#COVID19 Kids Show and Tell
Build Community — Always
As we collectively figure out how to navigate #PhysicalDistancing in the face of this global pandemic the grassroots community builders among us are doing what we do best — ensuring that we all have a place to feel supported, connected, and seen.
#COVID19 Kids Show and Tell is my attempt to add to the growing list of community support systems. As a teacher and community movement builder is the amalgamation of my two worlds. I created this because I wanted my daughter (5 years old) to be able to share time with other kids her age during this period of physical distancing. In building out her homeschool schedule I penciled this idea in and then worked on building the lesson plan. (Note — I have taught middle and high school and university — never primary school — so please adapt as needed.)
Since the launch (3 days ago) we have now reached families in 5 countries! A few people have asked me to share our setup so they can recreate this space in their own language / timezone / community.
Feel free to ask me any questions and above all — stay human.
To set up a Online Show and Tell here is what you will need:
1. A Coordinator
The role of the coordinator is to gather people, host the virtual space (I recommend Zoom), and facilitate information sharing. Of course this role could be shared by more than one person. The coordinator does not need to be an educator however they should share a passion for working with and nurturing spaces for kids.
2. A Way to Safely Respect Privacy and Build Community
- Sign-ups collected using Google Forms. (Feel free to make a copy of the form for your use.)
- When sending out reminder or other program-related emails, make sure to put all participant email addresses in BCC to respect privacy. THIS IS FOR GDPR COMPLIANCE and is super important. (You could ask for email addresses to be shared but to do that you MUST collect consent and keep a written record of it to be in compliance with GDPR regulations — this takes a lot more work.)
- If you do share any photos (like the one above) on social platforms ensure you have parent consent to release the image.
- I have found it helpful to send reminder emails the evening before with the plan for the next day, new Zoom link (see below) and the focus points (show and tell focus, what color we are going to wear, etc).
- If you are concerned about digital security use a Tor browser, VPN, or another secure communication platform like Jitsi. (Read more about Digital Resilience by Equality Labs at the link below.)
3. Online Platform for Communication
Zoom is my go-to platform for web conferencing. It’s flexible and offers a great set of features that assist with hosting such a space. The free version of Zoom allows you to host a 40 minute call (perfect length of time for Kids Show and Tell).
Every evening I send a new Zoom link for the next day’s meeting. This adds another layer of security in ensuring that only the people who get the email have the link.
4. Lesson Plan
The basic parts of the lesson plan are:
- Introduction
This includes saying hello to everyone, playing some name games to help kids get comfortable with everyone, looking at the map to see where everyone comes from, remembering what we did the previous day, noting who has worn the color of the day, and quizzing kids on who brought what to show and tell from the previous day.
- Show and Tell
At the end of Show and Tell, a theme is chosen for the next day (I usually give 1–2 ideas and then let the kids vote on what they want to do). Some show and tell ideas include: favorite toy, book, drawing, dance move, song, animal, etc.
- Story Time
A story (6–8 minutes in length) is read to the group. The story is chosen the previous day by a different child each day.
- Color Theme
We pick a different color to wear every day. The color theme is chosen at the end of the previous day’s session by a child, use a different child each day.
- Wrap Up
To wrap up, we talk about how everyone is doing, how hand-washing is going, and then do the fun part of selecting who is next to choose the color of the day, the show and tell theme, and our next story. For this I have written down all the kids’ names and put them in a bowl. I then draw names: one child to select the new color of the day and one child to select the next book that we will read for story time. Feel free to come up with fun names for each of these jobs if you so choose. Use whatever choosing method you like but make sure the jobs rotate and the same children aren’t getting to do all the picking.
Here’s a sample daily email I send to the Kids Show and Tell group:
Dear All,
Thanks so much for signing up for this community building kids event during #COVID19. Here’s some more info to help get you started.
The 1 hour call is structured as follows but please note it will be a free flowing open discussion space where interaction, conversation, and questions for kids are most welcomed.
FOR TUESDAY: Wear RED and have the kids bring their favorite DRAWING for Show and Tell.
Start with Introductions — 20 mins
Kids Names, Parent names, Where do you live?
ACTION: — during this time I will have a google map on the shared screen and when a new location is shared ask the kids where they think the country is. Together we will put pins in our digital map until everyone is accounted for.
Name Game: After everyone introduces themselves — we play — ‘whose name starts with the letter ______.” And kids take turns guessing.
BONUS: On Tuesday we will start with a little quiz to see if the kids can remember everyone’s name, country, and favorite toy.
Show and Tell and Story Time — 25 mins
PRE HOMEWORK: For Tuesday the kids need to bring their favourite drawing to show and tell. Parents should be prepared to help facilitate the discussion and also help translate if needed into English (we have an international group!).
Each child will be able to share their toy and describe their drawing with the rest of us. Some questions you can give to your kids to help the discussion and sharing process:
-What did you draw?
-Why is this your favorite drawing?
-Do you want to share a story about your drawing? (person/object/animal in your drawing)
Saying Goodbye — 10 mins
Kids will spend this time picking the topic of show and tell, the color scheme, and the story for the next day by [insert method you will use]. We can focus on a theme/letter/color.
You can download Zoom for free here:
When you download Zoom please use this call link to join the call — add Zoom link.
TIME ZONE:
12:00:00 CET UTC+1 hour
21:30:00 ACDT UTC+10:30 hours
16:30:00 IST UTC+5:30 hours
19:00:00 CST UTC+8 hours
13:00:00 SAST UTC+2 hours
07:00:00 EDT UTC-4 hours
04:00:00 PDT UTC-7 hours
5. An Open Mind
In creating this community we must understand that ALL of us are coming to this space with a lot on our plates — this includes our kids. The response to this global pandemic is new for everyone and there is no perfect way to show up. That being said:
Parents — be kind to your coordinator. We are all volunteering our time to help create room for our kids to share time with each other. It’s not going to be perfect or what you expect — but it will be collaborative, fun and joyful! And at the very least — it will be an hour a day where you and your child can feel like a part of a bigger family of people who are all navigating this challenging time together.
