Literacy & Learning
Activities
Whether your kids are at home all day or just getting started in the classroom, there’s plenty of opportunity for learning and engaging as a family at home. Keep busy and keep learning with these resources and activities below.
Literary Activities
Family Fun
Parent Resources
Literary Activities
LitWorld: Build a Story Challenge!
Connect with the LitWorld team to build a creative story using prompts to help you generate ideas and have a strong story structure! Then, you can use new prompts to guide the structure of your own story. If you feel inspired to do so, you can share your story with the world by submitting it on FlipGrid (make sure to get parent permission before sharing)!
Storynory Podcasts for Kids
Storynory brings you audio stories for the family, beautifully read, and with a touch of sophistication. We find traditional stories from all over the world and create our own characters including Katie the Witch, and Astropup the space travelling hound. We also give you songs, educational interviews, and a sprinkling of ancient history.
Digital Public Library of America eBooks
This online library is an easy way to read free ebooks: Download the SimplyE app for iOS or Android (from your app store) and add Digital Public Library of America as your library to access the DPLA Collection. It provides access to more than 5,000 free ebook titles!
Read books with TV shows/movie adaptations
Kids love to watch tv and movies, so why not motivate more reading with book choices that have stream-able adaptations? Head to your library and check out a few of these great options. Then, after you and your child have read the book and watched the adaptation, discuss which version your child liked best and why. Did your favorite character change from the book to the movie/series?
Found on Scholastic’s new “Learn at Home” website
Day-by-day cross-curricular projects to keep kids reading, thinking, and growing. Every day includes four separate learning experiences, each built around a thrilling, meaningful story or video. Kids can do them on their own, with their families, or with their teachers. Just find your grade level and let the learning begin! (available in Spanish as well)
Family Fun
30 Things to do with kids on a rainy day
Spending time in the sunshine is the best way to release some of your children’s never-ending energy. But what do you do when a rainstorm bursts your sunny bubble? Being cooped up indoors on a stormy day with energetic kids can feel overwhelming, so make a game plan. Have some toys or activities reserved just for days like this. And if you need some more boredom-busters, here are 30 activities you can do with children of all ages on a rainy day.
Visit the History Colorado Center
History Colorado Center has sites all around Colorado, including Denver, Pueblo, Fort Garland, Leadville, Trinidad, and Montrose. This interactive museum is filled with exhibits that showcase important events in Colorado history. General admission is free for children!
Simple + Fun Activities for Toddlers
On this site you’ll find the best toddler activities around because Kids Activities Blog loves to play! Scroll through the pictured activities to find the perfect play idea for your 1 year old, 2 year old or beyond… One of our favorites is block printing- check it out.
‘Sounds Around’ Family Backyard Activity
Nature provides us with many unforgettable sounds. Breezes whistling through the leaves, birds singing early in the morning, and streams gurgling over rocks are just some of the sounds children recognize. Here’s a great family activity when exploring the great outdoors.
23 Fun Things To Do In Denver
Whether you’re planning a family vacation or you’re a local looking for fun things to do in Denver with kids, you’ve come to the right place! This site is published by a Denver mom with tons of insight on nearby family fun- from museums like the Denver Museum of Nature & Science and the Children’s Museum, parks like City Park, Elitch’s amusement park, and so much more, there’s plenty of fun things to do with kids in Denver.
Kid-Friendly Activities in Denver
Kids are often tough to please, but they’ll be grinning from ear to ear when they’re in The Mile High City, thanks to Denver’s wide array of kid-friendly activities. Interactive museums, incredible zoos and aquariums, wide-open parks — they’re all perfect ways to entertain your little travelers!
Family Game Night
Do you want to spend some quality time together, learn a few things, and make lots of memories? Well, why not bring everyone to the table with a family game night? From preschoolers to high schoolers, every member in your family can play something from this list of 35 fun game night ideas.
Visit the Denver art museum!
Bellco believes the arts are fundamental to a healthy community and should be accessible to all. That’s why since 2016, Bellco has been a sponsor of the Denver Art Museum’s “Free for Kids” program, ensuring that more children can experience the transformative power of art. Kids under 18 have free general admission to the museum!
Drawing Lessons with Illustrator
Jarrett Krosoczka – live every day at 2pm on author’s website
Join the bestselling author of Peanut Butter and Jellyfish, National Book Award finalist Hey Kiddo and the Lunch Lady series for an all-ages drawing masterclass on his homepage and his YouTube channel. For starters, all you need is a pencil and paper!
Everyday Fun with Science
Young children, beginning from birth, are naturally curious about science, or the study of the natural world. They are also fascinated with the process of doing science—exploring cause-and-effect, discovering patterns, and more. Encourage science learning through these example activities and tips.
Oxford Owl Learning Activities for all ages
These Oxford Owl activities make learning fun and interactive! Be sure to check out the side panel on the site for activities for different ages. Whether you enjoy sing counting songs, cooking together, or playing games int the car, the learning opportunities are endless!
Parent Resources
Racism and Violence: Using Your Power as a Parent to Support YOUR Child
As a caregiver, it can be challenging to know how you should talk to your children about complex issues, such as racism. This resource provides thoughts and guidelines for talking about the issues of racism and equality in age-appropriate ways with children aged two to five years of age.
Schedule Your Child’s Regular vaccinations
While there’s not yet a vaccine for Coronavirus, there are vaccines to protect your child from 16 other infectious diseases. Don’t wait! Skipping vaccines and checkups can be dangerous. Colorado Pediatricians’ offices are open and providing well-child care and vaccinations.
Parents’ Guide to Working from Home
When you’re going to be fighting for every inch of productivity, you want each day to feel like an established habit, no wasted time on wondering what’s for lunch or when we’re going outside to play. This guide from Harvard Business Review will give you tips on how to bring your old plan into your new normal while working from home.
simple, self-guided activities to keep your kids moving
Keeping young children physically active and minimizing screen time right now, while parents manage busy work schedules, can be a serious challenge. Physical activity and ‘active play’ in the early years improves many parts of a child’s overall heath and wellness — motor skills, cooperation, sharing, attention span and problem-solving skills.
How to Introduce Toddlers and Babies to Books
What better way to raise lifelong readers than to start kids early? When introducing books to babies and toddlers, it’s important to do so in a way that will make them excited to read, instead of making it feel like a chore. This article will give you tips and tricks to make incorporating reading into your daily life as easy (and fun) as possible!
