Wellness Resources for Caregivers
Articles, resources, and activities that will help you as a parent or caregiver support your children’s social and emotional needs at home.
How can parents and caregivers actively support social-emotional development at home?
We are currently faced with the daunting reality of staying at home with our children for weeks or months. While educators are working on “take-home” packets and online resources to support children academically, supporting their emotional well-being during these unpredictable and stressful times is a caregiver’s job.
Playworks at home (K-5)
Playworks wants to help make sure kids still get to play every day. With families looking for ways to keep their kids engaged, active, and having fun, Playworks has free video tutorials of games that follow CDC guidelines and can be played at home, a printable playbook, and virtual recess on Facebook.
Social-emotional learning skill activities (grades 6-8)
Help your children become more socially-savvy with lessons you can do at home on attitude, boundaries, and more. These five free activities include worksheets and discussion points to support you in talking through social-emotional topics with your child.
KPIRC Website Resources
The Kansas Parent Information Resource Center has collected a number of wellness resources to support parents and caregivers through this difficult time and beyond.
Why learning at home should be less structured and more authentic
With social media filling up with color-coded learning schedules, it’s easy to think this is what you should do, too. But this tight structure is hard to implement and unnecessary at home. This article explains how self-directed learning is easier to manage and more aligned with your child’s development.
Social skills resources for parents
If you believe raising well-adjusted, resilient kids is harder than ever, you’re not alone! These social skills resources from leading youth mental health researchers, educators, and authors provide you with practical approaches for dealing with modern problems.
Quaranteenagers: strategies for parenting in close quarters
Because of coronavirus, teenagers’ lives have been upended and they’re missing out on major rites of passage. These strategies can help address unforeseen parenting challenges, especially at a time when many adults are struggling to hold it all together.
Parent & caregiver guide to helping families cope with coronavirus
Knowing important information about the outbreak and learning how to be prepared can reduce your stress and help calm anxieties. This resource helps you think about how an infectious disease outbreak might affect your family – physically and emotionally – and what you can do to cope.
The Play-at-Home Playbook: Games and Activities for Your Family
Playworks’ activities are proven to get kids moving while teaching them social-emotional skills like cooperation and conflict resolution. Now more than ever, these skills are essential to helping kids combat stress and anxiety and successfully navigate uncertainty and change.
Virtual Learning: Tips for Getting Started
These tips for parents and caregivers will help you get started with virtual learning, with ideas for creating a dedicated learning space and establishing a routine. There are also resources you can use for support on subject matter, lesson planning, and creating projects.
Free Educational Resources and Fun Activities
A wide range of academic, special education, and STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) resources for parents and caregivers, plus information on helping your children understand COVID-19.
SEL in an Unplanned Home School Setting
With the nation’s schools closed, many households have suddenly become unplanned home schools and parents have become educators. They have all of the responsibilities that go with the job, including setting the climate for learning, managing “student” behavior, and supporting their child’s motivation.
The Most Important Skills Taught in Early Years Aren’t Academic (K-1)
Social-emotional skills like kindness, sharing, and self-regulation are amongst the most important things we can teach young children. Here are some of our favorite social-emotional activities for early years.
5 Social-Emotional Learning Games to Play With Your Child (Elementary)
Looking for ways to help your child with social-emotional learning? Many schools have started teaching kids how to do things like cope with feelings, set goals, and get along with others. You can help your child work on these skills at home, too.
Schools Are Closed, Now What?
Suddenly having to home-school your kids is a daunting prospect for many parents and caregivers. You can set yourself up for success while at home together by focusing on a few best practices – tips and ideas included.
Talking to Kids About the Coronavirus
Many parents and caregivers are wondering how to bring up the coronavirus pandemic in a way that won’t make their kids more worried than they already may be. Here is some advice from the Child Mind Institute on how to approach it in a reassuring way.
The Sesame Street eBookstore
Purchase ebooks, audio ebooks, animated ebooks, and interactive ebooks filled with the Sesame Street characters your children know and love, and help them to read more, learn more, and play more.
How Can Mindfulness Help My
Child Through Tough Changes?
Mindfulness is the practice of observing and accepting the present moment. It offers a wide range of potential benefits, from improving physical and mental health to promoting prosocial behavior. Increased mindfulness can enhance a range of important social and emotional skills, including self-awareness, empathy, handling stress, and identifying emotions. You can start practicing mindfulness with fun and engaging apps as a family!
Comfort the Bear – A Coronavirus Support Story
Storytelling is healing. This story is intended to help parents guide young children and ease anxiety in the household. Follow up questions and activities are provided.
Coping Skills Activities
Coping activities designed for children are effective ways to manage a range of emotions. These activities are designed for children aged 3-17.
Positve & Productive Childcare While the Kids Are Not in School
As parents, there are times our children drive us crazy! In this time of rapid change and, for most of us, some confinement at home, this can be especially true. Randy Sprick, parent, grandparent, and world leader in effective behavior management, shares 10 tips to help kids learn to become more independent and responsible. And you will learn that you are already doing many things exactly right and learn strategies for making things better!
Mindfulness Tips for High School Students During Continuous Learning
These are great mindfulness tips for high school students on how to make the best of this social distancing situation.
When I’m Feeling Worried or Anxious
This video gives simple tips to practice as often as you need to help reduce anxious thoughts and feelings. Appropriate for all ages.
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