Month: March 2020

20 April Fool’s Day Pranks You Can Do at Home!

April Fool’s Day is right around the corner! Every year, I start out with good intentions but then I get busy and don’t have time to concoct some elaborate plan of trickery. So, here are some quick, easy and most importantly, kid-friendly ideas for celebrating April Fool’s Day at your house during self-isolation. Want to make it educational? National Geographic shares the origin of April Fool’s Day. 20 April Fool’s Day Pranks, Recipes and Ideas! 1. My kids have never forgiven me for the year when I bought some succulent strawberries and dipped them in sugar…only to find out it was salt. 2. Speaking of salt, sprinkle a bit of it on your child’s toothbrushes the night before. 3. Put a couple of very small drops of food coloring on your child’s ...

Deals: Free delivery, online learning and more!

COVID-19 is changing our lives in a lot of ways. I have seen neighbors “going on a bear hunt” looking for the hidden teddy bears in windows…but more to the point – my neighbors are going on walks together! We are calling loved ones! (Verizon reports phone traffic up). Some of you might even be out of a job – that is why we feel it is so important to bring you deals as we find them. Scholastic. Scholastic has launched a “Learn at Home” website specifically designed for kids continued learning. Lessons are broken out by grade level. Kids can learn on their own, learn with the family or even with their teachers! https://classroommagazines.scholastic.com/support/learnathome.html  Learn Something. There are several companies that are offering free online instruction in the time t...

This Drive-in, Social-distancing Cinema is Coming to Denver!

Taking the little ones into town, or for some food at a pub or restaurant, is now completely out of the equation with all of the country’s bars, pubs, cafes and other venues closing their doors for the foreseeable future.  While it’s still okay to nip to the park and practice good social distancing for some well needed fresh air, that can get pretty boring, but a new series of events may offer you some deserved relief. Put together by our friends at Hot Tub Cinema a string of family-friendly, Coronavirus-safe drive-in cinema shows are being brought to Denver – and they will play host to some of your kids’ favorite films. Drive-In Cinema Club runs from July 21st – 26th, 2020, where you’ll be able to enjoy a complete cinema experience from the safety of you...

Broomfield teacher spreads joy by dropping off care packages at students’ homes

Twenty-seven stops: that’s how many kindergarten teacher Jean Witt made over the weekend to let all of her students know just how much she cares. “It’s really hard not to be able to see my students and for them not to see me or their friends,” Witt told FOX31. She has been at Aspen Creek PK-8 in Broomfield since it opened 20 years ago. It was especially difficult for her because this is the last kindergarten class she’ll teach. Witt plans to retire at the end of the school year.

The DOs and DON’Ts of a statewide stay-at-home order for Colorado families

Gov. Jared Polis issued a statewide “stay at home” order Wednesday, requiring the state’s 5.7 million residents to avoid unnecessary travel or mingling with others outside their households. Polis, who had resisted taking the dramatic step even as cities, counties and local health departments in metro Denver issued similar orders before him, said he was persuaded that a statewide approach was necessary as the coronavirus continued to spread throughout the population. “Now is the time to stay at home,” Polis said. Similar to the county-level and regional orders that had been issued by others, Polis’s order will allow grocery stores, liquor stores, gas stations and other businesses considered essential to remain open. Customers may visit those as long as they maintain social distancing, stayi...

TikTok: The Highs and Lows

Recently I was with a teen who was jumping up and down as she exclaimed how she now had 10,000 followers and some 400,000 views on a video she had posted on TikTok.  What does this increased chance of quickly getting a massive number of followers and views mean for our youth? Could it be that soon, 10,000 will lose its power, just like the once exciting 100 views did in the past? Or maybe not — maybe even if it is common, we will all be seduced by the high of a truly impressive sense of eyeballs on what we are doing. Being seen does feel good. Teens tell me that being seen (getting views and likes) makes them feel appreciated. They say that if so many people see what they post, it implies that what they are doing is worth the other person’s time — and that can feel great.  What a...

Denver Zoo Launches Virtual Zoo with Daily Videos and Family Activities

Zoo to You: Virtual Safari Keeps the Community Connected to Denver Zoo and Its 3,000 Animals  Denver Zoo may not be open to guests, but its animal care team is still busy at work caring for its nearly 3,000 animals. And now the Zoo is reaching out to the community with a new resource to help families stay connected to its animals and stave off cabin fever during this difficult time. Zoo to You: Virtual Safari will be updated daily with new animal videos, wildlife-themed activities and other ideas that families can do at home. Highlights include: Live Streams and DZTV Videos: The Zoo will feature a new animal and area of the Zoo every day at 1 p.m. MST on Facebook Live, which will give viewers a chance to interact directly with animal care staff. There will also be new a...

Tweens, Teens and Young Adults in the Coronavirus Crisis

In this crisis, teens and young adults sent home from college pose different challenges for families than young children who need to be occupied and reassured. For starters, families are reporting problems persuading their older children to comply with social distancing rules. Combine the teenager’s innate sense of invulnerability, their intense focus on peers, and the fact that the virus is less likely to harm them, and you may get a lot of pushback. This week, childmind.org talked to their experts about this and other issues affecting teenagers and young adults, including those who are depressed or anxious, disappointed about missing important milestones in their lives and worried about their futures. Supporting Teenagers and Young Adults in the Coronavirus Crisis Tips fo...

Rocky Mountain PBS’ New 24/7 Kids Channel + The White House’s Cool Remote Learning Resources

 Rocky Mountain Public Media (RMPM) is providing educational resources for children across the state who have been affected by school closures through its Rocky Mountain PBS (RMPBS) stations and digital presence at rmpbs.org. In response to needs expressed by educators and caregivers, this initiative will provide all students with access to free educational resources at home, both on-air and online, regardless of their broadband access.  RMPBS will be offering STEAM-focused content on-air from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., for ages 6 and up. These programs include History Detectives, NOVA, Nature and other quality PBS programs and documentaries focused on science, technology, engineering, the arts and mathematics. For children ages 2 and up, RMPBS will be o...

Colorado launches emergency child care for those on the front lines of coronavirus — and it’s free for now

A new effort to provide care for the children of thousands of hospital staff and emergency responders in Colorado kicked off Monday with around 900 children linked up with nearby child care providers. The initiative covers a small slice of the tens of thousands of young children estimated to need care so their parents can work at essential jobs during the coronavirus pandemic, but leaders and participating child care providers say it represents an impressively fast response that will grow in the coming days. State officials and more than a dozen early childhood groups spearheaded the emergency child care campaign last week after a wave of school and child care center closures set off fears that health professionals and first responders wouldn’t be able to do their jobs without a safe place...

Get dinner help with ToGoDenver.com’s guide to takeout or curbside delivery services

Moms, we’re stressed enough trying work and homeschool our kids but add cooking dinner to that list? Help has arrived!  As coronavirus precautions continue to tighten their grip on daily living in Colorado, Metro Denver and Boulder residents can still enjoy many of their favorite local eateries that are offering convenient, safe takeout and home or curbside delivery services for food and alcohol.  VISIT DENVER, Boulder Convention & Visitor’s Bureau, Eat Denver and the Colorado Restaurant Association have collaborated to create ToGoDenver.com, a free resource for Denver and Boulder restaurants that remain open for takeout and/or delivery service during the current dine-in shut down.  Statewide mandated dine-in closures, issued to curb the spread of the cor...

Resources for students and families navigating learning from home; Colorado schools closed through April 17

This week, Gov. Polis took the unprecedented step of suspending in-person learning in public and private schools across the state from March 23 to April 17 as part of the statewide effort to slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus. His executive order directs Colorado school districts and the Charter School Institute to make every effort to provide alternative learning opportunities during this time while taking into account the needs of local communities. The order also directs the Colorado Department of Education (CDE) to issue guidance to support P-12 school systems in developing and implementing plans to assist families and students in accessing alternative learning, providing free and reduced-price lunch and breakfast, and offering waivers for instructional time as appropriate...

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