Wondering what to do with your kids over the next few days? We’re here for you.

A lot has happened over the last week, hasn’t it? We see you wondering when the next closure is going to happen, wondering how you will work if your kids are home, wondering how you will get them to do their work while they are home (I mean seriously, homework alone can be a battle some days, let alone looking down a 24 day long weekend, ha ha).  We are in this together. Here is how we at Portland Kids Calendar are aiming to link arms with you as we navigate what we are in and what will come.

1. We are gathering, evaluating and sharing resources to help you. This may look like games to play, projects to create, links to share and language to use.
2. We are busy culling resources for you. We don’t want you to have to sift through 1,789,302 websites wondering if you picked the best one to help Annie work on math, or where to find outdoor play ideas, or …or ….you get the idea. We’re doing that right now for you- and they are tried and true from some of our very best local educators in Maine!
3. We aim to keep current on activity closures, but know that not every business will let us know, so please call ahead before going out.
4. We are stocking up on Kindness, Compassion, Understanding, Patience and Laughter. Oh and Jazz hands…because of course we are.

Where will I find this information?

Great question, so glad you asked! We are swapping out one of our beloved tabs with a tabbed area focusing on links and projects to explore should you find yourself in limbo between kids being home and schoolwork not yet making it to you.

Are you only having worksheets on the new Tab?

Not a chance! This is an opportunity to be mindful of how play affects the brain. Playing helps kids in so many ways. So do board games, and so much more.

I’m looking for ways to talk to my children about this, got any?

Yes, you’re so smart to be thinking about how language can affect how a child receives this. We will have articles on the home page in addition to the tabbed section that will share language we have found helpful and actually used as well.

It sounds like you’re doing a lot that is focused on this virus. I miss events and your upbeat tone. Will that go away?

Heck, no! Hopefully you like upbeat humor. We’re still like your trusted neighbor next door with the 411 and goofy banter. We just know that sometimes our volume gets a bit more hushed and serious- but the humor will stay there in a subtle way.