Reading gives us someplace to go when we have to stay where we are.
- Mason Cooley
Coping with COVID-19
- Download a brand-new Princess in Black adventure from Shannon Hale & Dean Hale, illustrated by LeUyen Pham.
- Free downloadable children's book about COVID-19 illustrated by Axel Scheffler ("The Gruffalo" artist).
- Wash your hands! Graphic novelist and artist Lucy Knisley's handwashing song is available in six languages - and there's video too!
- This episode of "But Why: A Podcast for Curious Kids" explores the coronavirus virus and the science of soap.
- Video: Vermont Family Network's Puppets in Education Anxiety short for COVID-19
- Advice from the National Association of School Psychologists on talking to your kids about the coronavirus.
- Mental Health Foundation (UK) on talking to your kids about scary world news.
- "Just For Kids: A Comic Exploring The New Coronavirus" from NPR.
Language & Literacy
- Free daily writing prompts from New York Times
- Explore centuries of stories, poems and illustrations with Discovering Children's Books from the British Library. For children, teachers and book-lovers of all ages.
- Brush up or learn a second language with duolingo
- Freerice is an addictive word game that benefits the World Food Program. Play on many levels. We warned you - you’ll be hooked!
Read Alouds & Podcasts
- Storyline has loads of your favorite books recorded for your listening and viewing pleasure!
- Tune in to Kids Ask Authors, created and hosted by award-winning author Grace Lin.
- Common Sense Media has a curated list of podcasts for kids. We highly recommend "But Why?", produced by our own Vermont Public Radio.
- Story Pirates is a group of world-class actors, comedians, improvisers and musicians who adapt stories written by kids into sketch comedy and musical theater. Check out their podcasts for stories read aloud by some funny folks!
- How does the government actaully work? Civics 101 podcasts for your middle and high school kiddos will fill in the blanks.
- Kidcasts: Black Voices is a list of podcasts that center Black and African American history, culture, and notable figures.
STEAM
- Doodle and draw with author/illustrators Mo Willems and Jarrett J. Krososzcka.
- Free downloadable activities from kids' art magazine Illustoria.
- FourScienceVT: home learning activites from Vermont's science museums (Vermont Institue of Natural Science [VINS], ECHO Center, Fairbanks Museum & Planetarium, Montshire Museum of Science).
- Mystery Science is a fabulous website for science learning for kids K-5. There are mini lessons and activities that require minimal materials - usually things you have around the house. Check out, “Are Unicorns Real” and “How Does Hand Sanitizer Kill Germs.”
- Audubon at Home: enjoy environmental education content that can easily be done from your own house/porch/yard with common household materials, created by Audubon Vermont.
- DO try this at home! Bill Nye “The Science Guy” has a lot of simple experiments you can do at home with minimal materials.
- Our friends at Bedtime Math have great content for preschoolers through middle school. On the website there are daily problems as well as screen-free activities in “Cabin Fever Math.” There are also two free apps that post daily math challenges. Check out Bedtime Math and Minimath in the app store.
- Learn about animals, ecology, and conservation through interactive games and fun activities with Rainforest Alliance
- Math games from CoolMath.
- Videos and guided practice for Eureka Math (this is the math program that the Burlington School District uses)
Education
- Enjoy great enrichment resources from Vermont PBS, created through the Ready to Learn Grant and PBS Parents.
- COVID 19 Coronavirus Prep in BSD: resources for Burlington School District students.
- Khan Academy/Khan Academy Kids is a great resource for all-around learning. Pick and choose from thousands of on-line learning opportunities at all levels. Ask your BSDVT student if they have created an account through school.
- Learn at home with Scholastic lessons for kindergarten through 9th grade.
- Check out Lakeshore Learning for all kinds of support including printables, flashcards, awards. Your kids would be thrilled to be named “Student of the Day!”
- Teaching Tolerance has incredible educational resources on race and religion, ability, class, immigration, gender and sexual identity, bullying and bias, right and activism and ethnicity.
- Great Schools has online-learning resources for grades K-12, including worksheets, booklists, and support for parents.
Virtual Field Trips
- Visit a farm courtesy of the American Dairy Association
- Blast off to the Johnson Space Center, explore the frozen tundra, road trip into the future, and more at Discovery Education
- World-class museums you can visit online - including Burlington's own Fleming Museum.
- Tune in to live webcams at zoos and aquariums: San Diego Zoo, Houston Zoo, Zoo Atlanta, Monterey Bay Aquarium, Georgia Aquarium, Smithsonian's National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute and more - plus Burlington's own ECHO Lake Aquarium and Science Center.