Learning at Home during the Coronavirus

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Learning at Home during the Coronavirus

What day is it? How many weeks have we been quarantined at home? When will school start again…if ever this year? This has been rough…are you with me?

Luckily, both my boys are still rather young, so school is more about socialization and learning is more through play, asking questions, doing experiments…basically happening all day. However, spending time on some age-appropriate topics each day helps the day move along is beneficial for my son as it provides some structure, focuses him, and exercises his mind and creativity on other ways. My focus right now is numbers, the alphabet, and learning to spell and write his name. I’ve been using a couple of resources to come up with fun ways for him to learn. First, I use groups on Facebook like 253 Parents Get Resourceful and Too Cool for School. Then there are two awesome Instagram accounts: Busy Toddler and Happy Tot Shelf.

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Simple Science Experiments for Young Kids

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Simple Science Experiments for Young Kids

My 4-year-old son is obsessed with experiments and our isolation indoors has only increased this obsession. His favorite experiments involve water. Generally, he wants to freeze little things (like the tiny animals and insect figurines) in his science test tubes and then melt it. Better yet, add color tablets we have to color his bath water to change the water’s color of his experiment. I guess there could be worse obsessions, but I’m constantly drying the floor, tables, chairs, etc. Water everywhere!

Honestly, I love that he’s so interested in experiments and I want to encourage it. I try to come up with simple experiments for us to do together. The experiments need to have rather immediate results because he’s four-years-old and needs instant gratification. And simple so that I don’t have to go to a special store to get supplies, and better yet, I already have them all at home. I’ve gathered a few good ones and thought I’d share so you have some fun ideas in your back-pocket during all the social distancing during the coronavirus pandemic.

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Must Go: Children's Museum of Tacoma

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Must Go: Children's Museum of Tacoma

I'd be remiss if I didn't have a post about the Children's Museum of Tacoma. Seriously, what kind of Tacoma children's blog would this be without it? I'll tell you, not a very good one. This was one of the first posts I planned to write here on Raising Tacoma. I'm ashamed to say it's been over three months and I'm just getting to it now. Better late than never, right?

We go to the museum at least once a week. We love the programs and the open museum play space. It's even where we had Caleb's second birthday. I am so grateful we have the Children's Museum here; it's definitely saved my sanity more times than one. If you haven't been, then you need to drop everything and go. Okay, that's hasty, you probably have questions. I always have questions. Let's tackle some of those questions.

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