Category: Resources

Due to the outbreak of the widespread pandemic Covid-19, classes have moved online and remote learning is carried out everywhere.

Remote learning was reported because of its role in supporting learning and maintaining a routine and sense of normalcy for kids when the schools and colleges continue to remain closed. You have to manage your work and ensure that your family’s basic needs are all met. At the same time, you cannot afford to overlook the importance of keeping your children engaged with learning at home.

It is not easy to come up into terms with this new reality easily, but fortunately, I have listed some tips below that can help you to reduce the stress in this transition process.

#1: Set and Follow a Schedule

You should try to make it closer to the school schedule as possible. This will make things easier for everyone.

Of course, you can incorporate changes as required to suit your circumstances at home, your work schedule, and sleeping times. However, once it is created just stick to it.

#2: Ensure the Availability of Required Tools

Your children will need many things ready at home to complete their assignments. Whether it be a pencil, paper, gum, scissors, pens, or any other thing, ensuring their availability makes life less stressful.

It is also important to ensure that you have a fast and stable WiFi connection. Further, all account log-in information should be kept handy. Finally, it pays to have a PDF reader, note-taking apps, and anything else they need to get their work done.

#3: Make Sure the Home Environment is conducive to learning

This may be a challenging task, but very important. If your kids remain isolated, you may not be able to keep an eye on them. If they sit at the kitchen table, they may be distracted. When everyone is at home, it is important to create a conducive learning environment.

#4: Chalk out a Daily Plan

The daily plan is not the same as the schedule. A daily plan involves listing the to-do items for a specific day, keeping the schedule in mind.

#5: Never Teach, Help Them Understand

This is one of the top remote learning tips as far as parents are concerned. Never try to teach your kids, help them complete their assignments. The kind of help needed can vary from one kid to another and depends on grade as well as the subject.

#6: Make Sure they complete their work

As a responsible parent, you must make sure that your kids complete their assignments on time. Leaving anything incomplete, including a clarification sought by the teacher on email, can affect his/her performance.

#7: Help your kids check messages, communicate with school

Encourage your children to check daily for emails/messages from teachers and/or other students and send replies to those emails and messages, if required.

#8: It is about your kid, don’t worry about the work

This is not easy when there is a lot of pressure from all fronts- home, office, and kids’ studies. But it is all for the well-being  of your child. You will have to take it in your stride. The additional stress brought in by remote learning is not going to last forever.

#9: Learn to understand your Kids’ problems

Teachers have to learn to find out as to why a student’s performance is going down. In the remote learning scenario, the onus on you. You need to find out why your child is struggling. Is it focus? Is it motivation? Are they yearning for a hug? Do they want you to sit with them?

#10: Make use of the School’s Resources

Contact your kid’s school for resource support. This is very critical if your kid needs additional support and the school’s special services.

#11: Personalize your Kid’s Learning Space

It is a good idea to personalize your kid’s learning space in terms of sound, light, equipment, etc. You can also make small adjustments to their schedules.

#12: Encourage him/her to have a Growth mindset

A growth mindset is not about what or how they should learn. It is all about how they should think about whatever they are learning. Encourage them to develop a positive mental attitude about everything.

#13: Help them Use the Right Resources

The goal is to help them have a clear idea as to where they should go for whatever they want. This enable them to save their precious time.

#14: Encourage your kids to follow their Passion

Set apart some time in their schedules on a weekly basis so that they can explore a little bit and find out what their real passion is.

#15: Help them Organize their Learning Environment

There is no doubt about the fact that the remote learning environment needs to be kept organized for your child to derive maximum benefits. However, it needs to be done depending on your circumstance.

#16: Encourage Ownership Attitude

Train your children to take ownership of whatever they are doing. The more your kids own their learning, the easier and more fulfilling it will be for all.

#17: Accept the Complexity associated with Learning

You need to think differently when it comes to helping your children with their school assignments. Know that your children need a lot of support – academic, collaborative, psychological, disciplinary, technological, etc.

#18: Help them to Find Motivation on their Own

Children are different when it comes to motivation levels and what motivates them. Further, parents-children and parents-teachers-children dynamics are different. However, motivation is one area where parents could be better than teachers. The goal is to motivate them to learn without psychological punishments.

#19: Understand the working of the brain and how learning happens

Read about learning theories and basics of neuroscience.

#20: Make Learning Interesting

Decide points, set challenges and achievement levels, and draw out visible progress markers. Read a little bit as to how you can gamify learning and how it makes learning more interesting.

#21: Encourage your child to create a Learning Network

Help your children connect with their peers who have similar goals and attitudes towards life. For example, encourage your child that is desirous studying medicine with other students or groups that have similar ambitions.

#22: Help your Kid realize the value of acquiring specific knowledge

Emphasize the need to develop critical thinking apart from acquiring academic knowledge. This may be a homeschooling tip but, ideally, it should happen in all formal learning scenarios.

#23: Watch News Occasionally

Set a limit on viewing news. Young children can get scared. Assure them that they are very safe and that life would soon be normal.

#24: Enjoy Family Time

Do whatever it takes to enjoy family time. Play cards, make new/favorite dishes, sing/listen to songs, go through old family photos, or play games. Your children will be learning as well as having fun!

#25: Be your Children’s Role Model

Develop and practice healthy habits. Your children will be encouraged to do the same. You may be working from home, but you should get dressed, take breaks, continue to maintain your bedtime, get sufficient sleep, exercise, and eat right.

This is a stressful time, but it also presents an opportunity. It gives you more time to talk to your children about their interests, strengths, and where they need more support. This is also a good time to bond well as a family.

DIY crafts for kids are a boon to the parents who struggle to keep their children occupied and away from the TV and mobile screens.

The craftworks keep them engaged fruitfully. The activities inspire them and expose them to facts visually. It also provides them with the space to be creative.

As for parents, DIY activities keep the children busy at home at a minimal cost. Recycled and unwanted materials can be used for these activities which will keep the costs low.

Buying new toys, which the kids tire out soon, and sending them to art schools are expensive propositions.

These expenses can be avoided and the parents get to spend quality time with the kids too.

We look at 17 awesome DIY crafts for kids that provide a fun-filled activity and a learning experience.

1. Handprint / Footprint Art

The paper or canvas is painted with washable paint. Once dried the child has his/her hand or foot painted.

They place their painted hand/foot carefully in the middle of the dried painted paper.

After the hand/footprint has dried the kids can draw on it according to their imagination. They can picture it to be butterflies, wasps, fishes, elephants etc.

2. Bubble Art

Bubble wrap paper is wrapped on a small cup.

The base of the cup is dipped in different color paints and stamped on art paper or canvas.

The prints look like beautiful flowers of different colors. Stalks can be painted by the kids.

3. Airplane Clothespin

This is very simple to make DIY crafts for kids under the ages of 6. Craft sticks are painted and cut into wing shapes.

These are then stuck onto the clothespin, the longer wings glued to the top and bottom of the clothespin and the shorter for the tail wings.

They can be made real colorful and attractive and hung on a clothesline.

4. Firework Paintings

Pipe cleaners, 4 to 5 of them are folded into half and the end twisted to make a handle.

The other end is fanned out in a circle. This is dipped in paint and stamped on paper giving it a slight twist.

The fan is then dipped in different color paints and stamped in the same place on the paper creating vibrant firework-like art.

5. Glow-in-the-dark Jellyfish

Paper bowls are painted inside out with acrylic glow-in-the-dark paints.

10 to 12 pieces of string of approximate length of 36 inches are squirted with glow paint and left to dry. Two small holes are punched in the center of the bowl.

The string pieces are then threaded through the holes so that both ends come out through the inside of the bowl. These form the tentacles of the jellyfish.

This is then hung in a bright room for about 30 minutes. Then the lights are turned off to see them glow in the dark.

6. Mini lid Banjos

This simple banjo can strum tunes. Four loom bands (rubber bands) are placed on over a bottle lid.

They are secured in place with tape. The end of a jumbo craft stick is cut. The craft stick is then painted or decorated.

The lid with loom bands is then stuck to the craft stick with tape. Tuning knobs can be drawn with a marker at the other ends or plastic buttons can be stuck on.

7. Marble Run

This tubular maze can be made from empty toilet roll tubes. A cardboard piece for a base, 5-10 toilet rolls, paint, glue, and marbles will suffice to make this a smooth marble run.

The rolls are painted different colors, some taped together, some connected together by splitting them halfway.

Holes are cut into the towers and the split halves are glued on in downward slants which will allow smooth flow of marbles.

This is a craft for older children as marbles will be dangerous for children under the age of 6. Sourdough balls can be used for younger children.

8. Race Track

Washi or masking tape can be stuck on the floor or a piece of cardboard big enough to house a race track for small cars.

The child can stick the tape according to his idea of a car racing track with parking spaces and repair stations. He can play with his small cars on this track.

Children tire of toys pretty easily. This DIY toy can be replaced anytime to the kids liking and interest. This saves on buying a race track toy.

9. Soap Boat

A rain gutter becomes a race track for soap boats in this DIY backyard craft.

Small bits of triangular fabric is stuck to toothpicks to look like sails. This toothpick is then stuck into small soap bars.

Water is hosed down one end of the rain gutter. The soap boat placed in the gutter then sail to the other end.

This activity will keep the kid running up and down with the boats.

10. Bookmarks

Older children can make bookmarks from different materials. Tassels attached to paper clips are simple to make.

Painting on craft sticks, cutting strips of rectangular pieces and painting them, see how the imagination of the kids are working.

Corner bookmarks from colored paper are very attractive.

11. Balloon Rocket

One end of a string is tied to the back of a chair. A drinking straw is threaded on the other end of the string and then tied to the back of another chair.

Two pieces of tapes about 2 inches in length are attached to the center of the straw. A balloon is inflated and the open end held onto to prevent the air escaping.

This is then stuck to the tapes on the straw. The balloon is pulled to one end of the string and let off. It shoots across the string to the other end. This activity is educative as real rockets functions in a similar way.

12. Marshmallow shooters

The bottom portion of a disposable cup is cut off. The top of a balloon is cut off and the balloon is stretched over the bottom of the cup.

The open end of the balloon is stuck to the edge of the cup using tape. The opposite end of the balloon is tied into a knot.

Marshmallows are placed in the cup and shot out by pulling the knotted end of the balloon.

The force applied in pulling determines the distance to which the marshmallows travel. This is a fun learning activity for children of all ages.

13. Paper Bracelets

Abstract shapes and colors are painted on paper. The paper is then cut into 16-22 strips and folded into wearable bracelets.

The strips are folded in halves. One strip is slipped into another to form a T.

The tail ends are folded at right angles over the outer strip. The paper strips are added on and attached by folding into each other until the bracelet is long enough to go around the wrist.

14. Paper Bead Necklaces

Strips of paper – wrapping, magazine clipping, newspaper – are rolled into beads. Paper is rolled on to toothpicks.

The tail is glued and the bread rolls are taken off the toothpicks and strung together.

Children can use their creative skills in shaping the bead rolls and placing them to their liking and taste while stringing.

15. Mini Volcanoes

This activity is a bit messy and has to be taken place in a safe area as kids can go berserk seeing the chemical reaction.

Vinegar and baking-soda together create a volcanic type reaction. 4-5 paper cups, cut in half and filled with vinegar, are seated in a large dish.

A few drops of food coloring are added to each cup. A scoop of baking soda is dropped into these cups causing it to fizz out.

This is the lava coming out of a volcano. This is a very simple and informative DIY craft.

16. Toy Parachute

A dinner napkin is reinforced with tape on all four corners. Four pieces of string, about a foot long, are tied into holes punched at the four corners.

Two strands on each side are tied together. A knot is made at the end of each strand to be arm-holes.

A light figure or a tiny soft toy is tied to the armholes. This parachute, when dropped from a small height, opens up,  to the delight of the kids.

17. Paper flowers

These paper flowers are made from cupcake liners folded into quarters to look like a zigzag.

The liners are glued together in pairs. Two pairs are then glued together to form a full circle.

A jewel or button can be fixed to the center of the flower. A drinking straw can be attached to the flower as a stem. A group of these flowers can form a bouquet.

To Wrap it up

These simple and easy DYI crafts for kids to keep the children interested and motivated to do more of these activities.

The kids learn easily through activities. The parents and teachers can guide them so that they fully exploit their creativity.

The kids’ interests and aptitudes can also be assessed to an extent.