As we continue to navigate the COVID-19 Pandemic, many OSU families continue to find themselves home with their children and balancing this new way of work/life. We wanted to share some local resources and parenting tips/tricks that you may find useful during this time.

Bringing someone into your home to care for your children? Click here for specific guidelines for in-home care providers during COVID-19.

Check out our weekly Quarantine Hacks for Kids!

 

Food Resources:
  • OSU's Human Services Resource Center will continue to offer food boxes Monday-Friday from 9am-5pm, to those who qualify
  • Oregon Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC)
  • Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)

 

Educational Resources:
  • The Corvallis Public Library has put together resources for families. They have also sent out their spring newsletter with even more ideas!
  • The Early Childhood Development Center  - List of resources for children ranging from preschool through high school. Some of the resources are useful for students who are not proficient in English. Includes educational resources to facilitate your children's learning, in addition to, museum, zoo, as well as other field trip tour links.
  • Scholastic.com is offering free - Day by day, thus week by week learning materials to keep your child entertained and engaged with educational activities such as projects, reading assignments, interactive games and videos. Resources geared towards the age groups between preschool through ninth grade
  • kidsactivitiesblog.com Free access to educational sites for about every subject including but not limited to science, math, english, reading comprehension, as well as many more applicable to the age ranges of preschool through high school. Some sites include more advanced materials commonly found with advanced placement courses, while others apply to younger age groups.
  • This is an extensive list of educational prompts, physical movement ideas, and entertainment ideas for kids and families. List of activities are applicable for a wide range of children, and can be modified for an older age range of children.
  • PBS Kids is a great curriculum- based form of educational entertainment. Includes age appropriate games, videos, and activities for children aged preschool through elementary. More specifically games are geared towards ages from 4-7.
  • ABC Mouse is offering free 30 day subscriptions for educational content ages 2-8. Curriculum based activities in the subjects of math, reading/ language arts, science, social studies, in addition to art and colors.
  • All OSU students and employees have access to a free care.com membership. You can create your free account and look for babysitters, tutors, etc.
  • Homeschooling resources put together by OSU's Library. Resources range from Science, and History topics to virtual tours. 
  • A Beautiful Day is a virtual early childhood space designed to connect with children and families in Nebraska and across the world. Work with families to publish and discuss various activities and ways to keep children busy during quarantine. 
  • Outschool ($$)- Live online classes taught by qualified teachers directed towards children aged 3-18. Activities range from phonics to advanced placement course material and includes popular games such as minecraft and animals to engage children. 
  • From ABC's to ACT's & Filter Free Parents have ongoing lists of free educational websites and resources for educators as they transition to homeschooling. Lists of websites are applicable to all ages more specifically includes sections for ages from toddler to high school
  • OSU's College of Earth, Ocean & Atmospheric Sciences has created some ideas for families to learn about Earth sciences together at home! Ideas include apps for mobile devices, virtual tours, as well as various different lesson plans.
  • Crash Course on Youtube is free and applies to high school aged children. Just type “Crash Course” into Youtube and choose from many informational videos on science, US history, etc. 
  • DuckDuckMoose is an app that can be downloaded on smartphones or tablets. Recommended for preschool to kindergarten aged children. Activities range from puzzles, maps, to fun music apps where you can learn notes and rhythm. 
  • Free library of over 60,000 free ebooks on Project Gutenberg. Has classics including Little Women, as well as many more. 
  • Science Friday provides engaging lessons presented through podcasts and stories geared towards elementary through high school students. Topics include Physics, Chemistry, Biology, and many more. 
  • CoolMath4Kids: Home is a site for kids aged kindergarten through the sixth grade. The site is an option for children to work on addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, and fractions through online math games, quizzes, manipulatives, and more.
  • Dr.Seuss and His Friends ($$) is a monthly book subscription you can sign up for and they will send you a set of 3 new books every 3 weeks.

 

Entertainment:
  • OSU's Food Hero's kid section has cooking videos, an art contest, activities, printable coloring sheets, and more! Also has healthy kid approved recipe ideas for parents to try during quarantine time. Applies to a wide range of children
  • Madame Mustache, a local puppeteer, will be offering her puppet shows via YouTube. Would be engaging for young children, ranging from ages 4 to 7, possibly younger
  • The City of Corvallis has a complete up-to-date list of city-wide closures of things like the library and aquatic center.
  • There are many great outdoor open spaces that you and your family can take advantage of. Remember to maintain social distancing from others. 
  • Enjoy live streamed concerts at Stay Home Fest
  • Enjoy Broadway performances for free as a family!
  • Kanopy- to those with a Corvallis-Benton County Library card, you can access thousands of movies for free
  • Another link to virtual tours on Google Arts and Culture offers 2,500 different tours of museums and national parks across the United States.  You can also use Google to access virtual tours of national parks in the U.S.
  • Jr. Beavs Kid's Club has launched their Learning Lodge for weekly activities that help you think and be active! Crossword puzzles, video drills led by coaches, coloring contests ... and much more!

 

Tips for Coping & Talking with Children:
  • Ask the Experts: Parenting During the Return to School. Are you grappling with the decision to send your child(ren) back to school or continue e-learning? Do feel you need more information to make this important decision for your family? Indiana University sat down with experts from across their university to get the answers to your burning questions, and learn strategies for a smooth, low-stress transition for both you and your child(ren).
  • Here is a short article that has Tips for Parents to help them and their children cope during this time.
  • Keeping a daily schedule for you and your family can help reduce anxiety and give structure during this time.
  • Stay connected virtually! While it is not recommended to go out to parks or on playdates it can help to call, text or skype with friends and family.
  • 8 Things Parents Should Know About the Coronavirus. 14 minute podcast that goes over many of the things above and how to talk with your children about COVID-19.
  • Try joining your child in Kids Cosmic Yoga to help reduce stress and anxiety. It’s also great movement and coordination skills for kids and adults!
  • Or try these fun Animal Movements with your family.