top of page

KIDS &

TEENS

kid%2520world_edited_edited.png

All people are susceptible to this virus despite age and whether or not they have underlying conditions, so it is best for kids and teens to also follow through with social distancing for the safety of themselves and the people around them. However, social distancing can get in the way of a student's learning and people may get bored in isolation. For these very reasons, I found many websites, linked to the titles of the sites, that can help and make social distancing a little more bearable.

Coronavirus & children.

As hard as it may be, these three things can help keep you and the people around you safer:

  • Wash your hands often, for at least 20 seconds with soap and water, especially before touching your face or your food

  • Cover your mouth with your elbow when you cough or sneeze

  • Practice social distancing

SOCIAL DISTANCING.

Probably the hardest part of the coronavirus for many kids and teens, like myself, is social distancing. It's really hard to not want to go out or hang out with your friends, but in this situation that's what we have to do. You may be able to recover quickly from the virus or not be affected by the symptoms at all, but don’t risk spreading it other people whose body may not be able to handle the virus as well. Here are a few quick and simple DOs and DON'Ts with respect to social distancing.

  • "Act as if you might be carrying the virus" - Dr. Sanjay Gupta (CNN's Chief Medical Correspondent; Neurosurgeon)

  • Audio or video call your friends to see how they're doing

  • Bike or go for walks with the people you live with (if your region is not on lock down)

    • Remember to keep a 6 ft distance from other people​

    • Avoid crowded places

  • Take your dog for a walk

  • Keep in contact with others

  • Watch TV at home

  • Play in your backyard (if you have one)

  • Use workouts from YouTube or other platforms to exercise

  • Learn more about the virus from the CDC and WHO websites

DO

DON'T

  • Go out to hang out with your friends

  • Go for a group hike with people you don't live with

  • Let other people pet your dog

  • Physically meet up with others

  • Bring other people into your home 

  • Go out for a movie night with friends

  • Play in public playgrounds or equipment

  • Go to the gym

  • Spread information you don't know is true

It is also important, in this time, to be educated about the coronavirus. If you think you have this coronavirus thing down, or even if you don’t, take this quiz to test your coronavirus knowledge and how well you know what is true and what is false about to the virus. If you have a young child at home, show them this video to teach them about the coronavirus.

Video courtesy of "Kurzgesagt in a Nutshell"

Educational Resources.

If your school is closed, instead of spending hours watching TV or lazing around (which I admit I do a lot of), it would be good to keep learning or reinforcing the knowledge you have already learned. Below are links to different websites that can help you do that.  

Learn new things from videos made by the same people that bring you the inspirational TED Talks.

In collaboration with over 190 leading universities and companies, Coursera brings courses for college students and graduates

Provides animated, slightly comical videos that focus on specific aspects of different topics such as science, math, English, etc.

A well-known resource, Khan Academy uses videos and articles to educate people on everything from math to history

A paid app, IXL is a great way to enforce skills for many subjects, including Spanish

Hands-on Learning Experiences.

Some people learn better from interactive and visual experiences, which can be just as effective! For more hands-on learners, here are some links to gaming sites that help you learn at the same time.

Providing games for students in Pre-K to 8th grade, Funbrain has fun games and books to read

With many games for topics such as math, science, and US history, Sheppard Software has games and interactive learning experiences to teach kids many aspects of different topics in a fun way

The same company that gives shows like Wild Kratts, PBS Kids has many games you can play, lots of which can teach you facts and skills

find a topic you want to quiz yourself on and tell your friends the code to compete with them! You can quiz yourself on anything from the coronavirus to random Disney trivia.

Gives kids a chance to play games or take quizzes, both educational and not

I also put this site under Educational Resources, but other than the videos they provide, BrainPop also has lots of games to help you learn things, including coding.

Not for educational games, but if you want to learn to play chess, these two sites could be helpful

Language Learning Resources.

Maybe there’s a language you have always wanted to learn, but never had the time to. Or maybe you’re learning a language in school and you want to stay involved with the language even though your school is shut down. If that’s the case, take this time to learn that language!

Learn the origins, facts, or common phrases from many languages

Provides French, Spanish (Spain), Japanese, German, Korean, Chinese (Simplified), Spanish (Mexico), Italian, and Computer & Engineering. Memrise helps you memorize anything faster, like vocabulary of another language.

Provides Spanish, French, German, Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Russian, Portuguese, and 20 other languages for English speakers. A well-known site for learning languages, Duolingo teaches people languages through games and translations.

Online Games.

All of the above were links for learning, but if you just want to play games, below I’ve linked up sites with random, fun games to play when you’re bored

Holder of many different games, you can take your pick of what kind of game you want to play: Fire Boy and Water Girl, Run, 2048, or a Papa’s game.

A game on Funbrain, Poptropica lets you create a character and then complete challenges in different locations on the site

From the creators of “Heads Up!”, an app where you and your friends can play together from afar. The game will ask questions, and everybody submits fake answers. Whoever gets the most votes for best answer will win the round.

bottom of page