Engage the little ones during the COVID-19 quarantine
KOCHI: With Covid-19 sending all schools in the shutdown mode, parents are at their wits’ end on keeping their little ones engaged. With social distancing being the norm, outdoors are a big no. However, education experts say children can be kept engaged and that too in a fruitful manner if parents come up with a well-planned and balanced activity chart.
“It is tough to keep small children busy. But, fun and entertainment activities can be the key,” said B S Warrier, an education expert. But, the age of the child must be considered while planning the activities.
“The activities should not be purely academic. The children are already in a holiday mood, so don’t expect them to sit dutifully and study maths, science or any other subjects. By mixing entertaining and wisdom, parents will be able to achieve a balanced result,” he added.
For example, one can find activities associated with a particular topic in maths. “All such activities are available today on the internet. It can be a game or a story. By the time the child finishes the activity, they are not only engaged but also grasp the mathematical concept, in the process,” said Warrier. Meanwhile, the outbreak and home isolation along with school holidays have parents hunting online education platforms. According to a parent who homeschools, a lot of options are available on the internet.
Some of them are BrainPop, Curiosity Stream, Tynker, Outschool, Udemy, iReady, Beast Academy (Math), Khan Academy, Creative Bug and Discovery Education. Meanwhile, Amar Chitra Katha has offered contents for free. All children have to do is to log on to the site for free access.