How To Prevent The Covid Slide In Kids Of All Ages

The COVID Slide is real so parents need to prevent it

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 This summer is going to be a long one and I am not sure that I am going to like that. I used to look forward to summer but I am not sure I am looking forward to this summer. It seems that summer vacation began 10 weeks ago with my kids and I am not sure when this vacation is going to end. It is hard to call this time off from school as a vacation because we are stuck at home not being able to do the fun stuff that we normally do every summer. The pools are closed. Museums are off-limits and even the free lunch at our park, that my boys look forward to, has changed. So my boys will not have the typical fun summer of playing with their friends at the park and instead have to stay at home entertaining themselves. I am thankful that the weather is warmer and my boys have each other but I am worried about the Covid Slide.


Beware of the Covid Slide 

 The Covid Slide is a real thing and it has parents across the world concerned that their kids are going to catch it. Previously known as the summer slide, this parental concern has been happening at my house for the past 10 weeks and I am worried that it is going to be worse as I was not made to homeschool my boys. I fear the setbacks that are happening to my boys and their brains are not getting the learning that they need. My boys are not liking my homeschool lessons of cleaning, baking one bowl peanut butter cookies, and yard work of moving rocks and natural ways to rid the yard of weeds even though it was an effective science experiment. The boys were not even excited about the science lesson of watching the anthill video that I made during our gym class-ie running time. The only class that I succeeded in so far has been my art class of painting rocks.

 I am ready to give this job back to the teachers and I am sure that the teachers are ready to return to school. Unfortunately, this new way of learning is here for a while so we parents have to figure out ways to teach our kids to succeed in school without going crazy. We parents need creative ways to teach our kids.

Teaching kids with toys 

 Parents are ready for a break from their new job of homeschool teaching and they need a break. Even real teachers don't work 24/7. So I discovered some products that can keep kids engaged with learning and prepare them for when they do get to go back to school. These products teach kids STEAM and the kids won't even realize that they are learning math, science, art, and more. These toys that teach STEM will keep kids busy hopefully long enough so mom or dad can have a much-needed coffee break.


A deck of cards can teach math and more

 Who knew that my boys would be excited to receive several decks of cards. My boys have rediscovered card games during this shelter at home time and I love that it is a form of entertainment that requires no electric devices. My boys are learning about math and critical thinking when they play poker with their older brothers every Saturday night. The boys have also taught themselves how to play solitaire and how to make card stacking houses(learning gravity and balance.) They even created a new way to play 52 card pick-up so they have been expanding their imagination and small motor skills. There might even be some language learning when they went online to learn other card games to play.

 Do you remember learning your first card game? How about winning at an old-fashioned game of solitaire? Or that holiday tradition of Gin Rummy after dinner? Since 1885, Bicycle playing cards have been a part of household gaming. Known for its quality and rich heritage, Bicycle® playing cards have been bringing people together for generations. Every Bicycle® playing card deck is specially crafted so that you can trust Bicycle® cards performance, hand after hand. Great for all card games. Great for all players.

Bicycle® Standard Index Playing Cards



Solar-Powered cars that teach science

 My boys love activities that involve engineering especially when the end result is a car that is powered by the sun. I like that this STEAM kit uses no batteries and has my boys using their brains. My boys are learning science and technology as well as critical thinking. This cool solar-powered rover kit has kept my boys busy for several days as they keep trying out different ways to build the rovers. The fun part is seeing their creation move around the yard with them felling victory that they made the right connections to make the solar car move by the sun. My boys enjoyed this STEM experiment kit and are already requesting which one I should buy next.

Want to build fun solar-powered vehicles and devices that move using electricity generated directly from sunlight? With this kit, you can construct five motorized models. Build three types of solar cars, a solar fan, and a solar robot model. Conduct science experiments with each model to learn about gear ratios, solar cells, and more. The ultralight materials, including strong bamboo rods, make your models speedy and durable. A modular gearing system lets you test out three different gear ratios. Experiment with a solar cell, electric motor, gears, and ultralight materials. Build five different solar-powered models. Learn about how solar cells work and about the energy from the sun. Ages 8+

Solar-Powered Rovers

Stick-O City for toddler learning

 Even the grandbaby is getting some learning in when she comes to visit. My grandbaby likes playing with the big colorful magnets and is getting some small motor skills in with tactile experiences. She loves when my boys create cars for her with the big bright magnetic pieces. The fun starts when my boys make the cars go fast and the grandbaby chases after them. The Stic-O pieces are big and they stick together instantly so toddlers do not get frustrated. We received a kit that builds a car and a plane but there are many other Magformers activity kits to purchase.

From Magformers, Stick-O encourages toddlers to explore tactile learning through hands-on magnetic play. Each Stick-O shape contains magnets that rotate so toddlers' creations always stick together for a frustration-free play experience. Stick-O’s unique 3D shapes contain a magnet pocket, designed so the magnet can find the right magnetic direction to stick to every time. Stick-O magnets are completely encased inside BPA-free, ABS plastic to ensure children’s safety. With the Stick-O City 16 Piece Set, kids can construct their very own busy city. Toddlers can build a car, racer, airplane, and more with the City 16Pc Set. Included in this kit are 1 Sphere, 2 Stick, 3 Long Stick, and magnetic accessories including vehicle wheels, wings, and propellers.  ages 36m+.



So these are fun ways to keep your kids engaged this summer with learning. The learning does not have to stop just because the kids are not in school. These STEAM toys will give parents a break from the stress of homeschool learning and keep kids busy. The best part of these STEM activities is the kids won't even realize that they are learning. After the kids are done learning for the day, reward them with some outdoor fun that involves playing with their food in a good way. Go check out 2 ways that kids can have fun with marshmallows. Then spend some time in the yard as a family. The summer can be simply enjoyed and the kids will be just fine when they return to school in the fall. So make those summer memories and enjoy the nice weather.

Protect the teen's eyes

 Kids are getting more screen time with online school and activities. All these hours on computers and phones can strain their eyes, resulting in irritation, dryness, fatigue, or blurred vision. We all know kids are quickly becoming more tech-savvy each day, and that’s not changing, but their eyes may suffer because of it. They need support. That’s where Screen Shield™ Teen can help! EyePromise Screen Shield is specifically formulated for reducing the effects of screen time on children ages 4-17.

 This once-a-day, fruit punch flavored chewable eye vitamin is designed to help support your child's vision from the inside out. With 5 mg of dietary zeaxanthin and 2.5 mg of lutein, this leading eye health vitamin is guaranteed to help increase the eyes' natural protective barrier that defends our source of vision while also protecting it from the effects of increased screen time. My boys love the taste of this eye supplement and I love that their eyes are getting some protection from the devices.

These are just some of the ways that I am helping my kids avoid the Covid slide. Other learning activities that I am doing with my boys is baking bread. My boys discovered Frog bread and asked if they could make it. I said yes as baking involves math, science, and art. I am anxious for the boys to go back to school but for now, I will have to be creative in finding ways to keep their minds learning.

Summer Learning With The Electric Motors Catalyst

The ultimate kit for young tinkerers to think outside the box

              I received a STEM learning kit to facilitate this post.

 School may be out for the summer but that does not have to be the end of learning. They say that when kids take a long break from school it can hurt their learning as they forget what they learned in school. So I like to keep my kids learning during the summer break. I want my kids to succeed in school and that to me means providing my kids with opportunities to keep learning. Summer learning does not have to be boring for kids with books and worksheets. There are many ways to make learning fun for kids with activities and STEM learning kits. I make learning fun for boys so they will want to engage with the materials that I provide them. My boys love robotics and creating things. My youngest has a knack for building things and wants to invent things. He was to be an inventor or engineer when he grows up.

Check out some of the ways I help my child succeed in school

https://www.momknowsbest.net/2018/08/helping-your-child-succeed-in-school.html

 One of the fun summer learning activity that I have for my boys this summer is a fun hands-on-STEM kit. The Electric Motor Catalyst kit from Tinkering Labs will teach my boys science, technology, engineering, and math. This exciting learning kit has over 50 parts in it and allows my boys to use their creativity to create over 16 inventions. The best part is the inventions don't take long to build everything is included in the box, even batteries. The STEM kit has examples that show kids what to build but it also allows for kids to build beyond those inventions.

Ten Challenges to get minds moving

 The STEM kit includes ten challenge cards with ideas to help kids think outside the box and take the include parts to make something like a machine to scramble an egg. I love that the challenges take 30-60 minutes to create as any longer seems to frustrate my boys. The ideas do not require kids to have any tinkering experience and are designed to get their hands and minds moving. 

A box of fun that teaches

 My boys were super excited to start creating with the Electric Motors Catalyst kit. The instructions were super easy for them and they did not need my help. I loved that they were able to work together and have fun. My boys stay busy for a long time and I loved that they were not on electric devices all morning. I was able to get work done while they created some cool machines that did everything from scrambling an egg to drawing a picture. Their gifted teacher would be proud to know that they were enriching their minds with learning during their summer break. This kit is just one of the many activities that my boys will do this summer to enrich their learning. We will also be visiting the children's Explora museum several times as we have a family membership. 

Storage bag included

 I loved that the learning kit came with a cloth storage bag so clean-up was easy. All the parts were available for my boy's next invention. The bag of parts then was easy to store in the box with the instruction books. The bag of parts was just the beginning of my boy's creation as they used their creative minds beyond the box and started adding other things to their inventions. Every time that my boys played with the Electric Motors Catalyst they came up with different ideas on how to build with the 50+ parts. 

What learning activities do your kids do in the summer?