With the COVID-19 pandemic and social distancing, many parents are looking for ways to keep their children’s minds active. Start by talking to children about world politics, medicine, and topics that interest them. These everyday conversations will keep your children’s minds engaged, as well as your own.

Science and Research

Research anything you do not know, and show your kids how to find credible sources to learn about the world around them. Your children are likely thinking about the world around them because of COVID-19, so that interest can be used to teach them about that world. Teach them geography and research transportation routes if they wonder how the disease spreads, for example.

History

Do not just focus on the disease, though. Use their interests to draw them into thinking about the world around them. Who is their favorite singer, and what was the world like when that singer started out? What about world politics and racial relations when their favorite cartoon came out decades ago? How does that explain the cartoon characters’ behaviors in early episodes?

Teach your kids how to look beyond the biggest headline by finding new articles that do not deal with the pandemic and its effects. Talk about those.