How to keep Kids constructively and fruitfully occupied while their schools are shut owing to the coronavirus disease threat
Millions of kids have been enjoying their time off from
schools which have been temporarily shut down following the coronavirus threat.
For children with working parents, this implies browsing the internet without
their parents keeping a check on their online activity, avoiding early morning
starts, cooking their own food, pursuing hobbies which they otherwise cannot
owing to school hours such as playing the guitar or piano, playing chess online
with their friends, or polishing their soccer, football, cricket or basketball
skills.
Some schools are planning on initiating remote instruction
and remote student learning for students who have a computer and internet
connectivity at home. Those who don’t may have to use computers installed in
school libraries or cyber cafes. Online classes are in full swing for some
students, which implies that their teachers will be sending homework to their
parents so the parents may check on the progress made by their children on the
online assignments, after they return home from work at night.
For instance, all the students of an English medium school
in Okinawa, Japan are registered on the 1:1 program and have been provided with
Google’s chromebooks. The school has been shut down for the month of March, but
after introducing the “Online School ” platform as a mode of reaching out to
students, the school authorities made sure that
all the students still report online in a virtual “Google Classroom” at
8:00 am every weekday. Classes of all subjects along with the names of teachers
conducting them are put up on an online dashboard as and when they are underway
for 450 kids.
For children in primary school, however, participating in
outdoor sports, learning how to play musical instruments and other such activities
during this long break shall definitely benefit their physical, cognitive,
cultural and social development. Parents or caretakers can teach these children
how to write essays and stories, teach them the basics of gardening, make
obstacle courses for them to clear, and can also kindle their interest in
outdoor sports like cricket, soccer, basketball, tennis, etc. If going out is not feasible, indoor
games such as billiards, snooker, pool, table-tennis, carom, chess, etc. can be
played.
While being engaged in such activities, however, it is
important for children from all age groups to take precautions as prescribed by
the WHO, such as wearing face masks at all times, not touching their own
mouths, eyes and noses, washing their hands with soap(for >20 seconds)/
using hand sanitizers(with >60% alcohol) more frequently than usual, staying
away from stray animals, properly cooking meat products before consumption,
etc.
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