ow that we’ve settled into a bit of a routine with our lazy summer days, I have a couple of ideas for keeping those young minds stimulated and actively learning over vacation. 

The weather is hot and the kids don’t want to go outside because it’s TOO hot!  I know you’re thinking that if they stay inside all day, it will be a fight to the finish for screen time, am I right?

So why not compromise. They can sit and “play” with their devices if they do some independent reading, explore the world virtually or learn some fun science concepts. 

Let me show you some high quality, free (or cheap) resources that kids of all different ages can access super easily.

Global Oneness Project is a free, multimedia website designed for high school students (grades 9 – 12) which provides videos to increase cultural awareness on social, cultural and environmental issues.  The topics range from geography, history, anthropology, environmental science, foreign language, journalism, photography and film to English language arts. Each documentary is between 4 – 30 minutes long and comes with meaningful questions and connections to current events. Teachers can use the lesson plans that are included also. For example, the short film Earthwise, has a full 75-page film discussion guide! All of their resources are offered in both English and Spanish. 

Libby – By Overdrive is an app (for iOS or Android) that allows students of any age to browse and borrow ebooks and audiobooks for free from public libraries. Students just need a library card from their local library to get access to all the resources they can imagine! They can even sample a book to see if they like it before they borrow. 

Homer is both an app and a website for children in Kindergarten through 3rd grade. It encourages students to read topics that interest them the most. This highly successful program improves their reading abilities and gets them motivated to read start to finish. The website offers all types of other activities too, from math games to thinking skills to creativity exercises, this app has it all. This app or website is free for 30 days and then costs about $10 per month. 

Epic books is a fantastic digital library that K-5 students just love! Through this app (for iOS and Android), teachers (or parents) can assign reading lists so that students can pick whatever interests them. It keeps track of their progress and offers other, similar resources and activities for them to complete when they are finished with the book. This way, they read what truly interests them. The app is free during the school day and has a small fee afterwards.

Chess Kid is a website for any student, K-12, which teaches kids to play chess through lessons and videos. It goes through all types of moves, strategies and attacking patterns. It combines learning the concepts and strategies of the game with just having fun playing it! The website has multiple options of slow or fast play, matching up with a team and even tournaments for older students. 

Khan Academy Kids is a free app for kids in Kindergarten through 2nd grade. It offers lessons, games and activities for students to work on basic skills such as Math, English Language Arts, Social Emotional Learning and creative expression. Students can choose their topics and pursue things they love, or the teacher can assign specific topics and lessons for the students to explore. 

Headspace is a website for students K-12 which teaches kids how to meditate. As they say on their introductory video, “school normally teaches our students how to take care of their bodies, but gives very little instruction on how to take care of their minds”. Well, Headspace is a popular and successful website that is trying to change that. The activities and lessons on this website focus on increasing focus, happiness, productivity, and longevity. It is free for 30 days, but then it is $13 per month or $95 per year. 

Get them moving with GoNoodle! This free and fun app for K-5 specializes in dance videos, yoga exercises, sports videos, call-and-response songs, camp songs, stretching and deep breathing activities … and anything else that encourages movement. It is an excellent resource for fighting obesity, for teaching mindfulness and providing a fun break in the day.

TinyBop can be a single app or a bundle of apps that help young kids explore the world around them. Through interactive exercises, kids explore the map of the world, the human body, robots, science and fantastical creatures. It’s goal is to teach the invisible and awesome wonders of the world in a fun and engaging way. 

As we can clearly see through all these apps and websites, there is a vast selection of helpful and educational resources online for our kids (of any age!). So let’s allow our students and kids to enjoy a little private time on their device and explore the world!

Let me know if you agree in the comments.

Enjoy your summer!