In the mid-2000s, I joined an online pregnancy magazine message board at the recommendation of a high school best friend who was months ahead of me on pregnancy. This builds relationships with people who see what others are going through and share the need for stretchy pants and comfort from the “what ifs” and “what’s that?!?” It was a chance to have…!? of pregnancy. Eventually, after the magazine died and her personal message board got busy, the group ended up on her Facebook. The group has survived divorce, the marriage of her two members after the divorce, meetups, more and more babies, and the tragic deaths of some members. The current iteration of the group leaves about 40 people from the original group, but I don’t remember the total number.

In addition to that experience and my appreciation for its continued benefits, I mostly say that I use inspiration from one of those mothers to share a few online resources. Using resources she finds online, or restructuring the recent series of “Shark Tank” episodes her homeschooling students watched into something educational, is inspiring. She centers what really matters to them as a family. Well, is that what I’m talking about? No, but I use it as a starting point to share some of the online resources I’ve come across or shared when I’m not making calls, taking breaks, answering questions, or dropping someone off. .

Sidebar… Before we get to the point, I received an email today from the Edmonds School District welcoming students to the 2022-23 school year. You can see the contents here. There aren’t many plans for the new school year this week, but the school district said she will send out an additional email on August 19th explaining how parents can use her ParentSquare to receive information from the district and school. I would like to tell you. This additional email contains an invitation link that allows you to choose how and in which language you would like to receive information. For more information, keep an eye out. You can also find more information about our services at ParentSquare.com.

There are also some links to online art tutorials and interesting informatics videos. I googled some watercolor books and found two of them in his Sno-Isle Libraries. More Art on Instagram seems to have started getting her account and I found Andrea.Nelson.Art. Part of Nelson’s biography states: I’m here to help’ and it’s one of my favorite things to do right now. . My current favorite is to apply different watercolors and then trace the shapes with ink when dry. Seriously, she calls it “Brain Her Relaxer.” It really relaxes my brain without the pressure to make it look like the objects I draw. In one of her latest videos, she cheerfully explains how to paint with white crayons, so no fancy tools seem necessary. I also noticed that every time I watched a new video, one of my adult friends already liked it.When I reached out to him, while he wasn’t doing art, Nelson’s post read, ” 0% bad news guaranteed” and I’m not. I just agree, but when she’s happy to explain you can do it, I feel like I could too! , Instagram, basic videos provided by Crayola, or can be found on ADreamoraDayArt.com.

My cousin’s 7 year old does art online and her current video of choice is from YouTube’s Art for Kids Hub. I scanned some videos and found these people doing cute art tutorials, often involving kids in their own age-appropriate versions. , like “how to draw a carp” they draw, also includes the letter K and “how to draw a minion”. For more information, please visit ArtforKidsHub.com.

Drawing with Wendy Mac (new york times Best-selling artist Wendy MacNaughton) is also an online art choice. Episodes described as “a class show that’s a club for kids” can be found on DrawTogether.Studio or YouTube. At first glance, the website seems to contain a little more, but it’s still a YouTube video. The show’s focus is “confidence-building through imagination, community, and drawing,” and also includes resources for parents and educators, and “the occasional silly dance.” The Mac was on a whimsical set, and the videos I scanned associated the weather inside and emotions with things like wind and rain, and of course I loved it. I followed her personal account for a while, but I can’t remember its origin. The colors and fonts she chooses/creates are as soothing as Nelson’s.Mac has also been described as a “bite-sized, no-experience interactive art adventure” where all you need is paper and a pen. We also have a Draw Together Podcast.

If art doesn’t suit you, there are also science options for kids. Check out a hip-hop science show on YouTube that a mutual friend recommended. Sponsored by Maynard Okereke, Hip-Hop M.D. and college graduate, Hip-Hop Science aims to “bridge the gap between music/entertainment and science by introducing scientific elements into everyday pop culture. is”. Wearing a lab coat and thick black glasses, Okereke says, “Music takes you on a journey exploring new trends in his videos, epic failures, song lyrics, and all areas of science.” I will explain. One video of hers a month ago was titled “Goose is Better Than a Watchdog,” a short, informative, funny, and great music-filled clip that I hope my kids will enjoy on the internet. I hope to meet you on your travels. This is also true, geese are insanely scary. See more Hip Hop MD videos at YouTube.com/HipHopScienceShow. You can also find school presentation details and contact information at HipHopScienceShow.com.

My nephew enjoys Emily’s Wonderlab on Netflix. This is only his one season, but 10 episodes are available on Netflix. Science.Mom offers videos and projects, and she boasts that if you watch her videos on her website, only her videos will be suggested. However, if you click through to YouTube, you’ll find plenty of other suggestions: Science Her mom “works as a molecular biologist and wilderness firefighter, and has done a few jobs like wearing a lab coat and wielding a chainsaw.” There’s no doubt that her board friends are interested in her because mom’s message. Just below the chainsaw bit for me. Her site offers over 100 free educational lessons, plus activities and experiments. She is also known to play her counterpart Math Dad in a series of her Science Mom vs Math Dad videos. For more information and all her content, visit Science.Mom.

— Jennifer Marks

Jen Marx, a mother of two boys in Edmonds, is always looking for a fun place for her kids to go to bed on time when they’re tired.