If you are like many parents around the nation right now, you are probably wondering how on earth you are going to keep your kids happy and engaged during the extended stay at home due to the cornavirus. Also, like many of us, our school systems weren’t prepared for this type of crisis and due to equality regulations, cannot offer education services via online outlets. We are left trying to navigate homeschooling on our own. Luckily, there are really great resources available as long as you have access to internet services.
Last Friday was our first day home. We did some reading but not much more. I definitely wasn’t prepared. Over the weekend I bookmarked all of the different resources that were being shared online including recommended homeschool schedules, printable worksheets, podcast and book recommendations and so much more. I’m already starting to feel like I have a handle on things.
One tool that has been useful to me is the Jooki Music and Story Player. One of my biggest struggles is going to be keeping my kids off screens. Jooki is definitely going to help with that! This music and story player is screen-free. It uses figurines to control the content. Using the free app, parents can set up playlists for each figurine. You can use Spotify for radio stations and podcasts.
I’ve set up a “Mood Boosting” station for the kids to listen to while they do homework. I’ve also designated several characters for educational podcasts. I’ve chosen science podcasts, history podcasts etc. so all I have to do for a “lesson” is pop the character on the Jooki! This helps me prepare for the next day’s education. We plan on listening to a podcasts during lunch each day. Audiobooks can also be loaded making this a versatile education and entertainment tool with NO SCREENS!
Jooki might be designed for younger kids but it’s working well for my kids too! They are 12, 11, and 9 and love having music and stories the can have access to anytime without a screen. I’m setting characters up with “free time” things to listen to as well. Right now I’m only preparing for the day the night before but hopefully eventually I’ll be organized enough to set up playlists for the entire week of learning.
The only drawback for older kids is that they cannot see/read the playlists. They are however able to skip ahead or rewind tracks and control the volume from the Jooki device. It will be up to me to give them more info if they want it. The nice thing is that you can assign characters for certain things. My kids know that the Fox is usually science podcasts. The dragon is always music. It’s also fun to be surprised sometimes!
The Jooki device itself is brightly colored, durable and splash-proof. It’s super portable with it’s small size and silicone handle. It can be used both online and offline! When you set a character in middle of the Jooki it automatically starts playing that character’s playlist. The sound quality is great too!
Millions of stories and music are right at your fingertips with Spotify (premium or free) or Deezer Premium. With the app it’s super easy (and quick!) to load content to your Jooki characters. It’s a really awesome tool to have at home for your kid’s learning and entertainment needs. You can find out more at www.jooki.rocks.
I have one of these and they’re amazing! My granddaughters absolutely love theirs. God bless and good luck everyone!