Boredom Busters!
Take advantage of extra time to learn new things!
Non Traditional Instruction
Use this page as a one-stop shop for busting those boredom blues while you are at home over the coming weeks!
Take A Virtual Field Trip
SAN DIEGO ZOO
The San Diego Zoo has a website just for kids with amazing videos, activities, and games. Enjoy the tour!
Mud Volcano, Mammoth Hot Springs, and so much more.
Tour Yellowstone National Park!
MARS!!!
Explore the surface of Mars on the Curiosity Rover.
They are updating from WEBVR to WEBXR now, but 360 Mode offers a digital view!
ANIMAL CAMERAS
Live Cams at the San Diego Zoo
Monterey Bay Aquarium live cams
Georgia Aquarium has Jellyfish, Beluga Whales, and more
FARM TOUR
This Canadian site FarmFood 360 offers
11 Virtual Tours of farms from minks, pigs, and cows, to apples and eggs.
US SPACE AND ROCKET MUSEUM
See the Saturn 5 Rocket on YouTube and more on this tour thanks to a real father/son outing.
A few of the field trip topics include
THE LOUVRE (a very, very famous art museum in Paris, France)
Travel to Paris, France to see amazing works of art at The Louvre with this virtual field trip.
THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA
This Virtual Tour of the Great Wall of China is beautiful and makes history come to life.
BOSTON'S CHILDREN'S MUSEUM
Walkthrough the Boston Children’s Museum thanks to Google Maps!
This virtual tour allows kids to explore 3 floors of fun.
Listen To A PodCast
A podcast is like listening to the radio AND reading a book all at the same time.
When you listen to a podcast you can choose what you listen to and where you listen to the recording. You can choose something funny or education. You can choose a podcast about a specific topic that interests you. Even though I have never considered myself a science person, some of the science or how does it work podcasts are SO interesting.
You can play a podcast off a phone or computer. If you have an Alexa or Echo, you can ask it to play a podcast. I love listening to podcasts when I am coloring or driving. I even listen with headphones while I clean my house. Listening to some of these podcasts
Best Podcasts for Kids in Elementary School
1. The Radio Adventures of Eleanor Amplified
Listen as world-famous radio reporter Eleanor foils devious plots, outwits crafty villains, and goes after The Big Story. Eleanor’s pursuit of truth takes her into orbit, out to sea, and even to the halls of Congress! Her adventures are entertaining and informative.
Activity to try: Have a discussion about Eleanor and her values, especially the importance of access to information, being inclusive to different points of view, and telling the truth. Then have your students write about what their values are.
A fun-filled podcast for kids all about ethical questions that get kids and adults thinking. “Do you have to love your sibling?” “Are some lies actually okay?” “Is it ever okay to fight back against a bully?”
Activity to try: Have your students write down questions to which they don’t know the answers, and talk about a few (after vetting them, of course).
3. Tumble
Science is brought to life in this podcast that tells stories about science discoveries with help from actual scientists. They answer questions from why cats always seem to land on their feet to what a journey to the center of the earth would look like.
Activity to try: Discuss the topic of any given episode as a class, opening it up to questions and encouraging further research.
4. The Radio Adventures of Dr. Floyd
Follow the on-going battle between Dr. Floyd and the evil mastermind, Dr. Steve (along with his sock-shaped assistant, Fidgert). During all their fighting, Dr. Floyd learns about history. With more than 400 episodes, there are plenty to choose from.
Activity to try: Have students write their own episode, including a historical event that they love or that you have covered.
5. Brains On!
“Brains On!” features science and kids. The host and her kid co-host talk with food scientists and snake handlers, put on plays, write songs, and so much more. It’s a science lesson for your ears!
Activity to try: Listen to the March 23 episode, “Books: How they’re made and how your brain reads them”. Afterward, have a discussion with your class about the many ways that reading is great for them.
6. Storynory
An online treasure-trove of free audio stories. You can listen to a mixture of original stories, fairy tales, and specially adapted myths and histories. Storynory has published an episode every week since 2005, so there is plenty to love and something for everyone.
Activity to try: Have students write an original short story and then present it to the class
7. Ahway Island
Be Calm on Ahway Island features short stories for kids to listen to free! Each relaxing story contains a guided meditation and a positive message. This one comes recommended from a Crossroads student!
Big Life Kids podcast helps kids develop a GROWTH MINDSET!
Indoor Activities
- If you have a spare roll of paper towels (we know, we know…), roll it across the room and let the kids draw to their heart’s content!
- Write cards, but not just to loved ones! Think about the residents of nursing homes who can no longer have visitors.
- Have your kiddos put socks on their hands and “race” to clean the baseboards.
- Make edible finger paint for an afternoon craft/snack!
- Yoga poses for toddlers – get those yogis started early.
- Make salt dough shapes, ornaments, cars, or whatever else strikes your fancy!
- Make a sensory rice bin. Kids of all ages love to play with this one!
- Go indoor bowling with solo cups and a tennis ball
- Clean your toys AND wash those hands with an animal “bath time” or truck “car wash”.
- For older kids, make a giant Dots and Blocks game on your wall with butcher paper.
- Create a reading tent for quiet time.
- Have fun with an indoor obstacle course!
Outdoor Activities
- Go camping in the backyard with some of these awesome ideas!
- Take a hike – literally!
- Planting a garden this year? Plant those seeds that need to be started inside in empty cans and bottles.
- Make these giant bubbles that you will think are pretty awesome too.
- Create a DIY bird feeder.
- Create bubble art.
- Use this sidewalk chalk paint to lighten up the neighborhood!
- Get dirty with old fashioned mud pies.
- Have some fun with squirt gun painting!
Alexa Ideas
1. 1-2-3 Math
This educational Alexa skill tests kids their elementary math knowledge. Choose from three categories, “easy,” “medium,” and “hard,” and earn points for correct answers.
Kids can hear hundreds of short stories read aloud, and even make special requests. (“Alexa, tell me a silly story!)
This one is a great way to get kids up and moving! Alexa will challenge you to waddle like a penguin or crawl like an ant while upbeat music plays. Dozens of animal types/movements featured! (Please have a guardian video this and send it to me for Facebook!)
4. Curiosity
In this educational Alexa skill for curious kids, Alexa asks you to choose between different topics (like “the moon” and “emotions”) and then gives you fun facts based on your choice.
Learn about the dinosaur of the day! After Alexa tells you about the dinosaur, consider having kids draw what they think it looked like. Then look on Google to see if you are right.
6. Earplay
Earplay has a “mature content” warning but in our testing we didn’t hear anything that wouldn’t be suitable for middle school and up. Use your own discretion, of course, but we loved this “choose your own adventure” storytelling skill that feels like an old-time radio show.
Turn any room into an escape room with this skill! Really fun, really hard. Probably best for middle school and up due to the difficulty of the clues.
Kids love this guessing game! Alexa pretends to be an animal and reads a series of clues. As soon as kids know the answer, they can say “Alexa, you’re a zebra!”
9. Kids News
A kid-friendly news digest that also features news and fun facts.
10. Kids’ Quiz
You can try this skill every day to hear three new questions about animals, science, and more.
11. Lemonade Stand
Remember this old school computer game? It’s been reinvented as an Alexa skill, and it’s so much fun! Kids practice math while making and selling lemonade.
12. The Magic Door
This is another choose-your-own adventure story skill, set in a fantastical world. Good for all ages.
13. Silly Things
This one is maybe not as educational as others on this list, but still lots of fun! Alexa will give kids “silly things” to do, such as “do your most silly dance.”
14. Story Blanks
Like Mad Libs…for Alexa! There are only four story templates to choose from, but this is still a fun one.
Ask Alexa to launch “This Day in History” to learn all about historical facts from the day. Powered by The History Channel.
16. Travel Quest
Kids can travel around the world and earn stamps for their passports with this virtual simulation.
17. Tricky Genie
Test kids’ decision-making and logic with this story app that frequently pauses and asks kids to choose between three “sacks” with potential answers to a problem.
18. Word of the Day
Learn a new vocabulary word every day with this educational Alexa skill for all ages.
19. Word Play
This Jeopardy-like game allows you to compete with players around the world to complete word clues.
20. Would You Rather for Family
Spark family conversations with these fun “would you rather” scenarios, specifically written for kids.
Do Some Art! Or Music!
Art Bar: Weekly Art and Play Activity Guides For Kids
Art Hub For Kids: Many kids are already familiar with this one! Free video drawing lessons!
Lunch Doodles with Mo: Mo Willems is a favorite children's author and illustrator of the "Pigeon" and "Elephant and Piggie" Books. Each day he is doing a lunchtime doodle session for kids!
McHarper Manor Daily Creativity Workshops; This art studio is doing daily art workshops for kids at 1:00 via facebook live! Check them out!
Kids Music Class with Emily Arrow: New ones posted each week day!
Tell someone about it!
Lauren Manion, School Counselor
Email: lauren.manion@bullitt.kyschools.us
Website: https://sites.google.com/bullitt.kyschools.us/cescounselingcorner/home
Phone: 502-869-7400