K-2 Edition

Your early elementary students are probably used to doing more formal learning activities, but informal options are still hugely important. Their bodies are built to move, and there’s no need to confine learning to a discrete box, desk, or assigned space on the rug. (You’ve likely seen several versions of an article like this and there’s truth in there!)

This is an age group that I spend a lot of my professional time thinking about, so it is hard to narrow down the resources (just like it was for Common Sense Media!), but my favorite digital resources include:

Math/Science

• Young Mathematicians Project: Recommendations for books and games to foster math learning, as well as suggested family activities by some of the people I most respect in the field
• Apps for Math and Science: These are repeated from the preschool edition, but it’s for this age as well (even aligned with early elementary standards), and were also created by some of my favorite people (including Marion!)
• Mystery Doug: Our kids love these 5-minute videos based on science questions submitted by kids, and Doug is enthusiastic and informative at a level that kids enjoy and understand
• Scholastic has put together a lesson per day for kids that is not-surprisingly really well done. Fun books, videos, and suggested activities around a sustained theme for the day, which is typically a science one, but they do have one social studies (communities) and one social and emotional learning theme as well.
• If you have an animal lover on your hands, use a virtual zoo to watch and learn about animals.

Literacy

• In addition to celebrities reading children’s books that we included in the Preschool Edition, Audible can help you find the exact book your child wants to hear and has longer books as well, and is currently free.
• Mo Willems is doing livestream “LUNCH DOODLES” weekdays at 1pm Eastern Time for the next few weeks, and has already been called the modern day Mr. Rogers. The videos are also available for streaming afterward and include an activity to download.

Wellness

• Cosmic Kids Yoga offers free yoga adventures that will keep you moving and calm. They have a wide range of adventures, including these favorites: Frozen, Harry Potter, and Pokemon.
• Smiling Mind has great mindfulness meditations and activities for all ages, and for all areas of wellbeing (sleep, relationships, self-care, etc.).

Please don’t forget that time being together without media is also critical. Playing games together is one great way to have fun together and build on developing skills. There are classic games like Chutes & Ladders, Candyland, Yahtzee, Connect 4, Mastermind, Battleship, Pictionary and newer ones like Hoot Owl Hoot, Robot Turtles, and Cauldron Quest. There are card games (including a favorite of ours, Rat-a-tat Cat, that you could easily make your own cards for if you don’t have the game), word games (like Hangman or Boggle), or social games like Heads Up.

And no post would be complete without my go-to PBS KIDS. Favorites for this age include Wild Kratts, Odd Squad, Ruff Ruffman, and Word Girl.