Parent Resources #1: Three-Bird
Hi all - I’m going to start sharing some resources for parents who have had homeschool thrust upon them. I’m also hoping to drop other updates as , so I’ll start titling anything that’s resources for parents with the subject line Parent Resources (and I’ll try to keep even these posts fun for everyone, parent or no). If you see that, you’ll know you’re getting the following:
• No more than 3 recommendations (there are plenty of laundry lists out there). I’m also going to try to focus on things that have some legs to them, stuff you can integrate into some daily rhythms.
• A quick blurb on what it is & why I like it...and usually how we’re using it here (for the most part, I’m going to prioritize the things we’ve actually put to the test).
• A recommendation of what ages are best suited for the resource.
Hopefully I can get one of these out every week. Prior to being on lockdown, we’ve done the voluntary lockdown of international travel with children, and when I’ve learned that when trapped in a tube for 24 hours, novelty becomes increasingly more valuable.
So, here’s this week’s Three-Bird (yeah, I don’t like that pun either...open to suggestions):
• The Kid Should See This - long before we had a global pandemic, this was a must follow feed. Thousands of videos, organized into collections, all of them kid appropriate, all of them pretty short (I don’t think I’ve ever seen one longer than 12 minutes). Fair Warning: this will continue to rule your life even when you’re no longer home bound. I like to use this with the boys as a way to get them thinking about new ideas at the beginning of the day (and I like to use this with my daughter to show her funny animals). The number of videos can be a bit daunting, so try going into the first page of any collection and just choosing the one that sounds most interesting. Ideally suited to ages 5+. What we’re watching this week: The Revealing World of Dinosaur Poop.
• ST Math - normally, ST Math is only available for schools to purchase, but they’ve always had a loophole for homeschoolers. You can sign up to use it for free until June 30th. ST Math is one of those rare pieces of educational software that engenders legitimate affection, not just because of its mascot Jiji the penguin (but also because of its mascot Jiji the penguin). It builds conceptual, not just procedural understanding of math through a super intuitive visual interface. The way kids learn their pictorial password as part of the onboarding is delightful and somewhat astounding - I watched my 5-year-old this morning memorize a sequence of over a dozen pictures in like 10 minutes. Designed for grades K-6.
• Nomster Chef - The idea of cooking with our children is so appealing; the reality of it is so often frustrating. Nomster Chef helps parents to bridge that gap from the reality to the ideal (and helps kids develop nutritious eating habits at the same time). The app has a lot of recipes and tips for parents on how to support their little Nomsters. True story: my oldest son was one of the first recipe testers for Nomster Chef and the model for their first set of marketing materials. Truer story: Ashley has paid so much attention to the experience of cooking with kids and been so intentional about how to make it a joyful experience; even if we weren’t friends, I’d still be sending you her way. Probably best for ages 2-12 (but the recipes are delicious so older kids might still be into it).
Like you, I’m always on the lookout for great resources. If you’ve found something that’s helping you & your kids get through this crazy time, please send it my way!
