Fun COVID-Safe Activity Guide for Kids - by Ages
By: Lindsey Disabella
SmartSitting Diversity and Inclusion Council Education & Resource Advocate
This past month marked a full year of New Yorkers living in a pandemic. With warmer weather coming, we are all itching to find fun and COVID-safe activities for kids. Many of our kids are missing friends, extended family, teachers, and classmates. In light of this, we have put together this guide to help provide fun and educational activities to supplement children’s learning and foster children’s development.
Photo from Home Baking Association
Preschool Age
The Rubin Museum
Cost: Free
The Rubin Museumoffers a free Family Sundays series for children ages 3 and up. This series takes place live on Zoom on the first Sunday of each month, where families can make fun and creative art projects together. This is a great opportunity for children to be creative and improve gross and fine motor skills!
Preschool and Early Elementary Ages
New York Public Library
Cost:Free
The New York Public Library hosts a weekly online storytime, featuring fun and engaging children’s books. Each storytime is recorded and saved on their storytime library, so it’s a great educational resource for a rainy day. Be sure to check out the different storytime series like multilingual storytime series and Juneteenth storytime series. This is a great way to expose children to multicultural texts and strong female lead characters.
Elementary Age (5-10)
Whitney Museum of American Art
Cost: Free
The Whitney Museum of American Art holds a live weekly After-School Art Club via Zoom on Wednesdays, for children ages 5-10. Due to virtual learning, many students are missing out on preferred “specials”, such as art. In this art club, students first learn about an artist before using their imagination to make their own work of art using the artist’s technique.
Elementary, Middle and High School Ages
The Artistic Stamp
Cost: $99
Another fun and interactive on-going adventure is The Artistic Stamp, which is tailored to children of all ages. Children receive a thrilling letter in the mail every 2-3 weeks from the “main character". Then they have the chance to respond and solve puzzles and determine the next steps in the characters’ journey. This program allows children to explore their creativity through problem-solving, decision-making, and writing. You can read more about this unique program here.
The Kids Table
Cost: $94 for 6 weeks of sessions or $18 single session
The Kids Table offers virtual classes for children aged 5-14. This is a great way for families to participate in a fun activity all together. Cooking allows children to measure, mix, and activate their senses (i.e., smell and touch). Current class options include: chocolate dipped churros, baked mac n’ cheese, and carrot cupcakes. Parent involvement is necessary and diet/allergy modifications can be made!
High School Age
Girls Who Code
Cost: Free
Is your teen interested in computer science and code? Girls Who Code is a two-week, FREE summer immersion program for rising sophomores, juniors and seniors. The program runs 4-5 hours per day. This program is a great way to stay busy for a few weeks over the summer, while introducing the field of computer science and technology to young females. Apply today before spots fill up! The three sessions run June 21st-July 2nd; July 12-23rd; August 2-13th. Also, check out free after-school clubs for girls grade 3-12 here!
Have you discovered any great, COVID-safe activities for the kiddos in your life? Tag SmartSitting in your Facebook and Instagram posts, so that we can see and share your suggestions on our channels. Want to know more about our childcare tips and tricks? Then make sure to sign up for our newsletter for all the latest info coming from our team!