Your Quarantine New York Kids Weekend: April 10-12

There is good news for all Harry Potter fans and parents who need some magic to keep children entertained! J.K. Rowling recently launched “Harry Potter at Home,” a free hub for magical craft videos, fun articles, quizzes, puzzles, and much more. J.K. Rowling offers you the ultimate Harry Potter experience: “Parents, teachers and carers working to keep children amused and interested while we’re on lockdown might need a bit of magic,” Rowling wrote on Twitter.

Learn more about “Harry Potter at Home” with our post: J.K. Rowling Launches Harry Potter at Home Site for Families During Coronavirus Crisis

With schools closed and students learning from home, a wide range of online language-learning resources are offering free or discounted courses to children of all ages. Resources like these, ranging from online tutors to video lessons to interactive games, can start your child on the path to advancing their skills in a foreign language or learning a new one from scratch!

Here are some language-learning resources:

Babbel

Babbel is currently offering three months of free language-learning for students from “kindergarten through college.” Though easily accessible, the course interface isn’t tailored to young learners specifically. Babbel offers courses in 14 languages and is also available as an app for iPhone and tablet.

RosettaStone

RosettaStone is another provider offering free courses for students over the next three months. Their “immersive learning experiences” are available in over 20 languages. Similarly to Babbel, RosettaStone’s free courses can be taken advantage of by students in kindergarten through college, but their lessons aren’t specifically focussed on engaging young learners.

Busuu 

Busuu is a service that offers live-streamed language lessons to children ages 5 to 14 through YouTube. Right now, they’re offering free student access to lessons taught by certified teachers in Chinese and Spanish, with more languages coming soon. On their website, you can access a time table showing the live-streaming schedule. Classes are organized by language, age group and experience, and if your child misses a lesson, they can rewatch it through Busuu’s “Keep Kids Learning” YouTube channel.

Check out the rest of our language-learning programs with our post, Online Language-Learning Resources for Kids Amid Coronavirus: Free and Discounted

American Museum of Natural History

Re-live the Night at the Museum with the “Windows of Nature” online exhibition or take a virtual tour across galaxies and learn more about scientific imaging technologies in the virtual halls of the AMNH. Plus, check out the free Museum classes, quizzes, and games for children.

Guggenheim Museum

Enjoy more than 1,700 pieces of artwork by more than 625 artists in the Guggenheim Collection Online. The growing virtual tour includes a lot of the Museum’s classic holdings as well as new additions.

The Met

The Metropolitan Museum of Art grants you free online access to tons of photos, 28 featured exhibitions, and a 3D tour of the museum halls. Explore art-making activities for the whole family and listen to musical performances from around the world. The Met offers you everything from cutting-edge 360-degree videos to downloadable catalogs from previous exhibitions.

For more virtual tours, visit Virtual Museum Tours in New York Families Will Love

Karma Kids Yoga

At Karma Kids Yoga, teachers are dedicated to giving a variety of yoga tools to kids that they can use throughout their lives. They are encouraged to “play” yoga and learn about breath and body movement in an exciting way. Karma Kids Yoga is currently streaming classes on their Youtube channel and on Instagram.

Obé Fitness Live Classes

This program allows parents and their kids to join in on the fun while getting a good workout in. Obé offers kid classes in dance and strength that are 10 minutes long and for ages 3-10. They even have fun videos where kids can rock out to Kidz Bop songs. Use code: ATHOME for access.

Alo Yoga for Kids

Kids can practice yoga for free with these mindfulness classes that teach kids about finding calmness, quieting negativity, and more! Choose classes like Crisscross Yogasauce, Animal Yoga, and more!

This program allows parents and their kids to join in on the fun while getting a good workout in. Obé offers kid classes in dance and strength that are 10 minutes long and for ages 3-10. They even have fun videos where kids can rock out to Kidz Bop songs. Use code: ATHOME for access.

See our full list of exercise class options here: Indoor Exercise for Kids: Online Classes and Games During Coronavirus.

Make Frozen Chocolate Bananas

Makes four

2 ripe but firm bananas

6 ounces dark chocolate or semisweet chocolate chips

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1/2 cup granola, chopped pecans and walnuts or sprinkles (optional)

Line a baking sheet with nonstick foil or parchment paper. Cut the bananas in half and insert a popsicle stick into each half. Can also use wooded kebob or chopstick — whatever you have on hand. If you break chopstick in half, use the smooth part of the stick. Place bananas on the baking sheet and freeze for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, melt the chocolate with the oil in Pyrex measuring cup in the microwave (check it every 30 seconds) or in half-full pan of simmering water. Stir until smooth. Dip and roll each banana half in the chocolate, then quickly sprinkle with your toppings (if using).

Freeze until the chocolate sets, 30 minutes. Serve, or store in the freezer in an airtight container for up to a week.

Many of us parents are hunkering down during this pandemic. We are being creative by finding ways to entertain the kids while we take it day by day, spending our time keeping our children’s minds busy and still learning.

Reading stimulates the brain and opens our kids’ to adventure and possibility. Although the coronavirus has changed our world, books will forever be the best escape for all.

The Day the Crayons Quit, written by Drew Daywalt, illustrated by Oliver Jeffers

Young Duncan wants to color, but when he opens his box of crayons, he finds only letters, all saying the same thing: His crayons have had enough! They quit! Beige Crayon is tired of playing second fiddle to Brown Crayon. Black wants to be used for more than just outlining. Blue needs a break from coloring all those bodies of water. What can Duncan possibly do to appease all of the crayons and get them back to doing what they do best? Kids will be imagining their own humorous conversations with crayons as they read all about Duncan’s. Handpicked by Amazon kids’ books editor, Seira Wilson, for Prime Book Box — a children’s subscription that inspires a love of reading, we couldn’t recommend this read more! Kindergarten to 3rd grade, $16.19

Kindness Starts With You, by Jacquelyn Stagg

Teach your kids all about the importance of kindness with this bestselling children’s book. Follow Maddy through her day at school. From taking turns on the swing to including everyone in the game, this storybook shows that no act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever gone unnoticed! A lightbulb lesson of kindness is found on each page. Included in the book is a Kindness BINGO download and a Weekly Kindness Challenge to help encourage your child to say sorry, be polite, take turns, be a helping hand, include others, and show respect. Pre-K to 3rd grade, $10.79

The Magic Misfits: The Minor Third by Neil Harris

The third book in the #1 New York Times bestselling Magic Misfits series is finally here and we couldn’t be more excited! When a famous ventriloquist arrives in town, the Misfits know he (and his creepy dummy) are up to no good. With their mentor, Mr. Vernon, suddenly called away, can they come together to stop another member of the villainous Emerald Ring? It’s time for Theo to make a choice about where — and with whom — he belongs. Your kids will learn about adventure, friendship, and of course, magic. Grades 3rd to 7th, $16.99

For our whole round-up of books, check out Books from Pre-k to Teenagers During Coronavirus Quarantine

Fun with Sculpey

Sculpey will keep the kids entertained for hours, and if you are looking for an afterschool project (meaning you get a break), this is an excellent way for the older kids to keep busy and away from screen time. A favorite go-to site for crafts I often visit for my students is Meri Cherry Art Studio, and their Seven-layer Cake is a fun project for the kids. My kids love this machine for their Sculpey projects. If you have a pasta machine, you can also use this as well.