At-Home Activities

From curious exploration to imaginative play, children are always learning—even when we may not realize it. As we are spending less time at museums, schools, and other learning environments, howtosmile wanted to start a new collection of high-quality & fun activities specifically curated for learners in the home.

This work will kick-off a year-long project at howtosmile to catalog new activities, and curate existing resources in the library, that we believe will work well at home. All activities come with simple and well-made activity guides to walk you through what is happening step-by-step. Whether you are looking for something fun and educational to do with your young learners over the weekend or you’re looking for accessible activities for your online camp to try at home, these activities will be sure to meet your needs and leave your learners wanting more.

Not all of these characteristics are necessary for an activity to be considered a high-quality at-home activity, but the more the better.

• The activity has a simple and easy-to-use activity guide—including step-by-step visuals or a video.
• The activity uses low-cost materials or materials that can be found at home.
• The activity is related to the everyday lives of learners—including storytelling or animals.
• The activity takes advantage of the learner’s senses.
• The activity encourages caregivers and learners to work together in a meaningful way.
• The activity lets learners practice and express their creativity.
• The activity builds confidence in learners by focusing on exploration and discovery.