If you want to get your kids thinking creatively when they are at home from school, the free activities from Jarett Lerner are a great place to start. Lerner is the author of EngiNerds and its sequel, Revenge of the EngiNerds, as well as the author of the forthcoming Geeger the Robot early chapter book series. When he is not hard at work writing (and illustrating) books, he is creating free activities for kids to download from his website. Each activity gives students the chance to express their creativity and show some critical thinking. They are also ideal for unleashing your inner artist and practicing language arts skills.

If you visit jarrettlerner.com/activities, you will find dozens of free downloads that the author has created for kids of all ages. They were designed to be used in educational and/or private settings, so they are prefect for use at home or at school. He has blank comic book pages, "Finish this comic" comics, and a whole slew of drawing and writing prompts. You can see a couple of examples below.

My kids have enjoyed using Lerner's activities while home from school as part of the COVID-19 school closures. My wife and I will also join in because these are truly something that the whole family can do together. They are great conversation starters, a fantastic way to practice storytelling skills, and a fun way to exercise your child's imagination.

Now, worksheets are not normally a popular activity in my house, but these are so much more. You don't have to do them every day but these could be a great way to freshen up your homeschool activities and bring some much needed variety. Most can completed in 10-20 minutes, so they are great to have on hand if you are looking for a fun transition activity or even a quick way to pass time while you are making lunch for the kids. To give you a flavor of what the finished product looks like, here are a couple of "Finish This Comic" comics that my wife and daughter worked on last week.

These learning activities can also be a great opportunity to spend some time away from screens. That may sound strange coming from a Digital Learning Consultant, but everyone on our team will tell you the same thing. Kids need a healthy balance between online and offline activities.

So, head over to jarrettlerner.com/activities and see what you can find for you and your family!

Jonathan Wylie
Digital Learning Consultant
@jonathanwylie

Disclaimer: This information is written specifically for parents and caregivers at home with students during school closures for COVID-19. We encourage educators to share this information with their classroom communities. Educators looking for content connections and resources to integrate card and board games into their curriculum should contact their Digital Learning Consultant for additional information and support.

You’ve built a fort, cleaned rooms, watched Netflix, and started a daily schedule. Now what? What else can you do with your kids to keep them happy and maybe even learning something? Dig out those old board games from the back of the closet and find a deck of cards. 

Team Rogers are big fans of tabletop gaming and card games. Not only are we all together, but we’re engaged in the 4C’s (Communication, Collaboration, Critical Thinking, and Creativity) without feeling like it’s school or learning. I’m always amazed at the strategy, humor, and language that sneaks into our home when we’re playing games together at our dinner table.
​
Here are some ideas to help you get started or extend your current gaming experience:

KEEP IT SIMPLE
Use the games you have. Play by the rules.

• Deck of Cards: Bicycle Cards has a great resource of card games you can play with kids. Our family loves games like Rummy that requires kids to use critical thinking, logic, and sequencing skills. 
• Common Card Games: Games like Uno, Skip-Bo, and Phase-10 reinforce skills like pattern recognition, turn-taking, and communication with other players.
• Common Board Games: Dust off Monopoly, Candyland, Scrabble, Connect 4, or Chess & Checkers to get kids using their negotiation, language, and logic skills.​

GET CREATIVE
Change the rules of common card/board games. Try something new.

• Add Rules to Common Card/Board Games: Take the card and board games you already have and challenge each other to add a new rule. Each family member could take turns justifying and persuading the others before a family vote.
• Try Free Print and Play Games: PNPArcade.com keeps an updated list of free print and play games for you and your family to try. Potions Class was created by nine-year-old kid named Owen who also created an online tutorial to teach the game rules. 
• Connect and Play Card/Board Games Online: Brooklyn Game Lab is hosting a live stream and providing print and play sheets so families can connect through gaming. They shared on their website that “Most of the content will have an element of participation. We will play games with you. Tell stories. Share interests. We will draw and dance and try our damnedest to bring some levity and joy into your homes. And the homes of anyone who needs it.” Team Rogers is really excited about giving this a try!

DELIVER THE FUN
Add a game to your next grocery pick-up or package delivery. Set up a porch swap game trade with friends.

• Quick and Inexpensive Games: No matter which store you’re ordering from, you can’t go wrong by adding Qwirkle Rummy, Patchwork Doodle, or Sushi Go. All three games are quick plays and will engage families in pattern recognition, critical thinking, spatial reasoning, and creative expression.
• Trade Games with Friends: Our family uses a site called Board Game Geek to keep track of our game collection. If you’re already a big fan of tabletop gaming, why not set up a game trade. You can keep your social distancing by setting up a porch swap of games and share reviews with each other later.
• Purchase with Content in Mind: If you really want to focus on a topic, you can reach out to your Friendly Local Game Store (FLGS) and ask about content specific games. (Our FLGS is providing curbside pick-up and delivery right now!) Here’s a list Gina Rogers and I created last spring for teachers with content connection ideas. I’m a big fan of Elizabeth Hargrave’s game Wingspan, which has lots of facts about bird species and habitats, and any of the Fluxx games like Anatomy Fluxx, Chemistry Fluxx, Math Fluxx, and Nature Fluxx.

Bottom line, get out a card or board game and have fun! Playing games together creates a sense of safety and belonging which both parents/caregivers and kids need right now. And you might just sneak in a little learning, too, if that makes you feel better.

You can also check out this Wakelet with Card and Board Games Resources. I will continue to add resources as I find them.

Feel free to contact Corey Rogers (@corey_rogers) or Glen Rogers (@glitglatglen) on twitter for game recommendations or to set up a game trade in the Iowa City area. #bettertogether

~ Corey Rogers, Digital Learning Consultant
​@corey_rogers

What does Making or Maker Experiences mean to you?
We'd love to hear your thoughts!  Add a comment below to join in on the conversation and make sure that you are following along with #MakerMarch all month long.
And remember #HaveFunMaking!

~Amber Bridge, Digital Learning Consultant
@abridgesmith