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Questions to consider: How can we stay in touch with people we can’t see right now?Would you like getting letters in the mailbox? Why or why not?  Who is that in the picture?  Where do you think they were?  How do you know? 

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Questions to consider: How can we stay in touch with people we can’t see right now?Would you like getting letters in the mailbox? Why or why not?  Who is that in the picture?  Where do you think they were?  How do you know? 

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Do chores together and talk while doing them.

Tell your child stories about them from when they were “little.”

Video Chat with family and friends not with you.

Write letters to a family member.

Make alphabet letters with materials around your house such as string, yarn, popsicle sticks, etc.; name the letter and say a word or words that begin with that sound/letter

Look at old photo albums or photo files and discuss who is in the picture and where they were

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When you are on vacation, running errands or just away from home, free video read alouds are a great way to fill what can be hours of waiting into a lot of fun! These are convenient stories for families on the go. View them on a computer, tablet, or phone. If you have a few minutes you have time for a story! The playlist below includes more than 100 video read alouds from old classics like Where the Wild Things Are to newer favorites like Little Jumbo. Featured readers include actors, performers, celebrities, and oftentimes the author themselves. This listening library is available all day every day (and all night!) for returning to old favorites. "Read it again!" has never been easier!

Click on a book cover to hear a story!

For more help keeping children hearing and enjoying great stories you can find even MORE Free Video Read Alouds or try IndyPL's DIY Online Storytimes at Home. Because reading aloud to kids-even after they know how to read independently-benefits kids of all ages. Video read alouds are a great tool to help create a culture of reading. They don't replace reading aloud together in-person, but they are a fun alternative and supply key early literacy benefits.

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Looking for free video read alouds of children's stories? Just click on a book cover to watch 100+ stories read aloud!

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Questions to consider:  What types of activities does your child do to keep active, and how can they continue to do them at home?

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Questions to consider:  What types of activities does your child do to keep active, and how can they continue to do them at home?

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Questions to consider:  Is your child able to complete personal hygiene tasks independently? Are they working towards completing them more independently?

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Questions to consider:  Is your child able to complete personal hygiene tasks independently? Are they working towards completing them more independently?

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Questions to consider:  How does your child learn best? What are their favorite things to do at home?

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Questions to consider:  How does your child learn best? What are their favorite things to do at home?

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Questions to consider:  How does your child like to learn?What do they like to play with?Do they share toys with you and siblings?

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Questions to consider:  How does your child like to learn?What do they like to play with?Do they share toys with you and siblings?

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Questions to consider:  How did that story make you feel?Are you feeling happy or sad?  What can we do to feel better?  (Dramatic Play) How do you think the baby feels?

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Questions to consider:  How did that story make you feel?Are you feeling happy or sad?  What can we do to feel better?  (Dramatic Play) How do you think the baby feels?

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Questions to consider:  Does your child like to make up stories, or pretend, and if so how can you extend their stories?What basic activities (household chores) can you include your child in, can you give them step by step instructions to help them complete the activity?

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Questions to consider:  Does your child like to make up stories, or pretend, and if so how can you extend their stories?What basic activities (household chores) can you include your child in, can you give them step by step instructions to help them complete the activity?

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Questions to consider:  What type of emotional support does my child need during this stressful time?  Do they understand what is going on, or have questions?

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Questions to consider:  What type of emotional support does my child need during this stressful time?  Do they understand what is going on, or have questions?

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Questions to consider:  How many times do you think you’ll have to use the half cup to fill up that bowl? What does dancing do to your heart? How many pairs of socks do we have here? Who lives on our street?  Families?  Senior citizens? Which container of rice is heavier?  Which has more? What can you draw in the rice using your finger? What tools could you use to experiment with the rice?

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Questions to consider:  How many times do you think you’ll have to use the half cup to fill up that bowl? What does dancing do to your heart? How many pairs of socks do we have here? Who lives on our street?  Families?  Senior citizens? Which container of rice is heavier?  Which has more? What can you draw in the rice using your finger? What tools could you use to experiment with the rice?

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Questions to consider:  How do scientists and inventors come up with new ideas? How is living in Florida different than living in New York? How many half cups of rice do we need to make enough for dinner for everyone at home?

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Questions to consider:  How do scientists and inventors come up with new ideas? How is living in Florida different than living in New York? How many half cups of rice do we need to make enough for dinner for everyone at home?

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Do some exercises together: jumping jacks, plank, running in place, pretend jump rope, etc.

Personal Hygiene (handwashing, brushing teeth, etc)

Healthy Eating: Have your child help you plan a lunch/dinner menu (identify vegetables, meats, starches)

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Outdoor activities (hiking, riding a bike, running, etc)

Yoga for kids

Healthy Eating; Have your child help you plan and cook a meal

Dental health

Personal hygiene

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Play games such as; Hide and Seek, I Spy, Red Rover, and Board Games

Identifying feelings using stories

Keep and continually review a daily schedule

Self regulation skills (Skills to help your child calm down, calming breath, etc)

Sing songs together

Dramatic Play-Role play different scenarios

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Talk about feelings related to staying home from school

Practice deep breathing

Character education

Keep and continually review a daily schedule

Self regulation skills (Skills to help your child calm down, calming breath, etc)

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Ask your child to help you plan the day.

Ask your child to help with chores such as making beds, sweeping, setting the table, emptying the dishwasher, etc.

Read stories to your child. Use books online/YouTube

Tell your child stories.

Have your child tell you a story/role play/play dress up

Make alphabet letters with materials around your house such as string, yarn, popsicle sticks, etc.; name the letter

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Play with water in a sink, bathtub or plastic tub with measuring cups & spoons, bowls and cups.

Dance to music from YouTube, etc.

Match socks into pairs from a pile of socks.

Look out the window at your neighborhood.

You can color small baggies of white rice by adding several drops of  food coloring with a tiny bit of water or vinegar. Be sure to let the rice dry on cookie sheets for about an hour before using. Have your child measure and pour the rice into various containers, or pour it through cardboard tubes or funnels.  Mixing all the colors together makes “rainbow rice”.  Pour the rice onto flat trays to “write” letters/name with your finger.

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We love exploring colors of the rainbow through hands-on sensory play of all kinds! This rainbow rice sensory bin came as a big surprise project today, but what a fun and beautiful one at that! Rice bins are one of our most enjoyed activities for sensory play!

RAINBOW RICE SENSORY BIN FOR HANDS-ON PLAY!

HOW TO DYE RICE

All you need is white rice, vinegar, food coloring and a paper towel or two! I have a plastic container that I save just for this purpose. It's amazing the things I now have in my kitchen that are solely used and bought for our activities and lessons!

YOU WILL NEED:

DYING RICE:

1. Measure 1 Cup of Rice and place into the container

2. Add 1 Teaspoon of Vinegar

3. Add as much food coloring as desired (deeper color= more food coloring)

4. Cover and SHAKE vigorously for a minute

5. Spread on paper towel or plate to dry

These should all be dry in an hour if you stick to the one cup per paper towel. I find the color is distributed the best this way too. For many sensory bins, I have made graded shades of colors for a fun twist. This has also allowed me to experiment with how much food coloring to use to achieve desired shades!

For rainbow rice make one cup for each color of the rainbow.

RICE SENSORY BIN

Rice is one of our favorite sensory bin fillers! My son likes to build his own rice sensory bin, so here is what I presented him with to put it all together himself.

Patiently waiting!

Learning about colors with rainbow rice sensory play!

Let the pouring begin! I was kind of hoping he wouldn't just want to dump it all at once, but who was I to stop the impending fun of dumping stuff!

Then there was the mixing! It was so fun to see the rainbow rice colors mix together and discover little pockets of un-mixed colors in the corners. Then we got down to business and mixed pirate potions and hunted for gems. We had tasty treats in our bowls.

We filled the bottle, practiced screwing and unscrewing the "secret" treasure boxes and filled and dumped those too. I had little treasures in each one as well. I found this neat little screw-together container at the dollar store. Great fine motor skills work too!

Lastly, I gave him a little pitcher and some glass cups I picked up at a second hand store for some of our tray work. He poured drinks for us and we talked about even amounts in each cup! We definitely enjoyed sharing this rainbow rice sensory bin with each other this afternoon!

He loves the bright colors of the rainbow rice!

I love the way this rainbow rice sensory bin and gems look together. We ended up adding some other clear beads and the bin sort of sparkled with it all together!

COLORFUL RAINBOW RICE SENSORY BIN FOR FUN HANDS-ON PLAY!

Click on the image below or on the link to check out our more of our favorite rice sensory bins.

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We love exploring colors of the rainbow through hands-on sensory play of all kinds! This rainbow rice sensory bin came as a big surprise project today, but what a fun and beautiful one at that! Rice bins are one of our most enjoyed activities for sensory play!

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Use items from “the junk drawer” to create new inventions or play (rubber bands, paper clips, index cards, straws, tinfoil, duct tape, etc.)

Organize shoes & drawers

Talk about family who live in different cities, states or countries.

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Plan your activities based on answers to the questions above and observations of your child.

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Practice receptive language skills with colors, shapes, numbers, sight words....

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Practice receptive language skills with colors, shapes, numbers, sight words....

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Questions to ask your child while reading.....

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Questions to ask your child while reading.....

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Counting household objects with your child.

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Counting household objects with your child.

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Early Learning Statewide Parent Resource

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Plan your activities based on answers to the questions above and observations of your child.

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NYSED