting with them over the warmth of a shared story and, by doing so, you’re creating pleasurable reading memories.

No one comes into this world knowing how to read. Reading is a skill, and like all skills, one needs to practice it to get better. The good news is, reading aloud provides a bridge.

We can read aloud to our children and let them bask in the sheer joy of the experience. We can protect the joy of reading for our children so that they learn to associate reading with pleasure.

While we do the “heavy lifting” for our children, we are showing them why reading is worth it! The more pleasure they experience in their early reading lives, the more they are going to want to unlock that code.

I believe homeschoolers are in a unique position when it comes to growing readers because they can preserve the sheer joy of reading in a way that can be challenging in other settings.

We can avoid the book logs, book reports, and oral presentations of our public school past. Instead, we can think outside of that public school box and allow our children to show us what they have learned through books in other ways.

And by protecting the joy of reading, we are raising lifelong learners. Because, let’s face it, if you love to read, you can teach yourself anything!

I presented at the Kindred Collective Homeschool Conference in winter 2020 and talked about how to make a simple, effective read-aloud routine in your homeschool.

At the conference, I asked parents to share the book that turned them into a reader. They also shared the books that made their children and their husbands’ readers. And then I asked them to share the best book they have read (for themselves) in the last five years. 

The result? 

FOUR INCREDIBLE BOOKLISTS created by the Kindred Collective community!

You can grab your copies of these booklists and fill your library tote here:

• Kindred Collective Booklists {FREE DOWNLOAD}

Looking for the best books? I’ve got you covered:

• Books: A Resource Page for Homeschool Families

Do you want to make the most of your library card?

Check out these library tote tags. They will help your children to explore different genres and read outside their comfort zone:

• Library Tote Tags 

At the 2020 Kindred Collective homeschool conference, I gave a talk called The Powerful Simplicity of Reading Aloud.

You can grab a replay of the conference here:

• Kindred Collective Conference Replays

Or, check out the ebook and printable bonus materials here:

• The Powerful Simplicity of Reading Aloud {ebook and bonus printable pack} by Caitlin Fitzpatrick Curley

2. At-Home Learning Ideas for Parents: Podcasts

There are some ah-mazing podcasts available today. I love to stream a podcast during lunch or listen to a podcast in the car. We also LOVE to listen to audiobooks or podcasts while working on puzzles.

You can read about some of our favorite podcasts here:

• Favorite Podcasts for Children and Homeschool Families

Or, download the entire list here:

• Favorite Podcasts for Children and Homeschool Families {FREE DOWNLOAD}

3. At-Home Learning Ideas for Parents: Online Learning

It’s an exciting time to be a homeschooler. There are so many resources available online. Here are a few of our family’s favorite online resources:

• Favorite Online Resources for Homeschool Families
• You ARE an Artist Chalk Pastel Art
• SQUILT Music Appreciation
• No Sweat Nature Study

Or, download the entire list here:

• Favorite Online Resources for Homeschool Families {FREE DOWNLOAD}

4. Gameschooling

You knew it was coming! I can’t have a resource post for parents without mentioning the benefits of play. When parents play alongside their children, they have the opportunity to work on a host of skills… while having fun and making memories!

Gameschooling offers children a chance to practice and build skills in a no-pressure, non-judgmental way. If the game doesn’t go the way you wanted it to, you can start over and try again. Children learn how to navigate their world through play.

And now, in the wake of COVID-19, we have to switch it up a little with virtual gameschooling (read more here!). 

Board games can help children develop the following skills:

PLEASE NOTE: You DO NOT need an overflowing game closet to gameschool!

I promise you, you can get started with gameschooling TODAY. You do not need all the games, just a couple basics:

• Gameschool Basics: How to Get Started with Gameschooling

If you head to the Bicycle website or use the Bicycle app, you can find oodles of rules for every card game under the sun. That should keep you busy for months and you need not spend a dime!

Every year, Board Game Geek hosts a board game challenge. It’s called the 10 x 10 Challenge. You can read about it and join in the fun here. The goal is to play ten games ten times in 2020. 

Think about that for a second. Ten games (and you can use a deck of cards) ten times. That’s 100 games with your family! Can you imagine what an impact that would have on your homeschool atmosphere?!?

Maybe 100 games are too much for you. That’s okay! If you are looking for more ways to jumpstart a gameschool routine, check out these FREE gameschool challenge options:

• Gameschool Challenges to Change Your Homeschool!

5. At-Home Learning Ideas for Parents: Nature

In his best-selling book Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder, Richard Louv explores research linking children’s health and well-being to direct exposure to nature.

Sadly, many of today’s children are better able to identify jungle and zoo animals than the animals living in their own backyards.

Love uses research to show the many benefits of time spent in nature, including:

• Increased health and happiness
• Increased attention, academic success, and creativity
• Decreased obesity
• Decreased rates of anxiety and depression
• Increased concern and care for the natural world

I notice a significant difference in our children’s happiness and behavior when we have had plenty of outdoor time.

(Heck, I notice a difference in my own happiness when I’ve been outdoors!)

If you’re stuck indoors due to COVID-19, or weather, or illness, consider a little bit of fresh air. It is seriously so good for your soul!

And, if you can’t get outside, check out this super affordable and incredibly fun online nature study course:

• No Sweat Nature Study with Cindy West

6. At-Home Learning Ideas for Parents: CuriosityStream

We have so much fun with CuriosityStream over here, you guys. I know I gush about this resource all the time, but it is with good reason!

My children love CuriosityStream’s content. Better yet? I love the content! (I’ve been known to watch a documentary after the kids are in bed!) Every single program is highly educational.

As a subscriber, I get all of this content – with new titles added all the time- for only $2.99 a month. (That’s less than the cost of one of those fancy coffee beverages we all adore!)

CuriosityStream is the home of award-winning documentaries. You can educate, inspire, and entertain your family whenever and wherever you want. 

You can watch CuriosityStream on mobile, tablet, computer, and TV.

CuriosityStream delivers over 2,000+ titles, including high-quality documentaries and series created by the world’s most accomplished producers.  

There are no commitments. You can cancel anytime.

And plans start at just $2.99 per month or $19.99 per year… after a 7-day free trial.

Wondering what to watch? Check out some of our favorite episodes here:

• CuriosityStream Recommendations

7. Gigantic Bubbles To Make Everyone Smile!

This is it, you guys. THE BUBBLE RECIPE that you will treasure forever. These gigantic bubbles are one of our family’s favorite activities. Friends beg us to make them when they visit. You need a couple cheap but random items (but you can find them on Amazon and they last A LONG TIME), but they are worth having in your pantry. 

• Gigantic Bubble Recipe {FREE DOWNLOAD}

8. Make Bird Cookies!

Encourage a love of nature study with these backyard bird cookies. This recipe is super-simple and fun for the whole family! Put the cookies outside your kitchen window and your kids will learn a ton about nature and birds!

• Bird Cookie Recipe {FREE DOWNLOAD}

9. Make Play Dough

Yes, this is a Christmas-y post, but the dough is GOLD. This would keep your kids busy if you are stuck indoors:

• Favorite Playdough Recipe {FREE DOWNLOAD}

10. Lazy Unit Studies

Last but not least, one of the easiest ways to learn in a simple, hands-on, and affordable way is through Lazy Unit Studies. And by Lazy I mean super simple.

Here’s the backstory…

My oldest son has always been fascinated by animals and the natural world. His interests aren’t your typical run-of-the-mill animals and insects. Oh, no. He goes for the more obscure. Cuttlefish. Ring-tailed lemurs. Crayfish. Bushbabies. Caddisflies. Phyllobates terribilis. Pronghorns. You get the idea.

When he was six-years-old, he was obsessed with the Humboldt squid. He talked about it all the time and often pretended to be a Humboldt squid. (This phase was hilarious, you guys!)

I’ll never forget the time I created a Humboldt squid unit study for him. I kid you not! I found books featuring squid, documentaries that talked about Humboldt squids, a video of a squid dissection… and I even had a craft project!

Once I’d finally found all the books and documentaries and created the craft, I discovered that he’d moved on. In one fell swoop, he went from being obsessed with the Humboldt squid to losing himself- for many, many months- in the world of Greek mythology.

Has this happened to you, too?

As a mom and educator, I know the importance of following a child’s lead. Children learn so much when we follow their interests! A wonderful way to embrace rabbit holes and follow your child’s lead is through unit studies.

Unit studies have many advantages including:

• The opportunity to cover multiple academic and non-academic subject areas.
• Appropriate for use with multiple ages.
• Readers and non-readers can enjoy a unit study together.
• They help to create a family atmosphere of joyful curiosity and lifelong learning.
• The ability to document delight-driven learning for required year-end homeschool evaluations.
• The ability to follow a child’s lead and study an area of interest.

Traditional unit studies are fantastic, but they can be time-consuming to plan, prepare, and execute. At times, these traditional unit studies can also be costly… especially if you have multiple children and/or your child loses interest halfway through.

Plus, when your kiddo is obsessed with random animals, it is impossible to find a unit study on that topic of interest!

Children are amazingly curious little people. They have unique and varied interests and these interests can sometimes change by the day! They can be hard to keep up with at times. If I had to create a unit study for every interest my children have had, I’d be pulling my hair out!

And that’s why I’ve learned to embrace the Lazy Unit Study. And when I say “lazy,” what I mean is simple.

Lazy Unit Studies have all the advantages of traditional unit studies but without the overwhelm. With a Lazy Unit Study, you can focus on a child’s current area of passion without the hours and hours of planning and prep. The result? More joy for everyone involved!

Lazy Unit Studies are super-simple. You start with the easiest thing and then layer on the learning until your children are ready to move on to the next area of interest. Best part? You can learn alongside your children and create memories together!

When you embrace rabbit holes and surrender to delight-driven learning together, you are teaching your children how to be lifelong, joyful learners. 

And, because your children are interested in the topic, they are more likely to retain the information and experiences from these Lazy Unit Studies.

When I create a Lazy Unit Study, I first identify an area of current interest. Next, I take a moment to brainstorm and plan a little bit. I gather books on this topic and read aloud.

If kids are still interested, I sprinkle in some strewing. Then, I add in some audiovisuals, experiential learning, and games. We may create a project together or go on a field trip. I keep adding layers and layers until we have had our fill and then we move on to our next area of interest.

If you’d like to see an example of what a Lazy Unit Study looks like in our home, you can check out this article I wrote about our super-simple science Lazy Unit Study. It’s a perfect example of a Lazy Unit Study from the past year.

Lazy Unit Studies have become a huge passion of mine. If you’d like to learn more, I’d love for you to take my digital course:

• Lazy Unit Study 101 Digital Course

Related Articles:

• Social Distancing: A Bonus Episode! | The Homeschool Sisters Podcast
• How to Create a Super Simple Homeschool Routine
• How to Homeschool Little Ones (Without the Overwhelm)
• Gameschool Challenges to Change Your Homeschool!
• 75+ Ideas for When You’re Stuck Indoors | Learn In Color

Now, it’s your turn. Tell me: What are your family’s favorite super simple, affordable, at-home learning ideas for parents? Share here!