CASA - VOICES FOR CHILDREN
Benton & Lincoln Counties, Oregon
(541) 753-5838 • (541) 265-3116
RESOURCES FOR LEARNING AND FUN
Keep your kiddo(s) entertained and make learning fun with these activity ideas and helpful websites!
Click on the images below to explore resources in each subject area:
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MULTIPLE SUBJECTS & GENERAL RESOURCES
Amazing Educational Resources - All Free!
This extensive list of free educational resources (currently in Google spreadsheet form, website coming soon) is a great one-stop source for learning online with your kiddo(s)! Check back regularly to learn more, as the page will be updated daily with new finds.
Amazing Educational Resources (Facebook Group)
An educator (and parent/mentor) community to share the good, the bad, and the ugly about the many educational resources on the internet!
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Khan Academy
Khan Academy has a library of standards-aligned lessons covering kindergarten through early college math, grammar, science, history, AP courses, SAT preparation, and more. Students without laptops can access the Khan Academy website or use the Khan Academy app on smart phones.
Khan Academy Kids
Khan Academy Kids (the primary-grades version of Khan Academy) has more than 5,700 activities aligned with first-grade English Language Arts (ELA) and Math Common Core Standards, and more than 80 animated instructional videos.
KiwiCo - At-Home Resources for Kids and their Grownups
Spark creativity and curiosity with hands-on activities for kids! From art projects to science experiments, these DIYs inspire, excite, and educate.
Learning Resources, Games. Songs, and Occupational Therapy Activities for Kids
Canadian Children's Therapy is an Occupational Therapy practice run by a former Corvallis resident, Pamela Hood Szivek. Follow her practice's Facebook account as she posts games, resources, and learning tips that are helpful for every child!
National Emergency Library
A collection of over 1.4 million books that supports emergency remote teaching, research activities, independent scholarship, and more!
STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Math)
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Butterfly Life Cycle Necklace
Learn the life cycle stages of a butterfly while creating a fun necklace craft! This site also offers a set of free printable butterfly life cycle cards so kids can review and enhance their learning!
Code.org - Hour of Code
Computer Sciences: Vocabulary for Coding and Programming
Computer science has become a popular topic for kids and adults alike to learn about, since computers are so prevalent in our lives. However, for those who are just getting started in computer programming, there are so many foreign-sounding words and phrases that it can be intimidating. This helpful site has some of the most common and important terms used in the field and what they mean. (Shared by Tyler!)
Easy Straw Rockets
Make straw rockets! This simple rocket activity keeps kids busy for a long time, and it’s so simple to do! Blow into the straw and launch your rocket. Then do it again and again!
Environmental Protection Agency - EPA Students
This website provides K-12 students, families, and educators with access to quality homework resources, lesson plans and project ideas for learning.
Exploratorium
Join the Exploratorium for an ongoing exploration of science, art, and human perception! Dive into their vast collection of at-home activities to feed your curiosity and educational resources supporting online teaching and learning for all ages.
Hooda Math - Free Math Games Sorted by Grade
Founded by a middle school math teacher, Hooda Math offers over 500 free Math Games for all ages.
How to Build a Paper Plate Spiral Marble Track
Here’s a fun homemade toy that you can put together from stuff around the house – a spiral marble track! Drop marbles at the top and watch them spin around the spiral track of paper plates until they get to the bottom.
Junior Handyman's (or Handywoman's!) Toolkit
Woodworking, STEM, Computer Building, Building & Construction for Kids
K-8 Mathematics - Remote Learning Activities
This list of remote learning activities for K-8th grade math is hosted by Rio School District, but is a great resource for students in any school system!
Math Blaster
With an intergalactic space station, cool cadets and blasters, exciting missions, and lots of math games, Math Blaster makes the math experience more enjoyable for kids of all ages. Requires registration, but free to play!
Mystery Science
Mystery Science is offering free, open-and-go lessons that inspire kids to love science! Each lesson starts with a "mystery" that sparks kids' curiosity and drives their learning process. The free resources section includes mini-lessons that are completely digital, and full lessons that include an activity.
NASA STEM @ Home
Launch rockets, build a Moon Habitat, solve spacey puzzles and more! These science, technology, engineering and math activities will inspire students to reach for the stars!
National Geographic Kids
Find amazing facts about animals, science, history and geography, along with fun competitions, games and more. Visit National Geographic Kids today!
Planting & Gardening Activities for Preschoolers
Children can learn about spring, plants (and their life cycle), and growth by planting and caring for flowers and vegetables. This collection of ideas can help you and your preschooler(s) plant a garden of learning possibilities!
Ranger Rick Magazine (National Wildlife Federation)
Ranger Rick Magazine, from the National Wildlife Federation, offers online nature articles, crafts, printables, jokes, and so much more! Ranger Rick also has free Parent Reading Guides in both English and Spanish, featuring ways that parents can use the magazine to encourage a strong foundation for their children's literacy development!
Science Buddies
Hundreds of hands-on science fair projects, engineering projects and STEM activities for all grade levels in a wide range of topics from Aerodynamics to Zoology!
STEMworks Activities
A resource for teachers, mentors, parents, STEM professionals and volunteers eager to help children learn about science, technology, engineering and math.
Science Time from Space
Understanding basic science concepts is key to enjoying STEM and the world around you. Astronauts on board the International Space Station have conducted experiments to explore some basic science concepts. Come explore with the astronauts!
Simple STEM Activities to do at Home
This article explains the benefits of STEM education, and offers a variety of ideas for at-home STEM activities to try with your kiddo(s).
Storytime from Space
Astronauts on board the the International Space Station read stories to school children & their families in this exciting new program that combines literature with science!
LANGUAGE ARTS & LITERACY
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ABCYa - Interactive Reading and Spelling Games for Grades K-6+
Arranged by grade level, this site contains a great set of computer-based activities for grades K-6. K & 1st grade have oral direction options.
Achieve3000 Literacy Printable Packets - Differentiated Instruction for Grades K-12
For students who do not have internet access at home, Achieve3000 has created leveled text sets including 20 printable articles with comprehension questions. Text packets add up to one month’s worth of content differentiated for students who are at-, below-, and above-grade-level readers.
Authors Everywhere! - Read, Draw, Write, and Create Community with Childrens' Book Authors
“Authors Everywhere!” Is a Youtube Channel with workshops, readings, activities, art projects, writing games, writing advice, and more from a community of children’s book writers and illustrators.
Bedtime Stories with Princesses and Heroes
Before bedtime, listen to stories from Princesses and Heroes! Visit Party Perfection's facebook page to watch Moana, Deadpool, Snow White, and other princesses and heroes read classic tales aloud!
Between The Lions - Early Reading for Preschool-1st Grade
Here are segments selected from Between the Lions, the series that helps kids "Get Wild About Reading!" This special collection provides a set of early Reading/Language Arts resources, organized by early elementary and preschool literacy skills.
🌟🆕🌟 Dinosaur Emergent Reader
Use this free printable dinosaur emergent reader to teach kids color names and color words!
IXL English Language Arts
From phonics and reading comprehension to writing strategies and more, IXL helps learners develop the communication skills needed for success in school, college, and career. Organized by grade, from Pre-K through 12.
Learn Reading, Math, and Music with Starfall (Pre-K-3)
Read, learn, and play with fun activities, games, and songs on Starfall! Covers reading, math, music, and more -- preschool to third grade.
PBS Kids Learning Games
PBS Kids' website offers a huge variety of interactive language arts and literacy games - there are reading games, vocabulary games, spelling games, story games, and more!
Poetry Foundation
Free ssays, discussion guides, writing prompts, and videos on poetry-related topics for teachers and learners of every age.
Reading Strategies and Activities for Students at Risk for Reading Difficulties/Dyslexia (K-6)
ReadWriteThink (K-12)
ReadWriteThink is a web-based resource center that aims to help teach literacy to students. The site starts at K and runs right to grade 12 with lesson and unit plans, activities, and more! Geared towards teachers, but also great for tutoring and homeschool activities.
Storyline Online
Free online streaming video program in which famous actors read children’s books aloud. Includes supplemental instructional materials and reading guides for each book!
FREE E-BOOKS
BookBub
Early Bird Books
Freebooksy
Free-Ebooks.net
International Childrens' Digital Library
National Emergency Library
SOCIAL STUDIES
13 Virtual Ways to "Edutain" Kids about History and Preservation
A list of virtual learning resources from The National Trust for Historic Preservation featuring some of their Historic Sites, partners, and other cool museums.
Big History Project (High School+)
Big History examines our past, explains our present, and imagines our future; it's an idea that arose from a desire to go beyond specialized and self-contained fields of study to grasp history as a whole. Focused on high school students, yet designed for anyone seeking answers to the big questions about the history of our Universe.
"Crash Course" Educational Video Series (High School)
Crash Course offers witty, engaging videos on an array of AP High School subjects on YouTube! Crash Course transforms the traditional textbook model by presenting information in a fast-paced format, enhancing the learning experience. (See Individual Crash Course subject areas linked below:)
Crash Course - Economics (High School)
Crash Course - U.S. Government & Politics (High School)
Crash Course - U.S. History (High School)
Crash Course - World History (High School)
DOGO News for Kids - Social Studies
DOGONEWS offers thousands of concise kid-friendly news stories, and is searchable by five grade categories or 12 content categories. Every article is accompanied by relevant academic standards, vocabulary definitions, and geography links, and most are followed by comprehension questions and a critical-thinking challenge.
iCivics
iCivics is a non-profit that provides educational online games and lesson plans to promote civics education and encourage students to become active citizens. (Founded by retired Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor.)
PBS Social Studies (PreK - 12th grade, can filter by grade level)
Learn about social studies and play games with your favorite PBS KIDS characters! Discover thousands of activities, lessons, and interactive resources for all grades, all aligned to state and national standards.
Smithsonian Learning Lab - Social Studies
Join the National Museum of American History for an online exploration into key social studies topics, featuring museum resources from the Smithsonian.
Stanford History Education Group
The Stanford History Education Group is an award-winning research and development group that seeks to improve education by conducting research, working with school districts, and reaching directly into classrooms with free materials for teachers and students.
"Stay-At-Home Chain" Daily History Craft
Make this paper chain with your kids, adding one link for each day your family is at home with notes on each date for interesting things that occurred in your family and in the world. This is a fun and easy daily craft project, and a unique way to remember this time in history and our families' lives.
Teaching Tolerance
Teaching Tolerance is dedicated to reducing prejudice, improving intergroup relations and supporting equitable school experiences for our nation’s children. There is even a special module specifically designed for the racism surrounding the coronavirus pandemic.
The Classroom Law Project - Current Events
Each current event includes multiple reliable news links, essential questions, Constitutional and civics connections, and lesson ideas for teachers/mentors/families.
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ART, MUSIC, & P.E.
10 YouTube Channels with FREE Art Lessons for Kids
These ten reputable, parent-approved YouTube channels offer FREE art lessons for kids and teens of all ages! With lessons from K-12 art teachers, professional artists and cartoonists, art nonprofits, and more, there's something for everyone here!
100 LEGO® Building Projects for Kids
This collection of awesome LEGO building ideas that will inspire any LEGO® fan! This post is full of 100+ brick building challenges and instructions. Build characters, animals, machines, and more!
20 Virtual Disney Rides
Loop, climb and dive on these virtual Disney Rides! You can encourage kids to lean and duck along with the ride's twists and turns to keep them active. For extra realism, try misting your kiddos with a spray bottle of water during Splash Mountain!
300+ Free Pokémon Mandala Coloring Pages
This collection of over 300 Pokémon mandala coloring pages will cheer you and your kiddo(s) up and help relieve stress!
Arts On The Horizon - Interactive Storytime & Crafts for Ages 2-6
With the resources on this page, you can bring the fun of Arts on the Horizon to your own home!
Follow the links to access At-Home Activities, Craft Activities, Sensory Activities, Family Guides, and Video Guides.
Bedtime Stories with Princesses and Heroes
Before bedtime, listen to stories from Princesses and Heroes! Visit Party Perfection's facebook page to watch Moana, Deadpool, Snow White, and other princesses and heroes read classic tales aloud!
Bottle Bottom Turtles
Find a new use for empty plastic bottles with this creative turtle craft!
Butterfly Life Cycle Necklace
Learn the life cycle stages of a butterfly while creating a fun necklace craft! This site also offers a set of free printable butterfly life cycle cards so kids can review and enhance their learning!
Coloring Nature
Coloring Nature is for children and adults. We have more than 700 FREE printable coloring pages with new pages added weekly. Our coloring categories include serious science: biomes, anatomy, animals, plants and more, plus some pure whimsy – just for fun!
Cosmic Kids Yoga
Free yoga, mindfulness and relaxation videos for kids. Enjoy interactive adventures which build strength, balance and confidence!
Crayola Home Learning
Find creative things to do at home, including fun activities for kids like DIY seasonal crafts, free coloring pages & learning activities.
Fingerprint Crafts for Kids
Just ask any kid: One of the best ways to paint is with your fingers! Grab any kind of paint or stamp pad, and share these fingerprint art ideas with your kiddo(s) for some "hands-on" artistic fun! This graphic from Anamika's Creation & Ideas is another great resource for inspiring fingerprint art!
GoNoodle
GoNoodle's free videos get kids moving to be their strongest, bravest, silliest, smartest selves. Over 14 million kids each month are dancing, singing, stretching, running, jumping, deep breathing, and wiggling with GoNoodle!
Handprint Lilies
These paper handprint lilies are so beautiful and surprisingly easy to make! They’d make such a thoughtful handmade gift idea if you make a small bouquet and tie them together with a ribbon!
Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz - Math, Science & Music
The Math, Science & Music web site serves as an exciting and engaging repository of free, interactive tools for learning STEM subjects through music, with the aim of preparing students for a world in which technological skills are a necessary and essential part of life.
Kitchen Table Classroom - Free Art Lessons for Kids
The Kitchen Table Classroom, a free art website run by a 20-year-veteran art teacher, offers a wide variety of online art activities for kids. There are printable crafts (parents can print out woodland animal masks to put together or a DIY unicorn headband kit) as well as painting classes, tutorials, and drawing courses.
LUNCH DOODLES with Mo Willems!
In 2020 during the initial COVID-19 closures, people of all ages joined Mo Willems in his studio for online LUNCH DOODLES. All 15 episodes and their downloadable activities are at the link above; let the doodling continue!
Paper Plate Owl Craft for Kids
This art project is a real HOOT for kids, as they turn a paper plate into an adorable owl craft!
Pinecone Flowers Craft
Collect some pinecones on a nature walk with your kiddo(s), and bring them back home to create this painted pinecone flower craft!
Plastic Spoon Bugs - A Fun and Colorful Insect Craft
Summertime means flowers, animals foraging and plenty of bugs! This is a fun craft to help teach kids about insects, or just something fun and colorful to do one afternoon!
Popped Bubble Art
Simply color bubble mix with food coloring and blow bubbles onto paper - as the bubbles land and pop, they create beautiful works of art!
Ranger Rick Magazine - Crafts & Activities (National Wildlife Federation)
Ranger Rick Magazine, from the National Wildlife Federation, offers online activities, crafts, printables, jokes, and so much more! Ranger Rick also has free Parent Reading Guides in both English and Spanish, featuring ways that parents can use the magazine to encourage a strong foundation for their children's literacy development!.
Weaving Rainbow Fish Kids' Craft
This entertaining children's craft makes a beautiful rainbow fish out of a simple paper plate and colorful construction paper strips!
Woodland Treasure Sculptures
Use the propeller-shaped seeds from maple trees to form the wings of dragonflies or the petals of flowers in this creative craft project!
CHILDREN'S MEDIA
Kanopy "Kids Only" TV
(Library card required)
Kidoodle.TV
PBS Kids
Pluto TV - Free Streaming
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COVID-19 RESOURCES FOR KIDS & TEENS
ABC's of a Growth Mindset
Brain research has shown that adopting a “Growth Mindset” can help kids and adults increase their resilience and improve their mental health. This poster includes 26 helpful growth mindset reminders that you can use with your kiddo(s) - and yourself!
Behavioral Health Resources for Coronavirus
COVID-related behavioral health resources from On Our Sleeves, leaders in the national movement to break stigmas around children’s mental health.
Caring for Each Other - Sesame Street's Guide to COVID-19
Sesame Street's “Caring for Each Other” initiative aims to bring families a sense of stability and encouragement with free resources to help them learn, laugh, and cope as they navigate an ever-changing “normal.”
Child Mind Institute - Supporting Families During COVID-19
The Child Mind Institute presents a wide array of tips and tools to help families cope with the effects of COVID-19. Includes Facebook Live video chats with expert clinicians, COVID-19 guidance for parents of children with anxiety and/or autism, advice for remote learning, resources on how to deal with loss, and more.
Children Seem to Be Less Vulnerable to the Coronavirus. Here's How the Pandemic May Still Put Them at Risk.
This video interview with Angelia Jolie and California Surgeon General Dr. Nadine Burke Harris provides an insightful look at the ways in which children are being put at risk during the COVID-19 pandemic. They discuss the impacts of trauma on children's mental and physical health, and offer concrete strategies that we can use to protect children from abuse and help them feel safe and supported.
FosterClub COVID-19 Resources and Information
While the pandemic is creating chaos for everyone, FosterClub recognizes how hard the challenges fall on young people who experienced (or are experiencing) foster care, especially for those without family support. This page provides links to resources, information, and opportunities to find support.
National Child Traumatic Stress Network - Parent/Caregiver Guide to Helping Families Cope with The Coronavirus Disease
This downloadable PDF from NCTSN is an excellent starter guide for how to help your family manage the emotional and physical effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Includes virus prevention and preparedness tips, and provides age-specific guidance for how parents and caregivers can help children cope in developmentally appropriate ways.
PBS Kids - How to Talk to Your Kids About Coronavirus
A helpful article with good suggestions about how to discuss COVID-19 with young children. Scroll down for a list of links to PBS Kids videos that cover relevant topics like handwashing, how to sneeze safely, why people get sick, and more!
PBS - Virus Information and Prevention (K-12, activities for each school level)
Find resources for students of all ages that explore the nature of viruses, how they are transmitted, and the healthy habits we can all engage in to prevent their spread. From the common cold to coronavirus, these videos, interactive lessons, and discussion questions will offer educators a variety of ways to introduce the topic to students.
Why is My Big Kid Acting Like a Toddler?
Regressions are normal during stressful events. Here’s how to identify and deal with them.
