Working from home has always required discipline and focus. But as the world adapts to remote working during the COVID-19 crisis, new challenges are added to the work from home environment; namely, ensuring your children are cared for during work hours. 

Here are a few activities to help as you navigate this new reality.

• Take virtual field trips. Museums, zoos, aquariums, national parks, and more across the world offer free tours or webcam access. Make a plan for a place to visit and then structure other activities during the day around the virtual visit (draw a picture of what you saw/write a report about what they do/make up a song about the place). This may keep the kids entertained while you cross a few things off your to-do list. Here are several resources for finding available tours:
  • The Organized Preschool Teacher
  • Google Arts and Culture
  • Access Mars
  • Baby Goat Cam
  • San Diego Zoo Animal Cams
  • Georgia Aquarium African Penguin Cam
  • Additional live camera feeds
• Read a book with Olaf. Need to finish up a project after dinner? Josh Gad, the voice of Olaf from Disney’s Frozen, goes live on Twitter at 7:30pm PST and reads a story. His Twitter account has all of his previous videos so even if you can’t watch it live, there’s a library of content.
• Set up a sensory bin. Entertain your kids and provide sensory learning and development at the same time. Grab a large plastic storage bin and supplies from around your house. Choose from hundreds of different activities or make up your own based on what you have on hand.
• Do some (non-messy) arts and crafts. Have some stickers and some painters tape? Tape a large piece of paper to the wall and let your kids “decorate” with stickers.
• Learn about birds, reptiles, and more with Christine’s Critter Show LIVE. Everyday at 11am EST, Christine hosts a live show with falcons, snakes, frogs, and other animals.
• Put on a play. Ask your kids to create a story (or copy their favorite book or movie) and turn it into a play to show you later. Encourage them to find costumes, incorporate dance moves, and more.
• Make cards. Pull out some paper and crayons and ask them to make cards for friends and family. Some nursing and assisted living homes are also asking for donated cards from children for residents who are feeling isolated due to quarantines.

Find more ideas for structuring your day and balancing work and childcare.

While structure and rules certainly help any household, situations like this beg for a bit of flexibility. If you find yourself allowing more screen time or giving in more frequently, remember that these are special circumstances. Remember to be kind to yourself and count your small victories. One of those victories may include advancing your education from the comfort of your own home. Peirce College is a leader in providing affordable, flexible undergraduate and graduate degree programs that are offered 100% online – an ideal format for busy adults who do not have the time to attend class on campus.  Learn more about the Peirce difference.