Making Connections From Home | Kids Out and About Midcities

Making Connections From Home

This pandemic has made almost everyone feel isolated. But it's still possible to make connections. Whether you have a teen who's ready to hone language skills or take on volunteer responsibilities, or your family needs a project that will provide a diversion and a chance for learning, we've got ideas to get you started. These suggestions will work from almost anywhere, but it's likely that your local senior care center or assisted living facility would welcome notes, calls, or artwork for a lonely resident, or perhaps you've lost touch with a distant relative? There's never been a better time to reach out and connect with someone.

 


Pen Pal Style Connections

Students of the World

 Kid-friendly site, kid and adult pen pal areas

Global Penfriends

Connect with a pen pal for snail mail letter writing

Pen Pal World

 Kids and adults can connect 

International Pen Friends

Postal connections only & fee; members connect with someone the same age who lives elsewhere

 


Fun Together

Connected Camps

Offers a free, moderated Minecraft server

Indraloka Animal Sanctuary

Young kids can connect with animals

Blake Boles

Unschooler Blake Boles hosts informal Zoom meet-ups for self-directed teenagers

Chess Kid

Learn and play chess online

 


Learning

Online Classes

Don't forget our big list of online resources and classes!

Skype a Scientist

Attend an online talk by a scientist - Skype a Scientist specializes in teaching classes, but they also offer talks open to the general public

Code Club

Find a free coding club for your 9-13 year old

Your Local Library

Many local libraries are offering virtual book clubs

 


Language Practice

Conversation Exchange

Designed for language learners to connect. Filter by a variety of language and either pen pal correspondence or using chat software

Share Ami

Online conversations in French, designed to connect proficient French students with elderly native French speakers

Courriere Solidaire

Pen pals in French, designed for those fluent in French

Adopta Un Abuela

Pair up with a Spanish-speaking senior 

My Language Exchange

Connects language learners with each other

 


Helping Out

Be My Eyes

Free app to connect sighted individuals with blind or low-sight individuals and assist through live video calls

Extraordinary History Project

Pairs writers or student writers with isolated seniors who speak on the phone once a week to write the elder's life story

AgeUK

Volunteer to befriend a senior in the uK with a weekly phone call

Compassion

Sponsor and write to a child living in poverty

Children International

Sponsor and write to a child living in poverty

Lifting Hearts with the Arts

Teen volunteers connect with seniors in care facilities in a select (but growing number of) states

Library of Congress

Teens and adults can virtually volunteer by helping to transcribe documents

HumanKind

Teens and adults can virtually volunteer with tutoring or tech or social support for seniors

LibriVox

Teens and adults can read books in the public domain to make them accessible via audio

Teenangels and Tweenangels

Teens (13 to 18) and tweens (7 to 12) complete training to learn about online safety and help their peers

VocaliD

Share your voice to help create a diverse array of synthetic voices for those with speech issues

Do Something

This youth-led movement offers a variety of ways to volunteer for good

 


Supporting Soldiers

Soldiers' Angels

Send at least one letter per week and one package per month to a deployed soldier

Operation Gratitude

Write letters, make bracelets, or provide other virtual support

America's Adopt a Soldier

A variety of volunteer opportunities including letter writing, care packages, and special events

Soldier Assist

Adopt a soldier

 

 


© 2020, KidsOutAndAbout.com. This list was originally inspired by a Twitter thread-thank you!  Want to share a suggestion? Send it to katie@kidsoutandabout.com.


Tags