Recommended Online Resources To Keep Your Kids Happy And Healthy

These are unprecedented times.  According to Education Week, at least 55 million elementary through high school-aged children have been directly impacted by school closures.  As a consequence, parents accustomed to preparing their children for school each morning are now finding themselves overseeing their kids’ learning at home.  As you search for creative outlets for your kids online, know that Oregon Kid is here to help.

One of the most important things we have to consider while at home is the physical and mental health of our children.  Remaining active boosts the body’s defenses against microscopic invaders while releasing mood-lifting dopamine in the brain.  Here are just a few of the many online resources available to keep your kids happy and healthy:

Play.Fit.Fun offers virtual classes for kids to keep them active.  Coach Spencer Rubin offers interactive movement activities and games for kids young and old.  While distancing ourselves socially, Coach Rubin is actively encouraging social interaction, albeit entirely virtual.  Kids are welcome to join at any point, and each 40-minute class only costs five dollars.  At less than thirteen cents per minute, Coach Rubin’s Zoom Kids classes are an enticing opportunity.

For more information, visit https://playfitfun.com/zoom-kids-action-class/

To enroll, contact Coach Spencer at 971.732.4745 or spencer@playfitfun.com 

Another exciting and fun fitness option is My Gym’s live classes, which are available Monday through Friday.  My Gym offers 30-minute classes for toddlers to ten-year-olds using the Zoom platform.  Kids are welcome to try out their first class completely free of charge.

For more information, visit https://www.mygym.com/happyvalley

For parents looking for some fun ways to get their kids up and moving in between their virtual lessons, GoNoodle offers engaging movement videos offered by child development experts.  GoNoodle offers a wide range of content that appeals to kids of all ages, interests, skills, and abilities, and their videos are available for free.  For parents interested in a whole child approach aimed at enhancing kids’ physical wellness along with their social-emotional health, GoNoodle has you covered.    

For more information, visit https://family.gonoodle.com

We all know that art is a powerful tool, and one that most kids take delight in while at school.  But, did you know that engaging in the artistic process can help alleviate our worries?  According to author Alain de Botton, art helps us overcome problems because it serves as a type of therapy.  Here are a few online opportunities for your kids to channel their inner Leonardo Da Vinci.

By joining Vibe of Portland for online classes, your children will learn about a variety of cultures while creating their very own paper mâché masks and sculptures.  Vibe works tirelessly to provide top-notch teaching that includes artistic techniques as well as art history.  Most of the supplies that your children will need to participate are common household items, such as aluminum foil, paint brushes, and plastic containers.  

Visit Vibe of Portland’s website at vibepdx.org for more information about their classes and to access their project videos.

If you are looking for a fun-filled activity for your little ones, award-winning singer and songwriter Lisa Loeb has teamed up with Crayola for a nursery rhyme coloring camp and sing along.  Each of the sessions, which are offered several times per week, will feature an original music video.  Free nursery rhyme coloring pages will be made available for you to print, which will allow your preschoolers to have a multisensory experience.  

For more information, visit Crayola’s events page on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/events/1154583621540290/

Another exciting, online resource is Skillshare, which offers a range of painting and drawing classes for kids.  Skillshare’s teachers hope to inspire creative exploration that furthers expression, learning, and application of artistic techniques.  Currently, Skillshare is providing a free, fourteen-day trial period. 

For more information, visit https://www.skillshare.com/browse/art-for-kids