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Supporting Students Without Internet Access At Home

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Supporting Students Without Internet Access At Home

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Our society heavily relies on internet technology for everyday life. Things like communication, education, and work all seem to be used through technology. Over time, students who do not have access to the internet will struggle with major disadvantages , including
- Lack of research skills
- Lack of networking skills
- Extreme difficulty in pursuing a degree in higher education
- Hard time searching and applying for new jobs
- Insufficient qualifications for jobs
Below is an article that summarizes the ways in which we can support students without home internet access.

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There are a lot of virtual field trips, youtube videos, resources out there which can be great to implement into your distance learning! It is important to make sure that as the parent, staff member you are previewing the content before letting children view it. This will help ensure that the content is age appropriate for your audience!

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With the shelter in place in movement, it seems that ZOOM has been a new way for all of us to stay connected. However, not everyone is tech-savy and some may struggle to get accommodated to an online learning environment. Attached is a link with a ZOOM tutorial that can help anyone easily navigate through ZOOM.

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ZOOM TUTORIAL | How To Use Zoom STEP BY STEP For Beginners! [COMPLETE GUIDE]

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Audiobooks can be a great learning tool for children. They provide many benefits of their own, helping children to expand their imagination and strengthen their listening, pronunciation, and comprehensive skills.

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Nurture a Love of Reading and Learning

Read and Learn on Epic! Anytime. Anywhere.

"Amazing!" ~ Kara, Mom of 2

"All my favorite books!" ~ Emily, Age 8

"My students LOVE Epic!" ~ Mrs. MCoy, 2nd Grade

Includes up to 4 reader profiles for no additional cost

Kids explore their interests in a fun, safe, kid-friendly environment

See what your kids are reading and learning on Epic!

"All my favorite books!" ~ Emily, Age 8

Epic! is Free for Elementary School Teachers and Librarians!

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online access fun thousands children great kids ebooks books

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Instantly access 40,000 high-quality books for kids

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The leading digital library for kids offering unlimited access to 40,000 of the best children's books of all time. Sign up for a free 30 day trial to instantly access high-quality online books for kids, ebooks, audio books, quizzes, videos, and more.

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1. Step 1: Gather supplies/purchase a tie-dye kit.
2. Step 2: Wet the shirts. Get a big bucket and fill it with water.
3. Step 3: Tie! Now its time to tie the shirts in a fun and unique way.
4. Step 4: Soda Ash/Get dye ready. Now it is time to make the soda ash.
5. Step 5: Dye. Now its time to die the shirts a color of your choice.
6. Step 6: Rinse.
7: Step 7: Wash.
8. Step 8: Wear!

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We know that right now parents are struggling to balance work, child care, and self care while keeping the household under control. The Child Mind Institute is a great resource to help parents with their overall health. It provides tele-health evaluations and treatment for ADHD, mood disorders, anxiety, autism, and learning disorders. It also provides daily tips to parents struggling!

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Explore our library of expert-led videos to support your child's mental health. Our videos cover anxiety, depression, social media, and much more.

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The Child Mind Institute's Family Resource Center is committed to providing up-to-date, authoritative and actionable information about children's mental health and well-being.

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Family Resource Center - Child Mind Institute

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Lo sentimos, la página que usted busca no se ha podido encontrar. Puede intentar su búsqueda de nuevo o visitar la lista de temas populares. Parenting Guides Ask an Expert Explore our library of expert-led videos to support your child's mental health. Our videos cover anxiety, depression, social media, and much more.

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As an adult sometimes we forget that we should take breaks and enjoy the things we love to do. As a non-profit staff member we like to provide for our community and especially during this time you may feel overwhelmed and like you need some ideas to keep yourself fresh for all of your work from home!
Some things to try with your coworkers or friends:

Create a bookclub

Have a virtual happy hour

Hold a virtual game night

Try a new recipe

Have "fun themed meetings"

Create "challenges" for other coworkers to complete.

It is important to remember everyone is coping with this differently and so it is important to take care of yourself as well as check in on your coworkers, friends, family, loved ones and make sure they are doing ok.

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We are currently living through unprecedented times and we are constantly trying to adapt to the changes occurring. As a parent it is important that you are being a role model for your child and helping them understand what is going on in the world while remaining positive, calm and providing reassurance.

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National Association of School Psychologists (NASP)

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Families across the country are adapting to the evolving changes in daily life caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Most schools, places of public gathering, and nonessential businesses are closed, and parents and other caregivers are faced with helping their families adjust to the new normal. This includes trying to keep children occupied, feeling safe, and attempting to keep up with schoolwork as best as possible. None of this is easy, but it helps to stay focused on what is possible in order to reinforce a sense of control and to reassure children that they are okay, and that the situation will get better.

It is very important to remember that children look to adults for guidance on how to react to stressful events. Acknowledging some level of concern, without panicking, is appropriate and can result in taking the necessary actions that reduce the risk of illness. Teaching children positive preventive measures, talking with them about their fears, and giving them a sense of some control over their risk of infection can help reduce anxiety. This is also a tremendous opportunity for adults to model for children problem-solving, flexibility, and compassion as we all work through adjustting daily schedules, balancing work and other activities, getting creative about how we spend time, processing new information from authorities, and connecting and supporting friends and family members in new ways. The following tips can help.

STAY CALM, LISTEN, AND OFFER REASSURANCE

Be a role model. Children will react to and follow your reactions. They learn from your example.

Be aware of how you talk about COVID-19. Your discussion about COVID-19 can increase or decrease your child's fear. If true, remind your child that your family is healthy, and you are going to do everything within your power to keep loved ones safe and well. Carefully listen or have them draw or write out their thoughts and feelings and respond with truth and reassurance.

Explain social distancing. Children probably don't fully understand why parents/guardians aren't allowing them to be with friends. Tell your child that your family is following the guidelines of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which include social distancing. Social distancing means staying away from others until the risk of contracting COVID-19 is under control. Showing older children the "flatten the curve" charts will help them grasp the significance of social distancing. Explain that while we don't know how long it will take to "flatten the curve" to reduce the number of those infected, we do know that this is a critical time-we must follow the guidelines of health experts to do our part.

Demonstrate deep breathing. Deep breathing is a valuable tool for calming the nervous system. Do breathing exercises with your children.

Focus on the positive. Celebrate having more time to spend as a family. Make it as fun as possible. Do family projects. Organize belongings, create masterpieces. Sing, laugh, and go outside, if possible, to connect with nature and get needed exercise. Allow older children to connect with their friends virtually.

Establish and maintain a daily routine. Keeping a regular schedule provides a sense of control, predictability, calm, and well-being. It also helps children and other family members respect others' need for quiet or uninterrupted time and when they can connect with friends virtually.

Identify projects that might help others. This could include: writing letters to the neighbors or others who might be stuck at home alone or to healthcare workers; sending positive messages over social media; or reading a favorite children's book on a social media platform for younger children to hear.

Offer lots of love and affection.

MONITOR TELEVISION VIEWING AND SOCIAL MEDIA

Parents/guardians should monitor television, internet, and social media viewing-both for themselves and their children. Watching continual updates on COVID-19 may increase fear and anxiety. Developmentally inappropriate information, or information designed for adults, can also cause anxiety or confusion, particularly in young children.

Dispel rumors and inaccurate information. Explain to your child that many stories about COVID-19 on the internet may include rumors and inaccurate information. Older children, in particular, may be accessing a great deal of information online and from friends that contains inaccuracies. Talk to your child about factual disease information.

Provide alternatives. Engage your child in games or other exciting activities instead.

TAKE TIME TO TALK

Let your children's questions guide you. Answer their questions truthfully, but don't offer unnecessary details or facts. Don't avoid giving them the information that experts indicate as crucial to your children's well-being. Often, children and youth do not talk about their concerns because they are confused or don't want to worry loved ones. Younger children absorb scary information in waves. They ask questions, listen, play, and then repeat the cycle. Children always feel empowered if they can control some aspects of their life. A sense of control reduces fear.

BE HONEST AND ACCURATE

Correct misinformation. Children often imagine situations worse than reality; therefore, offering developmentally appropriate facts can reduce fears.

Explain simple safety steps. Tell your child this disease spreads between people who are in close contact with one another, when an infected person coughs or sneezes, or when one touches infected objects or surfaces.

Stay up-to-date on the facts. Go to https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.htmlfor additional factual information.

KEEP EXPLANATIONS AGE-APPROPRIATE

Early elementary school children. Provide brief, simple information that balances COVID-19 facts with appropriate reassurances that adults are there to help keep them healthy and to take care of them if they do get sick. Give simple examples of the steps people make every day to stop germs and stay healthy, such as washing hands. Use language such as "adults are working hard to keep you safe."

Upper elementary and early middle school children. This age group often is more vocal in asking questions about whether they indeed are safe and what will happen if COVID-19 spreads in their area. They may need assistance separating reality from rumor and fantasy. Discuss the efforts national, state, and community leaders are doing to prevent germs from spreading.

Upper middle and high school students. Issues can be discussed in more depth. Refer them to appropriate sources of COVID-19 facts. Provide honest, accurate, and factual information about the current status of COVID-19. Engage them in decision-making about family plans, scheduling, and helping with chores at home.

For all children, encourage them to verbalize their thoughts and feelings. Be a good listener!

STAY CONNECTED TO SCHOOL

Locate learning resources. Schools' capacity to conduct virtual learning experiences will vary greatly, but most schools are providing lessons and learning activities for children to do. Take advantage of the many companies and online platforms currently offering free learning opportunities.

Identify additional resources. Know if your school or district is providing additional resources, such meals, or technology, such as a laptop or tablet.

Stay in touch. Find out how the school is communicating with families and students. Be sure to read any communications you receive. Check with you children, particularly older ones, as they may be receiving information directly that would be helpful for you to know.

Connect with school staff. Reach out to your child's teacher and other relevant school staff if you have concerns about their coping and keeping up with assignments or activities.

KNOW THE SYMPTOMS OF COVID-19

According to the CDC, symptoms of fever, cough, and/or shortness of breath appear within 14 days after being exposed to the disease.

For some people, the symptoms are similar to having a cold; for others, they are more severe or even life threatening.

MODEL BASIC HYGIENE AND HEALTHY LIFESTYLE PRACTICES

Practice daily good hygiene. Encourage your child to practice these simple steps to prevent spreading the virus.

Wash your hands multiple times a day for 20 seconds. Singing "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" or "Happy Birthday" twice is about 20 seconds.

Compliment your children when they use a Kleenex or sneeze or cough into the bend of their elbow. Teach them the importance of throwing away used tissues immediately after sneezing or coughing.

Sadly, handshakes and hugs need to be limited to immediate family members, at least for now.

Foster a sense of control. Offering guidance on what your child/children can do to prevent infection offers them a greater sense of control, which reduces anxiety.

Build the immune system. Encourage your child to eat a balanced diet, get enough sleep, and exercise regularly; this will help them develop a robust immune system to fight off illness.

BE AWARE OF YOUR CHILDREN'S MENTAL HEALTH

Most children will manage well with the support of parents and other family members, even if showing signs of some anxiety or concerns, such as difficulty sleeping or concentrating. Some children, however, may have risk factors for more intense reactions, including severe anxiety, depression, and suicidal behaviors. Risk factors can include a pre-existing mental health problem, prior traumatic experiences or abuse, family instability, or the loss of a loved one. Parents and caregivers should contact a professional if children exhibit significant changes in behavior or any of the following symptoms for more than 2 weeks.

Preschoolers -thumb sucking, bedwetting, clinging to parents, sleep disturbances, loss of appetite, fear of the dark, regression in behavior, and withdrawal.

Elementary school children -irritability, aggressiveness, clinginess, nightmares, school avoidance, poor concentration, and withdrawal from activities and friends.

Adolescents -sleeping and eating disturbances, agitation, increase in conflicts, physical complaints, delinquent behavior, and poor concentration.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
For more information related to schools and physical and mental health, visit www.nasponline.org and © 2020, National Association of School Psychologists, 4340 East Wes t Highway, Suite 402, Bethesda, MD 20814, 301-657-0270 www.nasn.org.
Adapted from, Talking to Children About COVID-19 (Coronavirus): A Parent Resource, National Association of School Psychologists and National Association of School Nurses, NASP, 2020.

Contributor: School Psychologist Kathy Sievering

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Helping Children Cope With Changes Resulting From COVID-19

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Families across the country are adapting to the evolving changes in daily life caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Most schools, places of public gathering, and nonessential businesses are closed, and parents and other caregivers are faced with helping their families adjust to the new normal.

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Sitting in front of a screen all day for distance learning can be hard on both the body and mind. Here are some links for you to use when you are feeling like you need to get some energy out. The dance moves are simple enough for both the child and parent to do together! GoNoodle does not only provide dance classes it also provides yoga, meditation and helps children understand the emotions they might be feeling during this shelter in place.

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gonoodle "go noodle" "brain breaks in the classroom" "brain break dance" "brain break songs" "brain breaks just dance" "movement break" "classroom movement b...

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Welcome To GoNoodle! GoNoodle gets kids moving to be their strongest, bravest, silliest, smartest, bestest selves. Join the party and get ready for a fun-filled day of dancing, stretching, running, jumping, deep breathing, and wiggling with GoNoodle. We post new videos every Sunday, Monday, and Thursdays!

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The CIRCLE Family Activity Collection provides several text -written English activities for children between 3-5 years old. From journaling to dancing - the options are endless. This plan will enhance children's social, physical, and emotional development. Try an activity from the 7-week plan with your child below!

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Connect with Your Child Through Podcasts! 

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Connect with Your Child Through Podcasts! 

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This podcast website provides a variety of talk shows for parents and children. From sing-alongs to read-aloud's, you'll always find one of your choice. These audio talks will help you and your child engage and interact better during this challenging time. The podcast Circle Round is suitable for children between the ages 4-10. Learn and teach your child the importance kindness, persistence and generosity. Then, play a fun activity with your child to spark a deeper conversation with the parent-child!

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Created and produced by parents of young children, WBUR's Circle Round adapts carefully-selected folktales from around the world into sound- and music-rich radio plays for kids ages 4 to 10. Each 10- to 20-minute episode explores important issues like kindness, persistence and generosity.

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Activities to Stimulate your Child's Learning

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Activities to Stimulate your Child's Learning

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Now that children are no longer in school, it is up to the parents to provide activities that will help keep your child busy, but also engaged! Follow the link below and explore 26 at-home activities. They will vary from arts & craft, science, and reading - which will all support your child's cognitive abilities.

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With schools closing across the country in lieu of the COVID-19 pandemic, we find ourselves in a strange situation.

As parents, we're usually prepared for the occasional snow day and summer breaks, with childcare and camps rearranged in advance. But the indefinite closure of schools and non-essential businesses is causing some stress among parents.

That's why we've come up with a list of the best ways to ease the stress and chaos that comes with social distancing.

1. Maintain a Structured Schedule

Your kids are used to structure at school, so try to maintain a loose schedule each day. Keep the mornings the same as if they were going to school, then arrange some plans for the rest of day. Jessica McHale Photography produced a perfect schedule to help those who are slightly at a loss for where to start. Remember: this is not a snow day, nor is it a vacation.

2. Use Online Educational Resources

Some schools are providing resources for parents, but others aren't. Luckily, there are a ton of great resources online. Amazing Educational Resources has laid out some of the best, and is updating their lesson plans regularly, and Scholastic has fantastic online classes targeted at specific age groups starting at pre-K.

3. Learn a New Language

Use this time to learn a new language with your kids (and then plan to visit a destination where you can practice your new skills once it's safe to travel again!). Rosetta Stone is completely online-based with 24 languages from which to choose. Duolingo is also online and is a free service.

4. Teach Your Kids Life Skills

Some of the best lessons in life are learned outside of the classroom. Why not use this time to teach the kids how to change a tire or do a load of laundry? You could also teach your own etiquette class, demonstrating the proper manners to use on everything from receiving an event invitation to dining at a restaurant.

5. "Visit" Iconic Landmarks

You may have had to cancel a trip, but that doesn't mean you can't experience the world from your home. It can be as simple as using Google maps to "walk" around neighborhoods throughout the world. Trafalgar Square, anyone? Or maybe the Great Wall of China? Great Sphinx in Egypt? Yellowstone National Park and Colonial Williamsburg also offer virtual tours!

6. Virtually Tour a National Park

It's not nearly as rewarding as visiting in real life, but virtually touring a national park is a fun way to pass the time-and a great way to help you and the kids choose your next national park vacation. You can virtually tour Yellowstone National Park, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Dry Tortugas National Park in Florida, Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah, Carlsbad Caverns National Park in New Mexico, and Kenai Fjords National Park in Alaska.

7. Take a Virtual Museum Tour

Several museums offer online tours, including the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C.; The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, New York; The British Museum and The National History Museum in London; The Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam; and The Louvre in Paris.

8. Go on a Digital Safari

Explore.org has loads of wildlife webcams. (As I was researching, I was distracted for a solid 10 minutes staring at giraffes eating, a family of zebras drinking, and fish swimming in a coral reef at an aquarium.) The site also offers videos about various animals when the animals aren't in front of the cameras. Zoos such as the San Diego Zoo and Memphis Zoo also have live webcams, and the Cincinnati Zoo is now offering a series of Home Safari Facebook Live sessions at 3 p.m. ET on weekdays.

9. Check Out Virtual Rides at Disney Parks

Go on a virtual ride at Disney World, Disneyland and beyond! Head to YouTube for "rides" on Space Mountain, Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway, and more.

10. Take a College Tour

Do you have a high schooler who has started to look at colleges? Several colleges have online tours. Sit them down with the website and a college guide book to start narrowing down their choices.

11. Break Out the Board Games

There's never been a better time to break out Monopoly and Scrabble! Looking for some new board games to add to your collection? These are the year's best family board games.

12. Catch Up on Movies and TV Shows

While we encourage you to continue educating your kids, it's also a great time to take advantage of no play dates, no parties, no extra-curricular activies, and just chill. Check out our suggestions for some of the best family TV shows to watch right now. Between Disney+, Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime, and with early released films for both young kids and older kids and adults, the options are endless.

13. See a Broadway Show

Broadway has gone dark, but that doesn't mean you can't see a live show! Amazon Prime Video and Vudu offer select shows, and Broadway HD offers all of the classics. Film adaptations of musicals, such as Shrek the Musical and Jersey Boys, can also be streamed on select platforms.

14. Have a Virtual Movie Party

Did you know Netflix has a service called Netflix Party? A Chrome extension for desktop and laptop computers, Netflix Party allows you to watch movies and enjoy a group chat with friends and family.

15. Discover Your Family's History

Ancestry.com always starts with a free trial, so now may be the perfect time to sign up. Your kids will be amazed to see their grandparents' and great grandparents' names listed on the old censuses, and who knows what else you might discover?! You can also tour Ellis Island and get an idea of how your ancestors may have arrived in the US.

16. Read

Take advantage of the downtime and read some new books. Slot some family reading time into your schedule; if you have kids who aren't quite ready for chapter books, pick a series to start together as a family. Harry Potter is always a favorite, and if you don't want to read aloud, Audible has thousands of books to choose from (including the entire Harry Potter series)! With a Kindle, you can download books in an instant and get started immediately!

17. Get Moving

While social distancing means avoiding large crowds, it doesn't mean you can't get outside. Head to a local trail for a walk, or just let the kids run around in your backyard. If it's too cold or rainy, there are loads of online exercise videos to try. The GoNoodle App uses screen time to create move time. Amazon Prime has plenty of videos as well, like Cosmic Kids Yoga Adventures and Musical PE for You and Me. Speaking of music, a dance party is a great way to get kids moving, too. Ask Alexa (or whatever you use for music) to play some dance music, and have everyone in the family show off their best moves!

18. Play with Arts and Crafts

Time to take out the art supplies or that handprint mold grandma gave the kids for Christmas! It can be as basic as crayons, paint, and paper, or something a little more involved like this Grow and Glow Terrarium kit or this make-your-own-wind-chime-kit. It may be time to break out a sensory table for the younger kids if finger painting gets tiring.

19. Start a Band

Creating music is also a great way for kids to get their creative juices flowing. Musical instrument sets allow them to discover several types of instruments, or if you've got a real performer, a keyboard with a microphone may just be the start of their musical career.

20. Try a New Recipe

With restaurants closing, you may get sick of cooking, so why not take this time to teach your kids how to cook and bake? You can teach them some family recipes, or have older kids try a new recipe from a kids' cookbook.

21. Try a Science Experiment

Ever try taping two soda bottles together, one with dyed water in it, turning the one with the water upside down, and shaking it in a circular motion to create a whirlpool? There are tons of science experiments for kids. Science Buddies has some great ideas online.

22. Clean/Organize/Rearrange

If your kid has been bugging you to rearrange his/her room, now is the time to let them do it. Stores such as Amazon, Target and Walmart have everything you need for a room makeover, and everything can be shipped straight to your door! It can be as simple as picking out some new curtains, an area rug, lamp, or some other new accessories to freshen up a room. If you've been putting off organizing your toddler's bedroom or playroom, have them help. Let them decide where things go, what gets put away and what stays out on display. Find some cute storage bins and start organizing away!

23. Build Your Bucket List

Since you're probably not traveling during the COVID-19 outbreak, why not use this time to build your bucket list? Get started with our bucket list picks for national parks, theme parks, all-inclusive resorts and beyond.

24. Organize a Neighborhood Scavenger Hunt

Plan a scavenger hunt in your own home, or better yet, organize a neighborhood-wide scavenger hunt. Many U.S. communities have organized teddy bear scavenger hunts, placing teddy bears in their windows for children to spot as they walk or ride by.

25. Play Video Games as a Family

Want to be the coolest parents ever? Challenge your kids to a video game! These are our favorite multiplayer video games for families.

26. Don't Forget About You

While it's important to make sure your kids are getting the structure, stimulus and support they need (as well as reassurance that everything will be okay), you can't forget about taking care of yourself and the other adults in the house.

If you're working from home, create a space where you can get your work done. If you don't have an extra room with a door, try a room divider, or hang up a sheet for privacy. Make sure your kids know you need some quiet time to get work done, then break out your noise-canceling headphones so you can concentrate without distraction.

Also make sure every one in the house has some time to themselves. Being in close quarters with family for an undetermined amount of time can be trying on everyone. Even if it's something as simple as taking a long bath (with the right bubble bath, of course) or shower, take time to relax and breathe. We're all going to get through this!

Our team of parents and travel experts chooses each product and service we recommend. Anything you purchase through links on our site may earn us a commission.

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26 At-Home Activities for Kids During the COVID-19 Outbreak | Family Vacation Critic

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With schools closing across the country in lieu of the COVID-19 pandemic, we find ourselves in a strange situation. As parents, we're usually prepared for the occasional snow day and summer breaks, with childcare and camps rearranged in advance. But the indefinite closure of schools and non-essential businesses is causing some stress among parents.

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Sensory activities are fun and easy to keep your child entertained. It is important to also incorporate educational activities while they stay at home. Children are able to explore their different senses – sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell. The activities listed in the link below will help enhance children's fine and gross motor skills as well as promote self-regulating skills.

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COVID-19 has changed a lot in a short period of time - especially having the kids at home all day now that schools are shut down. That is a huge transition to go from being a parent to now also being a full-time teacher and entertainer. AND you can't go outside?! This big change for kids can also mean more unstructured time or feeling "bored", which can quickly lead to challenging behavior.

We came up with a list of different & creative ways to keep your kids engaged in interesting & stimulating activities while at home, and to help you make it through the COVID-19 quarantine.
*We'll continue to update this page with more findings & offerings.
SENSORY ACTIVITIES

Sensory activities are a fun and easy to keep young kids (and maybe even older kids!) engaged and learning. Sensory activities allow children to explore their different senses - sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell - and can help with language development, fine and gross motor skills, social interactions and problem solving. Sensory activities also help kids stay calm and self-regulate.

Below is a list of easy sensory activities you can do with simple household items:

Foil Painting - Aluminum foil, paints, paintbrushes (or fingers!)

Digging for Treasure - dirt, "treasure" items to dig for

Rainbow Rice - Rice, food coloring,

Spaghetti Digging for Worms - Dirt, cooked spaghetti,

Moon Sand - flour, baby oil (that's it!)

8 Ways to Make Playdough at Home - various materials like flour, salt, water, oil, cornstarch, etc.

DIY Sensory Board - various supplies and materials

READING & STORYTELLING

HOMESCHOOLING & EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES

OTHER FUN ACTIVITIES

EXERCISE

ARTS & MEDIA

Stop motion artist @trishazemp teaches viewers how to create those awesome videos!

Super talented illustrators and artists are providing drawing instruction, daily at 10 am PST: @wendymac & @mo.willems.studio

Author & former teacher @busytoddler has an amazing account for toddlers & kids

MUSIC

VIRTUAL TOURS

OTHER

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Activities To Do at Home with Kids During COVID-19 - Safe & Sound

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Activities To Do at Home with Kids During COVID-19 COVID-19 has changed a lot in a short period of time - especially having the kids at home all day now that schools are shut down. That is a huge transition to go from being a parent to now also being a full-time teacher and entertainer.

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Safety Tips to Protect Your Child Online

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Safety Tips to Protect Your Child Online

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Virtual meetings are the new way to maintain social interaction with your friends. Parents attend various online workshops to help their child connect with their peers. Cyber security is crucial to protect your child's identity. Explore the link below for safety tips that will ensure your child is safe!

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With the world's student population affected by school closures, many have no choice but to turn to their devices for learning and interaction with friends. Previous household rules around screen time are likely to have gone out the window. But with this increased screen time, now more than ever, how can parents ensure that their children are being safe online and making sensible decisions? Below are some tips for parents on how to get cyber safe.

Talk about online safety and get involved

Have conversations about online safety. Be honest and build trust, explain why its important to be careful while online.

Ask your child questions about what they do online, such as what sites they visit and who they talk to.

Monitor your child's internet activity and social media accounts.

Make use of the internet as a family activity to teach your child appropriate online behavior.

Practice what you preach, set a good example with your own online presence.

Set some ground rules

Set boundaries for how long your child can spend online and what they can do.

Adjust parental controls to suit your child's age and maturity.

Keep computers in a common area and monitor your child's activity.

Discuss with your child which websites are appropriate for their age group.

Communicate what is acceptable online behavior to establish good and bad sharing practices.

Remind your child that strangers online may not always be who they appear to be.

Don't allow your child unsupervised access to any device containing your personal or financial information.

What can you do?

You don't have to be a cyber pro to protect your computer and network. Many new devices, computers, and Wi-Fi routers come with built-in parental controls that are easy to use, but are often overlooked during the initial setup. These controls allow you to set access times, monitor internet activity and block website categories.

Parental controls

Scheduled internet time

Logging and monitoring

Antivirus

Global Cyber Day 2019 Initiative

The annual KPMG Global Cyber Day Initiative is a Global Corporate Citizenship program aimed at educating youth of the importance of cyber security and internet risk, as part of KPMG member firms' commitment to supporting the communities in which we operate.

During the month of October, KPMG cyber security professionals will help students ages 7-16, as well as their teachers and parents, become more cyber aware through interactive classroom sessions including guidance on safe use of personal data, social media, cyber bullying, online gaming and smartphones.

Our Global Cyber Day coincides with International Cyber Security Awareness Month, an internationally recognized campaign focused on promoting cyber security among organizations and the public, and providing resources to be more secure online.

KPMG!

Students participated:

127,000

Countries participated:

51

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Tips to keep children safe online during COVID-19

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With the world's student population affected by school closures, many have no choice but to turn to their devices for learning and interaction with friends. Previous household rules around screen time are likely to have gone out the window.

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The shelter in place order is a challenging time for many nonprofit staff members. Many are overworking themselves as they are forced to work from home. While it is important to provide maximum resources for clients - staff members should also take care of their own well-being. The link below will provide 4 critical self-care tips to remind you how to take take care of yourself during the pandemic.

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Living in a global pandemic isn't easy. As we wait for news updates and official guidance, we can experience a lot of stress. And this stress can adversely affect our mental health. With that in mind, here are four self-care tips to help reduce stress and increase productivity during COVID-19 quarantine.
1. Keep your work and home life separate
This might sound easier said than done if you're working from home and your kitchen has become your office. It's also a piece of advice that you've probably heard countless times before, but there's a reason why. It's all too easy to roll your eyes and slip into bad habits like working from your bed and not changing out of your pajamas unless you have a meeting with your colleagues or clients on Zoom.

While this might feel fun for a bit, it's going to end up being super stressful and detrimental to your health. You won't be able to compartmentalize your life like you used to, and soon you'll be working late on your laptop, struggling to concentrate during working hours, and thinking about your work to-do list when you should be relaxing.

Try to replace this stressor by setting boundaries. Keep your bedroom for sleep and relaxation only. Stick to another room for work-preferably one with a table or desk-where you can set up your workspace for maximum productivity. Next, make sure you clearly define where your working day begins and ends so that you can mentally switch on/off from work mode. For example, having a quick shower in the morning and changing into "work" clothes-even if it's not your usual shirt-will get you in the zone for working.
2. Stay active with regular exercise
We all know that regular exercise has a million and one amazing benefits for both our physical and mental health. So why stop now? Gyms and pools are closed, but that doesn't mean you have to give up on your fitness. There are all sorts of things you can do to carry on exercising while you're safely self-isolating at home.

For example, now is the perfect time to try out yoga. There are plenty of reasons to start practicing yoga, from stress relief to increased flexibility to heart health, so give it a go. You'll be surprised by how much it'll calm you and help you feel more balanced. It's easy enough to find yoga apps, videos, or tutorials online, but one of the best is Yoga with Adriene. Adriene's videos are accessible and as good for yoga newbies as they are experienced yogis.

If you'd prefer something that will get your heart pumping, then you can also follow HIIT or workout videos; they might not be quite the same as attending classes, but they're pretty close.

Getting outside in the fresh air for your exercise will also help to soothe your stress. If you don't have a yard to work out in, you can still go for a safe jog or walk (while keeping your distance from others). The mental health benefits of spending time in nature and visiting green spaces are incredible, so get out there if you can, take a deep breath of air, and enjoy the feeling of the sun on your skin.
3. Create a self-soothing toolbox
Creating a self-soothing toolbox -a collection of ideas, activities, and habits-will calm you down when you're feeling stressed and overwhelmed. Since everyone is different, you'll need to find self-soothing techniques and activities to suit you. But here are a few ideas that generally help people when they're feeling stressed:

Do something with your hands. Keeping your hands busy with an activity like baking, knitting, painting, or drawing will give you something to focus on when you feel anxious. Plus, they're the perfect balance of creativity and productivity, which will make you feel better.

Listen to podcasts or audiobooks. Getting hooked on gripping podcasts will keep you occupied when your thoughts become negative. Want to relax? Listen to something you find soothing instead, like an audiobook that you love.

Run a hot bath. Immersing yourself in hot water helps to relax your muscles and relieve tension in your body-which is the physical manifestation of your stress. It also gives you some time to be completely still and enjoy your surroundings. You can make your bath even more Zen by adding lavender essential oil to your bathwater and bathing in candlelight.

Hopefully these things will help you feel less anxious and stressed. However, sometimes it's important to reach out for help. The good news is many therapists and doctors are now offering virtual appointments, and you can always use an online pharmacy for home delivery.
4. Talk to people regularly
Just because the majority of us are self-isolating at the moment doesn't mean that your social life has to stop. Okay, so we can't meet up in person at bars or restaurants, but there are still plenty of ways to keep in touch with your friends, family, and colleagues. Tons of video call apps and services are available like House Party and Zoom that will let you speak to multiple friends at once and have fun-virtual drinks, pub quizzes, bottomless brunches, and even bingo nights have already popped up all over the world in the last few weeks.

Alternatively, of course, you can stick to texts, messages or a classic phone call-it's up to you. But however you do it, make sure you do. It's more important than ever to check in on each other emotionally and provide support, encouragement, and distraction during this stressful time.
Andy Boysan (BPharm) is the co-founder and superintendent pharmacist of The Independent Pharmacy, one of the UK's leading independent online pharmacies. For more healthcare and treatment advice, visit their website.

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4 Self-Care Tips for COVID-19 Quarantine

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Living in a global pandemic isn't easy. As we wait for news updates and official guidance, we can experience a lot of stress. And this stress can adversely affect our mental health. With that in mind, here are four self-care tips to help reduce stress and increase productivity during COVID-19 quarantine.

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Here are some ideas of fun activities you can do with your child!
1.Drawing motivational chalk drawings on the sidewalk.
2. Going on family walks, bike rides
3.Find different size containers and fill them with water!
4.Have a picnic lunch on your porch or in your backyard.
5. Go on a bug hunt!
6. Play with bubbles or water balloons.
It is important that you take your child outside for at least 30 minutes a day for them to get fresh air and exercise!

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Reading is an important skill for children to practice. Storytimeonline is offering virtual story time reading videos with hundreds of books to choose from all for free. Click on a book and start watching and listening now!

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Continuing children's learning during these times may be difficult. However Scholastic is offering daily courses and lessons for kids K-9th grade. The learning last 4 weeks and there are extra resources for kids to continue their learning.

Click on your grade level and continue to develop your reading, writing and other academic skills.

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Raise a reader by getting the best book recommendations, reading tips, and discounts delivered straight to your inbox.

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What to Do When You Are Bored in the House

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What to Do When You Are Bored in the House

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There a million and one crafts that you can make using materials you already have at home. For example, you can do a science experiment by creating walking rainbow water or create bracelets or necklaces using paper roll beads

Parents: you can assist your children when doing adult-required steps in the activity

Use the link below to discover more crafts to make when are bored at home

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In this list of 25 activities for toddlers in quarantine, you will find some super simple ideas, and you will find some pretty elaborate ones. I wanted to share both extremes because people need quick ideas to engage their little ones, as well as big projects to work on themselves. When my children (who you will see in all these posts) were toddlers prepping these projects helped me feel busy and made my long days at home with small children a little brighter. Life is weird right now, adults are stressed, friends and families are separated, and you may even be dealing with serious health issues. I hope this list of activities for toddlers gives you ideas to make your days in quarantine a little brighter. These activities are aimed at toddlers from 18-36 months, but older kids love them too!

Please note that these activities are intended to be done under close supervision with an adult at arm's length at all times.

Activities For Toddlers During Quarantine

Painting With Water

Baby Block Painting

Backyard Car Wash

Who Do You Love Sensory Tub

Glass Sponge Painting

Alphabet Easter Eggs

Animal Tracks In Playdough

Rainbow Gelatin Sensory Tub

Bug Painting

DIY Board Book About Feelings

Rainbow Bug Hunt - you can use any objects they don't have to be bugs.

Baby Basketball - This little guy is a teenager now and still loves basketball.

Alphabet Playdough

Cooking In The Sink

Pretend Play Grocery Store

Toddler Beading

Toddler Butterfly Craft
Recycled Drum
Discovery Bottles For Babies

Musical Hearts Game

Float or Sink?

Potato Masher Prints

Rubber Duck Stamping

Pretend Play Vet Clinic
Sponge Painting - Shapes
Books For Babies and Toddlers

Reading is always a great activity for toddlers, for wiggly ones that won't stay still try reading to them while they soak in the tub, are eating a meal, or snuggled up in bed before nap or at night. These two round ups are my favorite lists of board books.

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25 Quarantine Activities For Toddlers - No Time For Flash Cards

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In this list of 25 activities for toddlers in quarantine, you will find some super simple ideas, and you will find some pretty elaborate ones. I wanted to share both extremes because people need quick ideas to engage their little ones, as well as big projects to work on themselves.

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Here are some tips for keeping Zoom meetings secure and safe while protecting the attendees

Manage the number of participants in a Zoom meeting by removing unwanted participants, muting participants who are not present and/or setting up a waiting room for participant

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Zoombombing has been causing problems all over the world, but this handy guide will help ensure your meeting stays as secure as possible.

With more and more people staying at home throughout the Covid-19 crisis, many have resorted to connecting with others using popular video conferencing tool Zoom.

But, as is the case with most online tools, it is not impervious to privacy issues, especially with so many people using it for the first time.

This week, a Dublin GAA club fell victim to 'Zoombombing' when an online coaching session for young children was hacked with inappropriate content shown to participants. This is just one of several examples where Zoom calls have been hijacked, which has led to the US Department of Justice stating that Zoombombing qualifies as a federal offence.

Zoom has already started putting additional security measures in place to reduce the risk of Zoombombing. However, it's worth noting that these new measures are mainly based around setting features that already exist within the platform as the default, such as password requirements and waiting rooms.

Users of the platform have a responsibility to ensure their own meetings are as secure and private as they can be. Speaking on RTÉ's Six One News yesterday (6 April), Siliconrepublic.com editor Elaine Burke said if users create a Zoom link that's open for anyone to join and share it on public platforms such as Facebook or Twitter, it creates a risk.

"It can be quite easy to set up programmes to search for these links online or they might be shared in groups that are just built to cause havoc," she said.

So, while Zoom continues to beef up its own security measures, here is what you need to know when using the platform to ensure your calls are as secure as possible.

Know about your Zoom package

There are several different Zoom account types available, each with different privileges and powers. For example, a basic account is free and allows you to have unlimited one-to-one meetings, but for meetings with three or more people, there is a 40-minute time limit.

A pro account is the next tier up and it gives the user administrative abilities such as enabling and disabling recording, and it extends meeting limits to 24 hours.

Whatever package you're on, it's important that the host of each meeting is familiar with the settings that will maximise security of each meeting and minimise disruption.

Don't share Zoom details on public forums

This is probably the most crucial tip for ensuring your meeting is secure. As Burke said, sharing a link to a meeting on a public forum makes it much more susceptible to hackers. Most Zoom meetings have a public link that, if clicked, allows anyone to join.

This makes it easy for trolls and hackers to collect these links and share them with groups with the specific intention of Zoombombing or causing other problems. The same goes for sharing meeting IDs. Therefore, avoiding putting your meeting link in public places helps to mitigate these risks.

Be mindful of using meeting IDs

If you're using meeting IDs instead of links to host public events, make sure you use a randomly generated ID, rather than your personal meeting ID.

If you share your personal meeting ID in public, it allows anyone who sees it to not only join that initial meeting, but to crash your personal virtual space at any other time.

You should think of your personal meeting ID like your own phone number and then think about the privacy and security issues around sharing that number on Facebook or Twitter.

You should also be mindful about this before sharing a screenshot of you and your colleagues having a Zoom call. The novelty of conducting business completely remotely is still strong and many people are eager to show off their social events and work meetings on social media.

However, if the picture includes the Zoom ID, it leaves the meeting exposed to crashers. This is worse again if that happens to be someone's personal meeting ID, which is the equivalent of sharing a private phone number.

Set passwords on your meetings

Password protection is now being rolled out as a default by Zoom, but it's important to ensure users are exercising this practice anyway. All Zoom meetings should have both an entry link or ID and a password in order to get in.

Remember, security measures such as these are only as effective as the users who enable them, so just as you should not publicly share open meeting links, meeting passwords are rendered useless if they are shared on public platforms alongside a corresponding link or ID. Trolls and hackers can find them too and then you're back to square one.

Set up a registration system

Another way to avoid putting up a public link or meeting ID is by using a registration system instead. Tools such as Eventbrite can be used to register the details of those who want to attend a session, and then the registered attendees can be sent a private message with the link and password in order to gain entry to the meeting.

This definitely adds some extra steps but essentially enables additional safety gates for event hosts to monitor who is being added to the meeting, particularly with so many large and public events going virtual. It also helps moderators double-check participants during the next step.

Set up a waiting room

The waiting room is another feature that will become a default setting as part of Zoom's latest security measures, and it is an excellent way of monitoring who is coming into your meeting.

When scheduling a meeting, go to your settings and click advanced options. Here you will have the ability to 'enable waiting room', which means that when participants do join the meeting, they will be added to a virtual waiting room, where the host of the meeting can vet participants before allowing them to join the call.

The waiting room also gives you a chance to set up your meeting properly before participants enter, such as having the right screen shared if necessary and ensuring participants' powers are managed in advance.

Restrict participant powers

You can restrict the powers of your participants during meetings, which can often be good practice in general but, more importantly, will restrict the powers of any troublesome entrants.

For example, you can mute all attendees upon entry to ensure that there are no disruptions. This can be done while scheduling the meeting, under advanced options in the same place you set up the waiting room, or it can be done once you have entered the meeting.

The bar along the bottom of the screen allows you to manage participants. You can mute everyone on the call or prevent them from unmuting themselves. You can also ensure that only the host has the ability to share their screen by clicking the arrow next to 'share screen'. You can also restrict chat options if chat is not needed, or limit chatting to the host only.

Depending on how large your Zoom meeting is, you may need to give other people hosting permissions to allow them to moderate, mute or monitor participants' behaviour. This is particularly important if the original host is also the one who will be busy speaking during the meeting. However, co-hosting will require at least a Pro Zoom account.

Lock the meeting

Another helpful feature is locking a meeting once it has started as an additional security measure, just like you would lock your front door once everyone is in the house at night.

Once the meeting has started, you can select 'manage participants' and choose 'more' at the bottom of the side bar. This will give you the option to lock the meeting, which will prevent any further participants from joining.

For private meetings, this could be done once everyone has entered the meeting, and for more public virtual events, it could be done 10 minutes after the event has begun, for example. Think of it like a theatre in which late entries will not be permitted once the show has started.

Set out best practices at work

For companies using Zoom regularly to conduct meetings, the above tips will help provide as much security as possible, but it's essential that employers inform employees of these practices too.

Inform them not to share meeting IDs, links or passwords anywhere that isn't secure. Make sure they know not to share screenshots of Zoom calls.

If you want to show off your Zoom call, at least make sure everyone who is visible is comfortable with the photo being shared and make sure the meeting ID is not visible.

It's also important that users know about the chat function. For example, if a Zoom call is recorded, all chats, even private chats between two participants, will be downloaded into a 'minutes' folder once the call ends.

It's crucial that everyone on your team is comfortable with using Zoom and is aware of its security settings if you're going to use it for business purposes.

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An essential guide to keeping your Zoom meetings secure

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Zoombombing has been causing problems all over the world, but this handy guide will help ensure your meeting stays as secure as possible. With more and more people staying at home throughout the Covid-19 crisis, many have resorted to connecting with others using popular video conferencing tool Zoom.

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Your home may not be the usual place you call work. Working from home may be a new setting for staff. However, there are ways to be productive and stay productive while working from home. For example, you can stay productive by:

Creating a planner to stay organized

Not wearing your PJs when you are working

Taking short breaks in between

Listening to music

For more tips check out this article Nextiva Blog about ways you can be productive from home!

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Planning on working from home? You're among the emerging trend of remote workers who work from their home office.
This handy guide helps you maximize your newfound freedom (and responsibility). These tips don't only apply to individual contributors, but also managers and team leaders.
Working from the home office affords many benefits to increase performance, business continuity, and achieve greater work-life balance.
Although working from home was once a luxury, it is now a mainstay among large companies and small businesses. The key reason?Productivity. Working from home is great, but it can be problematic if it's not well managed.
Let's dig into the tips and best practices for working from home.

Top 32 Working from Home Tips

Nextiva has provided businesses with robust communication solutions for more than 12 years. We have enabled thousands of companies to scale their remote working staff-so we've seen what works and what doesn't.

1) Build a Permanent Work Space

The first step in your "work from home" journey is to designate an area of your home, specifically for getting work done.
This could be an empty or spare bedroom that you convert to a home office. If you are pressed for space, you can set up a desk for your computer and office supplies.
Regardless of space or location, establish an area of your home where you will work, and commit to working in this space every day. Be sure your workspace is quiet so you can focus on the task at hand.
Related: 33 Ways to Improve Work Performance (+Bonus Tips for Managers)

2) Invest in Quality Technology

Yes, setting up a home office or workspace may require a small investment. Much like starting a new business, you may have to purchase technology, such as a desktop, laptop, tablet, or remote phone system to do your job every day.
A high-performance router will save you from many technology hassles. Since working from home often requires more than chat messages, you need a router that will keep up. A router from several years ago might be prone to common network issues.
Depending on the nature of your work, you may also need to purchase hardware or software. Our recommendation?
Invest in whatever you need to comfortably and efficiently do your job.

3) Get Comfortable Office Furniture

You may also need to invest in office furniture if you haven't already. Depending on the amount of space available, consider purchasing a large desk, bookshelves, and a comfortable office chair.
You don't have to go with the top of the line desk. Ikea offers affordable desks that are relatively simple to set up in your home office. Combine it with a powerfulmonitor arm to maximize your desk space.
Remember, the point is that you will be working in this space every day.
Purchase comfortable and functional furniture, including ergonomic furniture or equipment.

4) Set Real Work Hours

Now that you have your office or work area set up, it's time to get down to business - literally. If you are going to make working from home an everyday commitment, then set specific business or work hours.
The beauty of working from home is that you can be flexible in setting your working hours. For example, if you are most productive in the morning, or if you need to get the kids to school, then you may want to set your work hours from 7 a.m. until 3 p.m.
Use your deep focus to zoom through your tasks. Keep reading to see how to manage your time effectively.
Enforce a hard limit at the end of the day. Distance yourself from work, so you don't work nonstop.
Regardless of your schedule, be sure to establish set work hours to follow each day. Communicate your work schedule to co-workers, teams, and your boss.

5) Avoid Work Creep

A career that lets you work from home can be invasive in your personal life. This is because if you are always home and near your work, then your work creeps into your home life. Yes, the risk is real, but only if you let it.
This goes back to setting work hours. By setting specific work hours and sticking to them, you willincrease performance and develop a healthy work schedule.
At the end of the day, shut down your laptop, set your work app to "away," and shut your office door. You (and your team) will be grateful.

6) Discover Your High Productivity Periods

Every individual is most productive at different times of the day. For example, some individuals are morning people, and they are most productive and focused during the morning hours. For others, their most productive time in the workday is the evenings.
Discover when you are most productive and build your work schedule around your peak productivity periods.

7) Update Your To-Do List Every Mornings

When working from home and you don't have a boss breathing down your neck, it can be challenging to keep track of what you have to do throughout your workday. It's easy to lose sight of priorities, tasks, and deadlines.
Start your day by reviewing priorities for the day. When you make your task list, stick to it. It's tempting to just leap into your email, but with a little extra focus, you can move the needle while working from home.
Set goals and time limits for each task. After you complete each task, cross it off the list. This simple technique is both effective and fulfilling.
Stay on task by quickly writing down all the things that need to get done at the start of each day.

8) Use a Planner

In addition to making to-do lists, get into the habit of using a calendar or planner. For example, if you work from home some days but you are on the road others, get in the habit of using a planner to write down and keep track of deadlines, appointments, and meetings.
Many differenttask management tools make telecommuting a breeze. By organizing tasks into projects, you can attack them one bite at a time.
Use a planner to log all tasks and activities, no matter if you work remotely or in the office. Plan the work and work the plan.

9) Stick to One Project Management App

If you aren't a "write-it-down" to-do list or planner person, don't worry-there are plenty of modern project management apps available that can still help you. These are great if you are WFH.
Top project management apps include:

Most of these apps offer both web-based and mobile versions so that you can use them on your phone. Some can even be integrated with other apps, such as Cospace, for team collaboration. And the best part? Most of these apps offer a free version.
Move your mountain of tasks into a project management app and break meaty projects into a series of tasks and assign them to your remote team.

10) Don't Work in Your PJs

We know - this is one reason why people love working from home. If you enjoy working in your PJs, then you are killing your productivity. "Dress for success" isn't just a corporate catchphrase; it really matters when you work from home.
Beyond psychologically getting you in the right mindset for work, you'll be ready to handle any kind of video chat or check-in with a teammate. You'll be prepared to get work done, and you will be mentally and physically prepared for the day.
Even if you don't leave the house, dress for work as if you were in the office.

11) Don't Work in the Living Room

This is another productivity killer. Some folks might think "working from home" is a day to binge Netflix. Wrong. It might be fine to indulge in this vice once, but it will catch up to you if you're not careful.
It's wise to take to heart why working at home works. It's not just about avoiding meetings and conference calls. In fact, quite the opposite. Remote workers know the responsibility that comes with working in their quarters.
Avoid the TV and otherdigital distractions so you can focus on your work and getting things done. However, if used just for background noise, it's probably okay.
Avoid watching TV while working; it sucks up your focus from the purpose of working at home. Instead, stream music that complements your work style.

12) Develop a Morning Routine

Another enjoyable perk of working from home is not having to get up, rush out of the house, and commute to an office.
However, working from home doesn't mean you get to skip your morning routine altogether. Since you'll likely be cooped up indoors, take a brief walk around the block to take in the fresh air.
Get up early, take a shower, make your coffee and breakfast, and prepare your lunch, just like you have to leave the house.

13) Set Multiple Alarms

Even if you don't have to be up as early to leave for the office, you should still set an alarm to commit to wake up at the same time. This will prevent you from sleeping in too late and will keep you on a healthy sleep schedule.
Human beings arecreatures of habit. We are incredibly dependent on routines, schedules, and structure. Alarms aren't just for waking up. Consider adding an alarm for lunch and wrap-up since working from home tends to blur these lines.
Follow a strict routine and set specific work hours to be more focused, more alert, and more productive.

14) Exercise & Stretch Regularly

Exercise naturally boosts endorphins, which increases happiness, enjoyment, and interest levels, all of which are important for productivity.
Regularly stretching helps you maintain great posture. At a minimum, stretch throughout the day so you don't get sore or hinder your quality of life.
You can also leave yourself motivational sticky notes by your bed, so they are the first thing you see and read in the morning. We recommend exercising in the morning when you have fewer objections and a longer payoff throughout the day.
If your day allows, take a lunch break and go for a walk, go to the gym, or stretch.

15) Eat Healthy Meals & Snacks

Another work from home reality is that we have full access to the kitchen. So, when it's time for lunch or a snack break, we are immediately drawn to the usual snacks, such as chips, cookies, or leftover pizza.
When we work in an office, we are at the mercy of whatever is available in the cafeteria or whatever lunch we brought from home.
However, research has shown that eating fruits and vegetables has a direct link on overall productivity levels. You can also avoid buying unhealthy snacks altogether. With extra planning, you can purchase more nutritional snacks on Amazon rather than buying on impulse.
Reward yourself with a sweet snack on Friday after a successful and productive week.
If you are an avid snacker, then make it a point to make yourself a healthy lunch, just as you would if you had to go into an office.

16) Take Short Breaks

Although we have focused most of this article on how to stay productive while working from home, sometimes the opposite can happen. We think that by working from home, we will be able to get more done because there will be fewer distractions. Therefore, sometimes we end up over-committing and working too much, which also kills productivity.
Although taking breaks might seem counterproductive, research has shown that taking short breaks can actually increase productivity and creativity levels. If you don't have a work-life balance, then you won't last too long working at home.
You can easily avoid this by working short, five-minute breaks into your daily schedule, or even make them a part of your rewards system.

17) Create a Rewards System

We mentioned using a rewards system in the point above. This is an easy way to help you get things done - even the things you have been procrastinating or putting off.
For example, take a five-minute break to go for a stroll through your neighborhood, grab a healthy snack, take your dog to the park down the street. Once you finish a necessary business call, switch over the laundry.
Although it seems simple, using a basic rewards system will help you get things done and also feel fulfilled.

18) Use Time Management Apps

If you struggle with staying on task while working from home, then you may need to kick things up a notch and use a time management app.
For example, some productivity apps will track the amount of time you spend on each task and even minimize distractions. Some examples of these types of apps include the following:

Using a time tracker app will help you see your productivity levels each day and week. This will not only provide you with insight as to when you are most productive during the day, but it will also show you how much time you spend on each task.
If you take calls at home for acall center, pay attention to your metrics. Call center metrics might tell a different story if you don't manage your time effectively.
If you spend too much time than what is necessary on repetitive tasks, it may be time to look into some automation solutions for even more productivity!

19) Stay Off Social Media

I think we can agree that we are all guilty of this one from time to time. Social media can be a giant time-suck if you aren't careful.
That is more time than most people spend sleeping or working! Furthermore, many mobile apps now reveal to users how much time they spend in each one. This is eye-opening, especially for casual social media users.
Get familiar with your company's social media guidelines. They might even want you to engage in their approved channels like LinkedIn.
Minimizing mindless use of social media helps avoid distractions, so you can focus on getting more done.
If you love using social media, then make it a habit to shut off social media notifications during the day. Consider muting your notifications on your phone.

20) Listen to Music

Depending on the nature of your work, it helps to turn on some background music. Spotify is a great streaming service that lets you pick moods for focus and productivity. Since you're working at home, you don't want it too loud or distracting - ensure you can quickly mute it to take a business call.
Listen to music throughout the day at a modest volume to give you the focus you need. Check out the different "moods" offered by Spotify to achieve peak productivity while working from home.

21) Step Outside

Since you'll be cooped up indoors to work, many of us often forget that there's an outside world out there. Open some windows to let sunlight in and take some time throughout your day to go outside - at least to your patio or backyard.
Boost creativity and productivity by stepping outside a few times throughout the day. Even just for a few minutes, it's better than being stuck indoors.

22) Use Video Chat

Yes, the video conference-the hallmark of remote work. Working from home can get pretty lonely, especially if you are single or live alone. Make it a point to chat with colleagues, team members, or clients each day.
It matters. You're not just a cog in a machine. You don't even have to talk about work, but just to connect as co-workers and people. Humanity must not be lost in working remotely.
There are many video chat applications available today, such as:

Depending on the nature of your work, you could end up spending almost all of your day on video conferences chatting with your team. We recommend working in a well-lit room; it brings out your best features.
Video chat is a great way to stay connected with your team. Meet regularly, and don't forget to relax and have a little fun.

23) Hack Your Lunch Break for Errands

If you're working from home each day, you'll often find that you have some additional flexibility in your time. Even then, you might feel tethered to your home.
Structuring your day is important. To run an errand, or schedule a quick doctor's visit, try to schedule them for your lunch break just as you would if you worked in an office. The best part is, you won't need to bother with small talk on the way out the door.
Leverage your lunchtime to take care of personal tasks. While you're out, use your business phone app on the go to never miss a beat.

24) Avoid Family, Friends & Pets

This can be difficult, especially if you have young children at home, or have multiple pets, all of whom want your attention. If you are home all day, every day, then family and friends might interrupt you without knowing better.
It's best to set some clear boundaries with your family while you work. It's not being mean if it results in better performance at work.
The counterpoint to this work from home tip is you must be present for your family and friends when away from work. Show up 100% and put your business phone away outside of work hours.
Set and stick to specific work hours and communicate those hours clearly with your family and friends.

25) Create a Vision Board

If you have been working from home for several years, it might eventually become boring and uninspiring. You might struggle with enjoying your work. A vision board can help.
A vision board is just that: a board that you can use to write notes and post pictures of your dreams and aspirations. The visualization aspect of a vision board is a great and powerful mind exercise. It can help you feel the way you want to feel. Such inspiration can help you get out of a slump while working from home, paving a clear path to productivity and success.
Create a vision board with goals and aspirations personally and professionally and look at it every day. Working at home should get you closer to those goals.

26) Check in With Co-Workers Frequently

Take the time to meet with your team regularly. The meetings should have an agenda actively involving all members, so they contribute. Dedicate time to meet privately with each member so they can share status updates, receive coaching, and discuss developments from their personal life.
Be mindful under the context of why people work from home. Remote employees might miss some aspects of the office. Beyond handling phone calls, be sure to discuss the bigger projects they are working on.
Make remote employees feel valued and included through live video meetings and conference calls regularly.

27) Declare Your WFH Availability

For the employee who works from home, they're aware of their availability, but colleagues might not be. Given the sea of tools to work remotely and collaborate, it can be challenging for your team to stay in touch.
Communicate dates and hours (with time zones) for your work time, what capacity you are working in, and how others can get in touch. This effort avoids assumptions that you're skipping the office or refusing contact.
If you have a business communication app likeNextiva, use its status features(Away/Available) for to show teammates your availability. While you're at it, check out some other benefits of using Nextiva for business communication and collaboration.
Keep your team informed about your work-at-home schedule, key projects, and methods to get in contact with you.
28) Assume Positive Intent

One limitation of working from home is that team chat messaging sometimes falls short of expressing ideas clearly. It's easy to think a quick remark was made to be rude or even flippant.
Remind yourself not to take seemingly short or snide responses offensively. For some members of theremote workforce, they are just efficient in their replies. Consider using emoji to support your intent in your declarations with your team.
Focus on the facts and assume positive intent where it might not otherwise be seen. Use emoji and emoticons to convey emotions with your team.

29) Connect With Your Team Offsite

For companies that are all-in on building a remote team, they will soon encounter a strong interest in meeting as a team throughout the year. One way to do this is a remote team offsite. Make it impactful and meaningful to forge and strengthen relationships.
Beyond team building, you want to be extremely intentional with the agenda to make the entire experience worthwhile. Conduct a strategic business review, SWOT analysis, and deep-dive intoKPIs and metrics.
Companies should budget time and resources to welcome employees into the office at least twice a year, so they connect with the team. Go out for lunches and connect outside of the context of just work, too.
Plan an annual team offsite and bring in your remote employees to the office to strengthen the working relationship. It builds loyalty, respect, and trust among colleagues.

30) Invest in a Good Pair of Headphones

Even if you have a brand new laptop or a new smartphone, you will want to invest in a quality pair of headphones with a mic. Noise-canceling features can really help improve the clarity of your phone calls. With modern virtual phone systems, you will appreciate the higher fidelity of your calls.
Look for headset features such as long battery life, Bluetooth compatibility, microphone, and noise canceling. These all work together to make your remote working duties a little easier.
Get a good pair of headphones. If you don't, ask your employer to purchase them as part of your work-from-home toolkit.

31) Stay Vigilant Against Security Risks

Just because you're not in the office doesn't mean you're not a target for hackers. Your work machine is incredibly valuable for thieves and criminals, so take care to work securely.

Be aware of how your company's network policies such as the use of Wi-Fi, personal devices, and more.

Employ a "trust but verify" mentality for documents sent to your inbox.

Use a business-grade Virtual Private Network (VPN) for encryption. Larger organizations are likely to have an approved VPN solution.

Know how to get IT assistance and report security threats.

Close your room's door to avoid disclosing sensitive information to family members or visitors.

Don't slack off on your duty to keep your home office equipment secure. Understand how to protect yourself from common security threats.
32) Use Professional Communication Tools

You might be using free tools to communicate with your team today. The SaaS market has capitalized on the freemium model to upgrade to paid plans. The problem with personal apps like WhatsApp, Telegram, and Google Hangouts - as an aggregate - is they don't necessarily improve internal communication.
Consider upgrading to abusiness communication platform that brings your phone system, team chat, sales pipeline, and customer support together.
Choose the right communication platform to help your team work remotely instead of a myriad of chat apps and a spreadsheet of cell phone numbers.

Why Working From Home is Critically Important to Every Business

Believe it or not, but working from home is quite common with nearly 40% of companies offering positions to work-at-home.
Maintainingbusiness continuity is something every company leader needs to think about. Diversifying where employees work is one of the ways businesses can withstand such unexpected changes in the market. With a remote workforce, employers can limit the effects of any disaster so the company can stay operational. Plus, they can adjust their work hours around local needs.
Since the cost of a broadband internet connection with a strongWi-Fi signal has decreased every year, working from home is common. For those who use Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) solutions, they can maintain connectivity between co-workers and customers.

Related: Pros & Cons of Working From Home vs. Working in an Office
Benefits for employees go well beyond skipping a commute. On the mind of every remote employee is the well-being of their family members and their welfare. Employees can meet both needs if they can work from home full-time.
The benefits of telecommuting from home save employers on commercial real estate, among other technology infrastructure issues prevalent in offices today. Consistently, survey after survey, remote workers are happier across the board when they work from home.
It takes more than a high-speed internet connection and video conferencing to work from home effectively.
There's a little truth to the natural skepticism some employers have about their teams to work remotely. In 2020, working from home is no longer such a novel concept.
Start putting these work from home tips into practice now to streamline your routine and increase your productivity.
Working Remotely? Here's How Nextiva Empowers Your Team

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Gaetano DiNardi

Gaetano DiNardi led demand generation at Nextiva and has a track record of success working with brands like Major League Baseball, Pipedrive, Sales Hacker, and Outreach.io. Outside of marketing, Gaetano is an accomplished music producer and songwriter. He's worked with major artists like Fat Joe, Shaggy, and loves making music to stay turbocharged.

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