virtual everything kids edition

Programs for virtual Group Chats

How to be social while social distancing starts with the right program! Here are different programs/apps and the max number of people that can virtually group chat:

Houseparty: 8

Whatsapp: 4

Facetime:32

Google Duo: 8

Google Hangouts:10

Skype: 50

Zoom: 100 (40 min limit)

Facebook messenger: 50 people

Birthday parties

This is a hard one. Kids wait the entire year to celebrate their birthday and it’s already hard for them to grasp the current situation we are living in. One follower spoke with a child psychologist about this very issue. Her suggestion was to make it a different celebration than you normally would. Don’t do something you would do under normal circumstances. By doing something wacky you can make it memorable in a fun way instead of being memorable because they didn’t get their party. Maybe that would include a scavenger hunt, a themed family day like an Olympics day, or even a zoom class party.

Here were my initial ideas which I broke down by age

First birthday party: Have a smash cake viewing with your friends! Have your e-guests use zoom to call into the birthday party to view the big moment, the cake smash. This will be just as much fun for kids as it will be for adults! One of my closest friends is doing this for her son’s first birthday on Sunday. Charlie is really looking forward to it.

Toddler: Have all the kids in your child’s class make a short 30-60 second video saying happy birthday and naming one special thing about your child. Then use the app Videon to string the videos together making one long video. It would be a very special birthday surprise!

kids: Contact a local pottery making store and see if they will deliver kits to their friends. You can have a Zoom pottery making birthday activity. There is a place in Wilton called, Happy Hands Pottery, which is offering a to-go service. You can do curbside pick up, paint the pottery at home, and drop back off to be fired. Another idea would be a bakery that could put together cupcake or cookie kits, so everyone can bake something together. For Happy Hands Pottery click, HERE.

Teens: Virtual Netflix movie night! Have a movie night! Have everyone grab a bag of popcorn and watch a new movie together. More, HERE

play dates

One on one is best in my opinion for kids under 6. Have a theme for the call if the kids are young. For example, if it’s dinosaurs, each child would show you their favorite dino books or toys. As the kids get older they can do more interactive playdates, which could include a fun craft or baking session.

keeping in touch with classmates (toddlers)

For toddler aged kids I had the parents in Charlie’s preschool class just send me a short video of the kids saying hi and showing the class what they’ve been up to! I also asked the teachers to send in a short video as well. I am going to compile on the app Videon and make it into a video. I’ll then send it out to the whole class. I thought this would be age-appropriate because Charlie gets bored on FaceTime pretty quickly. (basically same thing above for the toddler party idea)

Kids virtual classes & programming / TV

Koo Koo Kangaroo (movement) all ages

Cosmic yoga HERE (movement) 3+

GoNoodle HERE (movement) ages 5-12

Kids Avengers YouTube Tabata workouts (movement) 6+

Kids learning Tube , HERE (YouTube Channel) 2-8

Jack Hartmann, (YouTube Channel) 3+

National Geographic Kids (YouTube Channel) 3+

Barefoot singalong books (YouTube Channel) 3+

SciShow (YouTube Channel) 12+

Word Party (Netflix 2+)

Super Why (Netflix) age 3-6

Story Bots (Netflix) 3-8

If I were an animal (Netflix) all ages

Cincinnati zoo Facebook Live everyday day 3 pm (different animal daily + activity after)

Kids Bop You Tube videos for dancing ages 9-12

One Strange Rock by Nat Geo on Disney + age 8+

Peg + Cat, 3+ PBS kids

Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood PBS Kids ages 2-4

Sesame Street, PBS kids 3+

Wild Kratts PBS Kids ages 2-8

Dinosaur Train PBS Kids 3+

Khan Academy Kids is a free, fun, educational program designed to inspire young children to become learners for life. ages two to seven. khankids@khanacademy.org, HERE (learning academy)

ABC mouse Learning Academy, HERE 2+ (learning academy)

Music classes for ALL ages. Naptown Sings and plays is offering virtual music classes and is even offering a glee club for older kids. HERE

Sing-Alongs

Ari The Sing-Along Guy @arithesingalongguy NYC dad doing a live sing-along every weekday at 11 website, HERE

Union Square Play: Such a great resource. They are offering online music, book readings, parent seminars, check them out! A ton for babies and toddlers. click, HERE

I had two loves as a kid growing up, dogs and soccer. I couldn't get enough of both. So, I was beyond excited when I found out that there was actually a soccer program in Greenwich for kids in the toddler set called Under 2's Kick & Play program from Super Soccer Stars. I did some investigating and discovered that the Kick & Play program is specifically designed to target the natural progression and age appropriate milestones all part of a healthy development a child goes through. It took me no time at all to make sure Charlie was enrolled. I especially was excited because this is an outdoor program for kids, and let's face it, kids need lots of outdoor time. Because it is scheduled on Saturday morning, the whole family was able to go and cheer Charlie on. I also experienced how much fun this program is. The instructors are all great with the kids with their laid back no pressure approach. They even had large puppets to demonstrate soccer moves! As the instructors were encouraging the exploration of all those gross motor skills needed to play any sport, they incorporated original music and language so it's so much more than running and kicking. They offer birthday parties

Kick & Play, a comprehensive developmental program for toddlers ages 12-24 months, is a perfect fit for you and your little one! These classes are geared towards the natural progression and acquisition of age-appropriate milestones. Not only does Kick & Play utilize the foundations of soccer to build upon gross and fine motor skills, but paired with our original music, child-size character friends, and highly trained instructors, the program also focuses on language and communicative growth. Not to mention the added social benefits that come from participation amongst peers, Kick & Play facilitates a way for children and their adult counterparts to develop a deeper and richer bond. You will be amazed by all the things your toddler can do, given the simple structure and consistency of the Kick & Play curriculum.

They also do birthday parties and hold customized private groups as well for families in their backyards. Private groups tend to be very popular in the area as it allows families to create a schedule around their busy schedules. It is also a great way for getting moms together to have coffee while their little ones play.

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