Home-office has given many parents the opportunity to share quality moments with their kids while at home. 

However, working with small kids in the house can lead to tension that is unhealthy and un-productive for everyone.  While homework, arts and crafts, sports, science experiments, practicing a musical instrument can help fill-up non-school time within the day for moms and dads to attend to business, there are moments that the structured schedule does not accommodate everyone. 

Of course, turning on the TV or handing our kids a tablet is the ultimate baby-sitter.  And once that screen is on and the bridge has been crossed there is no return from the endless clash between relief and guilt that haunts most parents.

It doesn’t have to be that way.   At Momizen, we have selected our top 3 Youtube channels that ease-up on the guilt factor when kids are looking at the screen.   They are short, educational and inspiring!  Plus we list our recommendations for the perfect home-experiment apparatuses that can bring the science from the screen to the desk, and even the bathtub!

Here they are, when things at home are tricky. 

  1. CRASH COURSE KIDS

Cool facts, graphics and fast up-beat narrative in English about all science topics.  Each video is 4-5 minutes long and can complements elementary school curriculum.  The range of topics ranges from why does the weather change, to what are chemical changes and what is the job of an engineer.  This bi-weekly show enforces a growth mindset by making learning fun through interesting facts that kids can understand and remember.   The channel includes more than 100 short videos that will help kids connect with the world while being entertained. 

  1. JOE WICKS

Joe Wicks who is best known as "The Body Coach", is a British fitness coach, TV presenter and author. He uses short intense High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT or 'HIT') as the core of his popular fitness workouts. But Joe Wicks is not only known for whipping adults into shape, he has launched a series of kids workouts called "PE with Joe" on his channel, which are usually between 5 to 15 minutes, focusing on simple exercises for our little ones. He is often accompanied by a little friend in his workouts, and he sometimes even dresses up for the videos, making them all that more appealing for children of all ages to follow at home.

 

  1. SCIENCE MAX FOR KIDS

Science Max is a science experiment video fantasy.  Videos range from 3 to 22 minutes long, with a new one every week.  Phil the scientist & presenter presents experiments and their relationship to nature on a large scale, bigger than life-size.  He captures the attention of kids from the beginning, transmits his excitement about a new hypothesis and all this while weaving-in important facts.  He loves to make a mess to prove a point and uses large everyday objects in his experiments that kids can relate to. 

 

Speaking about science, when it is time to turn the screens off, hand the kids a microscope and ask them to pick-up some insects and small leaves from outside, or even to collect drops of water and observe them.  They can then really bring what they see on-screen to the real-life!

 

Bath time can be educational too with a bath experiment kit! Experiment kits for water include apparatuses that teach displacement, water power and liquid movement between one vessel to another through tubes and pressure.  They will learn while having fun, and getting clean…check!

 

For the older kids between 8 – 14 years, who are interested in real-life constructions and assembling cranes we came across the Technical Workshop Starter Set.  It is a meticulous construction with many parts that introduces kids to what engineering and building is all about.   

 

For the outdoors and all fitness activities you can’t go wrong with the New Balance Klett-Sneaker.  Its light, very comfortable and safe for the little feet, whether they are jumping around or exploring the garden!

 

Some info about the author

Maria grew up traveling extensively around the world, with a significant part of her childhood spent in Dubai during the late 80’s.   She continues to travel as often as possible around the globe, with her family.  She moved to Switzerland 7 years ago, shifting from a 10-year career in banking in Athens to a full-time mom of 3 children.    

After the birth of her 1st child, she realized that various needs of parents traveling in Switzerland and many countries that she visited were not fully covered by the existing internet platforms.  Focusing in particular on the need for families looking for things to do with small children while having fun, Maria took an entrepreneurial turn and partnered up with a talented team of developers to design Momizen.com, a technologically advanced web application for finding fun and educational things to do with kids on-the-go. 

In her free time, she reads (mainly at-loud to an audience of 3), practices yoga, loves movies, sailing, surfing, skiing and most often can be seen cycling around her neighbourhood with her children in Canton Schwyz.  Maria holds a degree in Psychology and a Master’s in Business Administration from the University of Kent, in Canterbury.  She is also a certified yoga teacher for adults and kids!

She can be reached by email at maria@momizen.com


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