The world feels pretty crazy right now and a lot of us are at home with little kids that need to be occupied. As much as I’m sure we’d all love to hang on the couch and watch Netflix all day (if only!), that’s not the reality for most of us that still have to work and don’t want to depend on screen time all day, every day. So here are some of the best resources I’ve found. Please add any additional ideas in the comments and we can add to the list!

Crafting Ideas

The Mama Notes - Her website and Instagram have tons of great ideas. So far I’ve made her playdough, the moon sand ice cream play and countless other activities on this list .
Studio DIY - Watch her Instagram “Camp” highlights for ideas on how to create themed days and activities.
Colorama - Her kits might be sold out for now, but she’s posting lots of other easy and fun ideas on how to occupy littles in her Instagram.
Almost Makes Perfect - She posted a list of “35+ things to do while you’re stuck at home” (I love that they aren’t all craft based) and her Instagram is full of fun projects like the coolest looking cardboard food truck!

Education and Lesson Based

KiwiCo - The STEM activity box company posted a “Parent Toolkit” with lists of activities by age, advice for parents from teachers, at home schedules and even an article on the “Science of washing your hands”.
Other Goose - This homeschool guide and curriculum, created by OG blogger Erin Lochner, is generously being provided for free right now (for three weeks). You do have to enter your credit card info but you can easily cancel within 21 days to avoid being charged.
Lovely Indeed - Chelsea created a two-week “At Home Activity Schedule For Kid and Toddlers”. I already downloaded the free guide and love that it includes sensory activities, crafts and outdoor.
Busy Toddler - In addition to a book on homeschooling called “Playing Preschool” she has activities on her website categorized into “Play” and “Learn”. She has all different types of indoor and outdoor activities and I find myself looking for ideas on her Instagram quite often.
PBS Kids and Scholastic Learn at Home are also both excellent (and highly regarded) resources offering learning plans right now for all ages.

Live Streams & Virtual Classes

Books readings - Oliver Jeffers, Mac Barnett and Pete the Cat are just a few of the authors I know of that are doing live reads of their books on Instagram. The recordings are live for 24 hours and depending on your set up you can stream directly to your TV to make it a little more exciting. Also check out #SAVEWITHSTORIES to see your favorite actors read their favorite books to benefit the Save The Children and No Kid Hungry organizations.
Live music classes - State of Kid is hosting several different free classes including Jam with Jamie, Bilingual Beats and Hatch + Bloom. Check out their website for the full schedule. The LA School of Music is also offering virtual piano lessons for kids 5 and up. Check out our full post with additional information!
Big & Tiny - One of our favorite parent friendly coworking spaces in Los Angeles is offering daily classes (held via Zoom) called “Mornings with Mr. Anthony” that focus on crafts, songs, storytelling, games and more.
Sweet Potato Music LA - Another local educator offering highly interactive classes for the 0 -4 age range. I definitely plan to check this one out.
Trisha Zemp Stop Motion Camp for Kids - Learn how to do stop motion. How cool is that?! This looks absolutely amazing and if my daughter was a bit older I would definitely participate!
Virtual zoo tours - Another activity I’m very excited for! Several different zoos including San Diego, Atlanta , Monterey Bay Aquarium, and Houston Zoo are doing various live feeds, tours and talks with the animals.
Also make sure to check out any of your local classes to see if they are offering virtual classes. It’s a great way to support the small businesses you love during a very challenging time!

Exercise and Physical Activity

Cosmic Yoga - I started streaming these kid friendly yoga videos a few days ago and my daughter is already hooked! Since it’s been raining in LA we needed some fun ways to move our bodies (aka get tired and nap) inside and this definitely did the trick. It’s the perfect mix of exercise and storytelling. We’ve done the longer 15 minutes sessions and the short yoga dance party videos.
Circle Time Fun - This website offers a huge variety of online classes including yoga, family cooking, art and interactive story time.

And don’t forget this is also the perfect time to pull out toys you haven’t played with in a while, have a family game night, listen to a kids podcast or audiobook (we love the Pinna), play dress up, have independent play, get outside as much of you can (while staying away from others), call everyone you know on FaceTime, read books and try to enjoy the family time!

-Callie & Christianne