Apps and Activities to do at Home

last updated August 2020

Docs for Tots has compiled these virtual resources for children and parents.

• fun activities to promote development
• apps for parents to track development and milestones
• access to online classes and activities for children and parents

Learn more about additional supports available to Long Island families with children ages 0-5 through the Help Me Grow – Long Island (HMG-LI) partnership, and get community service updates during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Developmental Activities

Long Island families can complete a developmental or social emotional screen online, and review results with a HMG-LI Family Resource Specialist.

Bright by Text

Help Me Grow – Long Island is a proud partner of Bright By Text, a texting service that provides free tips, information, and resources to help all parents and caregivers give every child a bright beginning. In addition to receiving expert content from partners like PBS, Vroom, and Sesame Street, Long Islanders that sign up for the service will now also receive information about local resources and opportunities from Help Me Grow – Long Island. Messages are available in English and Spanish!

You can sign up for Bright By Text by texting “HMG” to 274448 or by filling out the form at this link. See our partnership announcement here.

Learn the Signs, Act Early

CDC child developmental resources, tips, milestone tracker for parents

Reach out and Read

Reach out and Read of Greater NY has compiled a list of free, online learning resources for children

Online classes and workshops

Sid Jacobson JCC

Sid Jacobson JCC has online resources, classes, and workshops for children and families

Time Out New York – list of best online classes

A curated list of the best online classes for kids.

Academic Support Resources – various ages

Penguin Random House and PARENTS Magazine

READ TOGETHER, BE TOGETHER Family Reading movement offers virtual storytimes.

Scholastic offers free online classes for pre-K to 6th grade+

Read more here.
Scholastic Learn at Home

Virtual Field Trips

Discovery Education offers no-cost Virtual Field Trips which come with a companion guide packed with standards-aligned, hands-on learning activities.

Websites for Read Alouds and Activities

A compiled list of read alouds and podcasts – some live, some recorded.

We Are Teachers: The Big List of Children’s Authors Doing Online Read-Alouds & Activities

Zoos

Kids can observe animals with the San Diego Zoo live web cams, and can do a home safari through the Cincinnati Zoo website.

Caregiver Math Resources for COVID-19 School Closures

Resource guide for parents and caregivers to be able to support children’s mathematics learning at home. (also in Spanish)

Apps for Parents

Here is a list of recommended apps for tracking milestones, language development, pregnancy tracking, etc.