Gem of the week

Kids’ creations you'll actually want to display! Createful Kids YouTubeand on YouTubeKids This encore gem is gets two birds with one stone - keep the kids busy and free holiday…

Legends and myths are life lessons disguised as entertainment :) Greeking Out Podcast This encore gem is coming just in time for those long holiday car rides. The podcast features…

Kids' art you'll actually want to hang up :) Awesomely Crafty YouTube Channel This free channel is so nice, we had to say it twice. There are dozens of videos…

This free resource turns spelling practice into fun the kids actually want to do. The free tier has several dozen games that will bring out a kid’s competitive streak.  There is also a paid tier that has even more variety.

This podcast doesn’t lie when they say ‘We consider it our business to recognize a few folks you may not know’. (Btw, they also said, ‘the past is vast and wild’) You’d be surprised about the wonderous people and events from recent history that you haven’t the foggiest about. Your kids will love it and will definitely be much more interesting than you as they listen and learn about all these events.   As podcasts go, this is one everyone from grade 1 and above can enjoy and go ‘Wow, I didn’t know that!’  You can get it anywhere you get your podcasts and at this nifty free link.

This free website is the official website for the awesome Australian kids tv show Bluey. It’s one of those shows that’s made for kids but is also wildly entertaining for grown ups. Picture watching the hilarity of parenting reflected through a family of super cute Blue Heeler dogs with Australian accents.

This free resource is just the thing to soothe the excitement and anxiety of back to school.   For preK - 1st graders, it’s superb for learning numbers and practicing gross motor skills - and helps them create art you actually want to stick up on the fridge. For everyone else, it’s just calming fun.   This resource is not going to make you or your kiddo Picasso. But it will probably make you both happy. This is screen time you can feel good about.

This free resource is from the trusted folks at National Geographic. It's the kids magazine you may have known and loved...but better.  Seriously, the kids will learn things that took you decades to appreciate - and they will be having fun while they do it.  

Each day, there's a 'wonder of the day', typically a question from a kid, that is explored and answered with videos, articles and pictures. The content is aligned to K - 12 curriculum and is specifically built to titillate curious minds of every age. It does require literacy so it's best for 3rd grade readers and above to explore on their own.  If you’ve got the will, anyone K and above will find something they connect with. This is one resource you can set and forget - like a loyal crockpot. It is screen time you can truly feel good about.

This week's gem is like a million digital gems rolled into one link. And the fact that it is free is mindblowing. You know that place where you go, to touch books who knows who has touched, walk through aisles to search for what you need, then possibly face a late fee if you don't go back?  Yes, you don't have to do that anymore. Libbyapp is used by 1000s of libraries in the US. You can get ebooks, audiobooks, magazines... it is freaking amazing. You can 'borrow' books and put the links in Aneta for your kiddos and feel like a Greek God - all without leaving your home.  This is screen time you can truly feel good about.