Parents all over the Hill are looking for ways to keep their littles engaged through the increased indoor time brought on by the need to social distancing. Thank goodness for screens, if we have them. Our kids are playing with their friends through online video chats –and maybe watching a bit more television than they used to. But they also give us more ways to use this time to learn a new skill, have a good time, and play in different ways.
Here are some things you can do online, and to support local businesses:
Online Play Reading from Adventure Theatre MTC
At 2 p.m. on Sunday, March 29, Adventure Theatre MTC will be hosting a FREE kid-friendly online reading of Alvaro Saar Rios’ bilingual play On the Wings of a Mariposa. The hour-long play, directed by Elena Velasco, tells the story of 10-year-old Pilar, whose memories of her time with her grandmother—”making corn tortillas, dueling the monsters under the bed and journeying to the forest known as El Círculo Mágico”—start to fade. During the monarch butterflies’ annual migration and Día de los Muertos celebrations, Pilar discovers that “when you love someone, they never really leave you.”
Mo Willems Gives Daily Drawing Lessons
While it’s not exactly theater-related, we do want to let parents stuck at home with little ones know that the Kennedy Center is hosting daily Lunch Doodles with Mo Willems. Willems, the author of children’s favorites such as the pigeon books (“Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!”) and the Elephant and Piggie series, is the current Kennedy Center Education Artist-In-Residence. Every weekday at 1 p.m., he posts a new doodle lesson from his home. All you need is some paper and something to draw with!
Online Dance Lessons with Tippi Toes
Tippi Toes is a local dance company for children that serves close to 750 dancers and already we have found this solution to be such a bright spot for so many families. join the Tippi Toes Virtual dance class, have them dress up in a costume and be the star of the show! Tippi Toes is now offering virtual dance classes to children of all ages. Ballet, Tap & Jazz in the comfort of your home. Click here to get dancing: https://online.tippitoesdance.com/a/23920/vL8T6Yfd
Capitol Kids Therapy Tele-Therapy Services
As parents navigate this new at-home learning schedule, now is the perfect time to add speech therapy with Capitol Kids Therapy into your child’s routine. All you need is a reliable internet connection, a computer/iPad/tablet and a webcam. They are ready to meet families online to help with young toddlers and pre-school children, providing expert consultation and problem solving so families can find ways to promote learning through everyday routines. Go online or contact leslie.humes@capitolkidstherapy.com
202-544-5469
Online Storytime
Author Allison McGill traveled the country last year to promote her ‘Books, Babies & Booze Tour’, offering free story times for children held at kid-friendly breweries so that parents could relax and enjoy a beer. Now: grab your favorite beverage and let her read to your kids online. Her book The Adventures of Duke, the Therapy Dog, tells the story of a rescue dog who finds a new life with a happy family. Watch out for an upcoming virtual reading of her newest book, Mommy Didn’t Say THAT… which will be released this spring.
Virtual Small Group Lessons and Enrichment
Former public school teachers Liz and Joanne founded Capitol Hill Teachers to provide tutoring, enrichment and homeschooling services. In addition to virtual tutoring services for elementary and secondary students, Capitol Teachers now offers nationwide virtual small group classes for students in grades 1 to 12. Families can choose from a wide array of classes such as blog creation, creative writing, book clubs, analyzing superheroes, Spanish, civics, criminal law. All classes will begin the week of April 6th. Visit the website to view our course offerings! www.capitolteachers.com
Virtual Music Class with Mr. Ari
“Mr. Ari” has started a kids’ music channel on YouTube. Ari Jacobson is a singer, guitarist, and early-childhood educator based in Washington, DC. He’s been entertaining and teaching music to children for over 20 years, from baby/toddler classes, to pre-schools, to birthday parties and more. He teaches music with Meadowlark Music which is offering free trials of Zoom music classes starting Thursday, March 26. Email Ari at pagerock@gmail.com or Amber@meadowlarkmusiclessons.com
Music Lessons with Music on The Hill
Music on the Hill is offering virtual lessons over Zoom. Teachers offer piano, guitar, ukulele, voice, violin, voila, cello, guitar, bass guitar, percussion, banjo, mandolin, flute, clarinet and sax. You can order anything musical you need for delivery as well! From packs of strings, music books, rental guitars, ukuleles, to digital pianos the delivery minimum is $5. If you are interested in purchasing items or learning more about our Zoom lessons, you can email info@musiconthehilldc.com or call (202) 733-3158.
Online Playtime with grOH!
The self-described ‘child-development nerds’ behind educational design company grOH! are offering two daily guiding play sessions, a Morning Playtime Sessions begin at 10 a.m. and an Afternoon Storytime Sessions daily at 12:30 p.m. EST. Go online and download a Toddler Play Guide for ideas of what and how to play with your little during this time. Register for virtual sessions by visiting grOHPlayrooms/virtual-playdates
Get Fit Online
When this whole thing is over, you and the whole family can emerge fitter than ever! The DC government offers free workouts for residents, including special workouts for seniors and kids online. Follow @MyFITDC on Twitter to see each new workout as it comes out, or to see the schedule for DCN (Channel 16). Many local studios are also offering online classes. Fit4Mom has moved all their classes online. Members can send a request to join the (private) Facebook group, FIT4MOM DC Mamas, to get access to free virtual playgroups, story times, moms nights and more. If you are not a current client and would like to access all the Fit4Mom virtual content, email lauraoleary@fit4mom.com to discuss membership options.
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