As many of us are spending more time at home right now, it can feel like our whole lives take place in front of a screen. With regular schools closed, children are studying at home and spending their days in a digital classroom, with breaks for games, movies, and playdates online. How are we supposed to limit screen time in this new all-digital world and prevent those kids from turning into Zoomified zombies? Here are a few ideas for leveraging free e-media resources from the library to unplug from our devices, at least for a little while.
Talking and Listening
As librarians, our first thought is always about reading! Since no one has an unlimited home library, some of that reading may have to be done on screens, but literacy goes beyond just the printed page. Encourage your kids to talk about what they’ve read and accomplished during the day. We can all use some practice with our storytelling and listening skills! You could also start your very own family book club by listening to audiobooks while doing chores or other tasks around the house.
Cooking
With limited access to restaurants, many of us are rediscovering the joys of cooking at home! This is a great opportunity to get bored kids involved in preparing their own meals. You might be surprised by their interest. When one of us made homemade tortillas this week, a nine-year-old who is usually resistant to cooking jumped at the chance to roll them out and cook them. Overdrive has many children’s cookbooks for easy recipe ideas to make as a family.
Dance Party!
You don’t need video to have an awesome dance party. You don’t even need to change out of your pajamas. Freegal has albums and playlists to stream, so you can dance every day and burn up that extra energy!
Make Art
Your first thought might be, “But I don’t have supplies…” Don’t worry about what you don’t have, focus on what you do! You can make art with as little as some paper waiting to be recycled and a pencil or pen. Do you have a junk drawer at home? Well, now we're talking!
STEM
Maybe you love science? Maybe the thought of doing science projects at home with your family fills you with dread? Whatever the case may be we have resources to help you every step of the way. Always remember that you don’t need to know everything, because the whole family is learning together.
Play!
Whether we’re working at home or outside the house, we still have a million and one demands on our time and attention. So when we do have some recreational family time (remember weekends?), it’s important to make it count. Don’t be afraid to kick it old school with some of these classics:
- Build a fort out of pillows and blankets in the living room and exercise those engineering skills
- Do your children love the parachute at storytime or at school? Use a bedsheet and create the magic at home
- Learn how to play a board game that’s been sitting in your closet for years
- Make a batch of play-dough and see what creations you can make
More Ideas and Resources
