Cooking, fitness, and arts and crafts projects have been making waves on social media as parents find ways to keep their kids occupied with online activities during the ongoing Safer at Home order.
Although group activities are being placed on hold to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus, there are virtual activities for kids to take part in, creating a fun experience.
The City of Malibu Community Services Department is providing resources to the Malibu community to maintain healthy lives and mental wellness during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Virtual Recreation Center is bringing programs and resources to families to prioritize their health and well-being.
Each week, the city will feature a new theme, such as cultural arts, music, dance, sports, physical fitness, animals, photo challenges, environmental sustainability and more.
For activities to keep kids active, “carpetboard” has been a creative alternative for kids to learn basic skateboard skills. A YouTube video is provided for kids to practice while staying safely indoors.
The Boys & Girls Club of Malibu is offering free wellness activities, virtual photography, healthy eating, teen support, story time and more. Livestreams will be available on social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and YouTube (all can be found by searching for BGCMalibu90265).
Free children’s mindfulness and playbook activities will be emailed twice per week by Little Fox Yoga. (You can find the studio on Facebook at Little Fox Yoga Studio.)
Big Heart Ranch, a local, nature-based wellness center, offers free virtual education classes, tours and story time for teachers, parents and kids, on Instagram at @bigheartranch. Big Heart Ranch aims to encourage and connect kids to nature through farm-based education by teaching organic gardening, animal husbandry environmental science and sustainable practices.
The Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District (SMMUSD) is finalizing details for its summer school plans. According to a press release by SMMUSD, Superintendent Dr. Ben Drati announced a new format regarding summer and fall distance learning.
“We all transitioned into this new format a month ago, turning our traditional education delivery model and support system upside down,” Drati wrote. “For many parents, this has presented a challenge and for some an extreme hardship. We continue to support families in many ways.”
Students who qualify for these programs have been notified by their schools. For elementary school students, programs such as Intensive Intervention Summer School (IISS) and Summer Language Academy for English learners will be provided online.
For middle school students, IISS and Summer Accelerated Math Support are being offered for students who will benefit from additional support and will be delivered online.
Credit recovery will be available for high school students who need additional learning opportunities to fulfill graduation requirements. Credit recovery summer school will be delivered in an online approach similar to their distance learning instructional program.
SMMUSD is partnering with Santa Monica College to provide students with the opportunity to enroll in online courses that meet the learning outlined by the standards by the California Department of Education. Students have received instructions regarding qualifying courses and registrations. For more information on registration, students are advised to contact their counselor.
Due to high demand, SMC is working with SMMUSD to accommodate all district students who are interested in summer courses.
The student should have already applied for the “Get Ahead” summer school; however, if a student is now interested, they must contact their counselor or advisor for information on the process and availability of courses.
Regarding textbooks, instruments, devices, library books, student supplies and medications that may still be at school, parents are advised to reach out to their school.
SMMUSD schools are reaching out to families with instructions that will keep students, parents and staff safe during the school year.
For more information on resources for students visit www.smmusd.org/familyresources for distance learning, community and mental health resources, evaluation and grading policy and special education.