✓  Rely on regular phone calls and text messages, or video chats via FaceTime or WhatsApp to stay connected with your Little. Use this conversation guide for great conversation starters for kids and check out this guide to get chatting with teens!

✓  Messenger Kids (from Facebook) is a great way to safely connect with your Little via a social media platform, while keeping their parent looped in. Here's more on how it works.

✓ Snail mail - still a thing!  Write letters to your Little (become pen pals!), send postcards, a homemade card, pass along some print-at-home games (like these puzzles or these coloring pages), or send them a homemade craft (like these bracelets, or one of these quick/easy kids crafts)

✓  STAY CONSISTENT! However you choose to connect, your consistency is more important to your Little now more than ever.  Find days, times, and methods that work best for both of you, create a plan, set a schedule, and stick to it!  This will make it easier on you both, while giving you each something to look forward to and depend on.

✓  ASK QUESTIONS! It's no surprise that everyone's day-to-day schedule is experiencing incredible upheaval.  Reaching out and chatting with your Little and their parent/guardian about when is best to reach out, what days and time are easiest, and how you can help are questions that will be enormously helpful for you (and your Little!) in staying connected.

✓  If you or your Little have a video game console, you can play appropriate shared games with each other (Be mindful of not choosing games rated M for Mature).

✓ Oxford Owl has free eBooks ages 3-11

✓  Watch a TedTalk together and discuss

✓  Develop a talent, skill, or passion together!  There is a ton of experts creating exceptional online content right now that can help you and your Little learn to draw or doodle, perfect an in-home workout, practice ballet, become a scientist, explore the world, become a great cook, learn a second (or third!) language, become a yogi, or learn how to dance!

✓  Don't hesitate to day-dream!  Plan future activity ideas you two might do together once it's safer to move about in the community.

✓ Watch a virtual concert together!  There are a ton of artists who are hopping on the bandwagon and hosting virtual and free concerts for their fans!

✓  Start a cooperative journal by using a platform like Story Bird or Google Docs to document the day-to-day.

✓  Have a virtual book club!  You can read to your Little via FaceTime, WhatsApp, Skype, or Zoom, or plan to read the same book and discuss with each other.

✓  Does your Little like to build? Purchase duplicate Lego sets or jigsaw puzzles and send one to both you and your Little.  Share your progress by sending photos via text message and see who can complete their project first!

✓  Netflix Party utilizes video synchronization and chat so you can watch a show or movie together. Make sure you guys talk about it afterwards. Netflix party works only in chrome browser as an add-on.

✓ Twitch is a streaming platform that has a karaoke feature.
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✓ Houseparty is an app (and has a chrome add on) that utilizes video chat and you can play games on.
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✓  Game Pigeon is an add-on for iPhone users that allows players to play a variety of games in the Text Message inbox.

✓ Steam is free to install video game platform that offers many free to play multiplayer games. See below for free Steam Games
‍LoveBeat, a casual rhythm game Brawlhalla, a fighting/action gameDigimon Masters Online is an action/RPG/adventure game full of characters your littles probably already know Risk Global Domination is just like the classic board gamePixel Worlds is an adventure game
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✓ Multiplayer Games that can be played free using a browser: Battleship OnlineSpeed SodokuCube Slam is a virtual air hockey/pong. You can also play against a “bear”. Treasure Arena is This 16-bit adventure game has you battling in a dungeon over valuable treasure.Lordz: The aim of Lordz is to become the dominant kingdom in the land.
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✓  Visit and learn about museums around the world: Google Arts has a list of over 500 museums and cultural institutions to visit. The palace of Versailles is on there! The Lourve (Paris, France) The Smithsonian Natural History Museum (Washington D.C.) Nasa Langley Research Center (Hampton, VA) Nasa Glenn Research Center (Cleveland, OH) The Museu de Arte de São Paulo (São Paulo, Brazil)
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✓  Schedule game time! Using app-based games like Words with Friends, Draw Something, Chess (click here for the web version), Checkers, or Bowling can be great ways to engage and connect with your Little, while enjoying some down time.  Check out this website for great games you and your Little can play on laptops or desktops.