The other ‘tiny colleagues’ sharing your home; Save the Rhino Day; Grandpa Chan’s adventure
|  | Sunday, April 26, 2020 | | | | |
 | | PHOTOGRAPH BY Y WESTEND61, GETTY IMAGES | | By Rachel Buchholz, KIDS AND FAMILY Editor in Chief
Last week I went to a birthday party. (Do. Not. Panic.)
As I approached the house, I saw the front yard decked out in streamers and balloons. Mom, Dad, and the birthday boy were safely behind a cast-iron fence with a shiny Happy Birthday sign hanging along it. The rest of the mask-wearing party people? Social distancing on the sidewalk or in the middle of the street, one girl sitting atop her father’s shoulders holding up a giant handmade card.
Who knows when we’re going to get “back to normal,” or what that’s even going to look like. But creative birthday celebrations and virtual graduations are just a couple ways parents are trying to incorporate an ordinary vibe into a far-from-ordinary life.
Another idea is recess at home. Keeping kids fit—even though they’re mostly now stuck inside—is important not just for children’s physical health but for their mental health as well. (For a book on critter-inspired yoga for families, check out Nat Geo Kids' Yoga Animals.) “Physical activity is a key component of emotional resilience and well being,” pediatrician Hector de Leon tells Nat Geo’s Jamie Kiffel-Alcheh in an article that shares indoor activities for maintaining kids’ fitness levels.
It might be essential to your mental health as well—especially if you’re trying to tire kiddos out before a conference call!
If you want to get this newsletter every week, sign up here. If you want your kids to get Nat Geo Kids magazine, subscribe here. For Nat Geo Little Kids, subscribe here. | | | |
 | | PHOTOGRAPH BY ELVA ETIENNE, GETTY IMAGES | | We don’t mean to bug you, but … You probably don’t want to know about these tiny new insect “colleagues” working in your house, but you’ve got ’em! Might as well make them earn their keep by teaching kids about habitats and biodiversity. With just a magnifying glass and a camera, your children can be geared up for an indoor insect safari. And you’ll be stunned to discover how many animals have decided to call your house home. “The average light fixture has something like 15 species in it,” ecologist Rob Dunn tells Nat Geo’s Jason Bittel. If your kids aren’t grossed out by that, Nat Geo subscribers can read plenty on face mites.
Riddle me this: Journalist Martin Balam’s two kids, aged 7 and 10, are entertaining their neighborhood with a daily riddle posted in the front window. Wednesday’s: “You can see me in water, but I never get wet. What am I?” Here’s the answer. Parents, have you reflected on a similar project? (Don’t worry: We have more ideas below in this newsletter.)
Who knew? The things you criticized your tween or teen for just might get them through the lockdown, psychologists say. Parents must shift the dominating narrative that screen time is ruining peer-to-peer relationships. It’s the reverse, says Jeff Temple, a psychologist at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston. “They know how to Snapchat with their friends, and FaceTime and text, and that’s real. And it’s something that they have been doing their entire lives,” Temple tells the Christian Science Monitor. “And so that might be what saves them from the loneliness during this pandemic.”
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 | | PHOTOGRAPH BY INTI ST. CLAIR, GETTY IMAGES | | Hey, look—fresh air! Need more reasons to get stuck-at-home kids outside (safely)? Turns out being outdoors can develop important life skills—like self-confidence, curiosity, observation, and creativity—in your children. Nat Geo’s Maryellen Kennedy Duckett has 20 outside ideas that will help parents lean into these explorer traits. Rainy day? Here’s a fascinating interactive look at how those animals outdoors move.
The party’s not over yet. Today’s the last day of International Dark Sky Week, so your family still has time to celebrate. Get outside tonight to gaze at the stars (with all the stay-at-home orders, you’re likely to see more of the night sky than ever before), or check out these inspiring NASA videos. Then engage kids in some STEM learning with these build-it-yourself solar-powered space vehicles from Nat Geo.
Family followup discussion: If you’ve talked about getting a dog right now, note that some animal shelters have closed and others have no more rescue dogs, says our Animals editor, Rachael Bale. She also cites poll information showing a jump in people hoping to foster a cat or dog, particularly people under 40 or those who already have a pet. If your family just wants to see puppies NOW, Rachael suggests these webcams from the Warrior Canine Connection, which trains service dogs for vets.
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| TRY THIS: BOREDOM BUSTERS FOR KIDS | |
 | | PHOTOGRAPH BY ANDREANITA, DREAMSTIME | | Keeping kids’ brains active: Friday is Save the Rhino Day! Inspire your kids to protect them by sharing this article and video about the critically endangered black rhino. Then get tips to empower your children to help save all animals and the habitats they live in. (Even your pets can help!)
We asked, you safari’d: Last week to celebrate Earth Day, we asked you to display wild art (starring your kids’ favorite animals), then go on a neighborhood safari with your family to spot all the crazy critters overtaking your community. See some of the wild art here. Some sightings: a peacock and flamingo sharing a habitat, an elephant with a rainbow-colored trunk, and a construction-paper jungle that included a tiger, red fox, and orangutan.
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 | | ILLUSTRATION BY CHAN JAE LEE | | Our own (short, online) children’s book: Grandpa Chan goes to the Galápagos features the watercolors of Instagram star Chan Jae Lee, who began online by doing a drawing a day for his grandchildren. Humorous and intimate, it’s as if the author has embraced readers as members of his family. (Above, watching a giant tortoise.) The story is free right here.
Looking for more learning? NatGeo@Home provides parents with online and offline ideas to keep their kids active and educated at home. This week, we've got a freaky quiz about frogs, a kid-friendly DIY recipe for yogurt, and a crazy video about kangaroos. Check back all week for new stuff!
This newsletter was edited and curated by David Beard and Rachel Buchholz. Let us know if you have any ideas on keeping your kids fit without them knowing they’re exercising. Have a healthy and a sane (as possible) week ahead! | | | |
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