My coworkers and I are in a routine now. We drink coffee together and chat about last night’s stellar Uno game. We settle down quickly to the serious work of resubmitting an R01 and creating content for Edge for Scholars. Middle management naps in the window.

The interns roll in around 10 AM and, after reviewing our mission, vision, values and goals, embark on training and development with frozen waffles.

At the intersection of Zoom conferences and melt downs are the glorious You Tubers who have valiantly posted hours of distraction content.

Here are emergency supplies for 30 minutes to 5 hours of quiet time:

Mark Rober

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCY1kMZp36IQSyNx_9h4mpCg

Former NASA engineer delivers quality content with clear explanations. Mark Rober is a family favorite and has just started science class 3 days a week. His monthly videos are impressive.

Oversimplified

https://www.youtube.com/user/Webzwithaz

When your kids are engrossed in learning about the French Revolution, you can’t tell them to turn off the TV and clean their room. The most entertaining of history lessons.

Popular Mechanics for Kids (PMK)

https://www.youtube.com/playlistlist=PLnmVcIr9eFnJ5SP6saNJlL8HXiZeUHk7Y

Canadian TV show from the late 1990s that shows how things work. A little dated, but still a favorite in our house.

King of Random

https://www.youtube.com/user/01032010814

Videos dedicated to all kinds of life hacks, experiments, and random projects. Less focused on science, but entertaining.

Colin Furze

https://www.youtube.com/user/colinfurze

His description: Mad vehicles. Epic projects. Crazy inventions.

My kids are still talking about treadmill stairs and catapulting out of bed. Perhaps don’t try these at home.

Kara and Nate

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4ijq8Cg-8zQKx8OH12dUSw

Geography, adventure, and kindness. Kara and Nate spent 4 years visiting 100 countries and documented every single moment.

Moriah Elizabeth

https://www.youtube.com/user/GeniunelyMoriah/featured

Rainbow art projects with a little ‘tude. Tween heaven.

Most Dangerous Ways to School

These eye opening family-friendly episodes had my kids thinking about school in a very different way.

Recommendations from my colleagues with younger kids

 Go Noodle

https://www.gonoodle.com

Fun movement and mindfulness videos for when the interns are jumping off the couches.

Scholastic

https://classroommagazines.scholastic.com

Daily projects based on grade level.

Adventure Academy (annual subscription)

https://www.adventureacademy.com/

An educational and interactive game.

Brainpop and Brainpop Junior (annual subscription)

https://www.brainpop.com/ and https://jr.brainpop.com/

Short, animated, educational movies for kids of all ages.

PBS Kids

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrNnk0wFBnCS1awGjq_ijGQ

Enough quality programming for a good 6 years of social distancing.

Favorites: Sid the Science Kid, Doc McStuffins, Super Why, Daniel Tiger, and Dinosaur Train.

MORE RESOURCES

Staying Productive and Patient

Awesome Science Videos

About the Author

Screen Name

Helen Bird

About Me

As Senior Communications Specialist at Edge for Scholars, I am responsible for marketing and outreach. I serve as director of visual content, managing editor of the Cutting Edge Newsletter, and oversee social media. Email me at info@edgeforscholars.org to announce opportunities in the Cutting Edge Newsletter or on social media.