By Laura K. Cowan
What programs and groups are available for kids to connect during social distancing? It’s a problem that has continued to evolve this year as conditions shift, especially for younger ones. I was concerned when after a long spring and summer in semi-quarantine, my daughter seemed a bit sedentary and missed her friends. We enjoy being home, but we’ve never been home for months on end before. So, I started looking for programs that were flexible which we could join now or through the winter.
Originally, I was hoping for something that would get her off her screen, but I was so impressed by some of the remote programming I found around Ann Arbor this year that I wanted to pass it on to you. Winter months might be challenging for outdoor activities beyond sledding, so being a planner, I wanted options ahead of time. In the end, I was much happier with most of these programs than I expected to be, especially given the circumstances. People have really stepped up to design high-quality kids programming accessible and safe around town, and my daughter has perked right up from her participation in programs like virtual playdates and online art programs. I know now we’ll be okay. I hope you find your way through these times as well. From outdoor bonfires to remote classes, there are so many programs still going on for kids right now that keep safety in mind.
Ann Arbor Art Center Art Boxes & Remote Camps
Ann Arbor Art Center switched their classes to pick-up Art Boxes at the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic. This year, they’re continuing to play it by ear and are offering remote Zoom classes as well as a whole series of Art Boxes for kids (and adults!)—you can even paint a pottery piece and then drop it off for firing in the kiln.
“We’re still staying attuned to what’s happening with Covid,” said Jean Spindler, Youth Programs Manager at the Ann Arbor Art Center. “We’re optimistic that at a minimum, at the times [in spring and summer] that we have camps, we would have Art Box camps.”
Art Boxes contain single projects or a series, complete with virtual and written instructions, for ages 5-12. You can try a single box, an Art Box camp, or even donate a box to youth in need. The boxes contain general art supplies for completing school and personal art projects at home. They are self-guided plus have extra project ideas included in the box.
For teens, Art Boxes are planned as well, including copper plate embossing, block printed tote bags, and watercolor silhouettes. Classes and boxes will continue to change throughout the year, so you can keep coming back for fresh options each semester.
The best way to keep up with the latest at the Ann Arbor Art Center is to visit their website, as even during normal times their classes are updated regularly and fill up very quickly. “We just launched our first few classes on a smaller scale because it’s our first attempt” at virtual classes, Spindler told us. Most classes are now planned to be virtual for the remainder of the year, and the Art Center won’t plan any in-person classes until conditions change.
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One exciting class recently held was the Comics Academy class hosted by popular graphic novelist Jerzy Drozd, which ran October through December. “Jerzy’s class is very interactive led through the Zoom platform,” Spindler said. “We encourage kids to be visible and to interact, but they do have the option to turn the camera off. There are lots of chances to interact one on one.”
The cool thing about virtual classes is that it allows the Art Center to draw in teachers from across the country instead of just locally, so keep an eye out for similar classes heading into the next semester. It’s possible that this shift in formatting leads to permanent changes in how children’s programs are run with virtual options and teachers or special guests pulled from farther afield on a more long-term basis.
If you're homeschooling or can’t get into a class because it’s full, you can visit the Art Resources Page at the Ann Arbor Art Center website for home art project ideas for kids—from sketchbook prompts, to websites to explore, videos, and art games.
You can learn more about programs at the Ann Arbor Art Center and check out current classes and Art Boxes at annarborartcenter.org or call (734) 994-8004 for more information.
Ann Arbor District Library TV
In conjunction with the Ann Arbor Art Center, the Ann Arbor District Library recently launched free recorded drawing classes with Payton Cook, which is hosted on the AADL website and TV station on Sunday afternoons. The AADL was at the forefront of switching programming and services online during the coronavirus shutdown and continues to shift kids’ programming online to keep children entertained and educated this year. They even switched up their “Summer Game” to a “Bummer Game” during the initial coronavirus shutdown, to give kids something to do during quarantine, and created rich programming and improved access to e-books at the drop of a hat when schools and public facilities were shut in March.
AADL Marketing and Communications Manager Rich Retyi told us that AADL launched the now popular AADL TV program online during quarantine in March at aadl.tv. “It was a way to take our very popular physical programming online,” he said. “Dozens of staff members got to work learning how to record video from their homes to launch storytime, trivia contests, book discussions, arts and crafts demos, games, and so much more.”
Retyi said the team was hard at work keeping the content fresh. “As the weeks passed, we once again started working with partners and outside organizations from the community to bring that content to AADL TV as well. From launch through the end of September of 2020, the Ann Arbor District Library had over 162,000 video views reaching nearly two million people.”
“Some of our most popular programs are our weekday storytimes,” Retyi told us, “with members of the AADL story team singing songs, reading books, and playing with our awesome puppets.”
The library even came up with TV series programming to run on a regular basis. “We have our weekend variety show, The Saturday Show, which is geared toward kids, but has something for all ages. We have World Famous Trivia, a weekly Crafty Chat, Drawing for Kids and Adults, tons of other arts and crafts programs, food and cooking programs, and so much more.”
The AADL has also offered a number of book, film, and music discussions in their Black Lives Matter Discussion Series, which might be a good fit for teens or older kids looking for thoughtful discussion of contemporary events. And the library has been offering contactless lobby pickup for books and other checkout items since June 2020 by appointment.
More info on programming and times can be found at aadl.org.
UMMA Remote Field Trips
One real bummer this year is missing field trips. In lieu of in-person field trips, the University of Michigan Museum of Art has new offerings for K-12 teachers, remote schoolers, as well as parents. Grace VanderVliet is the Curator for Museum Teaching and Learning at UMMA, and she told us about changes to the museum programming that have allowed kids to connect remotely with exhibits and programs this year.
“For families, we offer free, live (registration-required) Zoom art-making classes once per month,” VanderVliet said. “A few recorded sessions can be viewed online at umma.umich.edu/content/virtual-family-art-studio."
“I’m talking with Laura Pershin Raynor, otherwise known as ‘The Story Lady’ from AADL, who recently retired. We will put on a virtual storytime sometime this year that combines storytime plus looking at art related to the story themes. We’ll integrate tips for parents along the way about how to tell stories (rhyme, rhythm, refrain) and how to talk about art.”
UMMA also partnered with the Nam Center for Korean Studies this fall to provide a virtual Chuseok (harvest) festival. It’s becoming more common for museums to offer virtual tours of exhibits and virtual field trips as well, so stay tuned for other events you can access remotely.
You can find information about virtual learning opportunities at umma.umich.edu/k-12-resources and umma.umich.edu/k-12-resources/virtual-learning.
Rec & Ed Online & Outdoor Programs
Jenna Bacolor is Executive Director of the Ann Arbor Public Schools’ Community Division. She directs the Ann Arbor Rec & Ed programs as well as Farm to School and other initiatives. We caught up with her to ask how Rec & Ed is heading into the winter, after fall programming that combined outdoor sports with online programs. Like many other programs, Rec & Ed has many plans up in the air and changing as social distancing requirements shift. Bacolor told us what they do know so far for the remainder of the year's programming.
“This fall and winter, Rec & Ed is continuing to provide fun, enriching, and active youth experiences that are in formats that adhere to Covid-19 safety protocols,” Bacolor told us. “We’re offering some of our popular in-person programs, such as chess and languages, in live, online classes.”
Rec & Ed has adapted other classes to outdoor formats and has added some new classes such as ukulele lessons, outdoor nature and art classes, and a mobile photography club.
Is it sometimes easier to deliver an online class than one in person? As the quarantine wore on, I became more curious what new traditions we might be able to form, new classes my daughter could access that we didn't have the chance to find before. Bacolor said that they haven't had too many challenges connecting kids to their virtual classes, possibly because of the Herculean efforts the Ann Arbor Public Schools made to distribute Chromebooks and iPads this fall to keep kids connected with remote learning. “Every AAPS student has a device," Bacolor said, “and the IT department has helped many families with internet connectivity.”
If you missed your chance to sign up for the next semester of Rec & Ed programs, they also posted a late fall session of free programs offered earlier in the fall, with the possibility of repeating this in other semesters. Bacolor told us, “Rec & Ed is offering free programs for the first time to AAPS students ages pre-K through eighth grade. It’s a massive effort to offer three different outdoor, in-person programs at every elementary and K-8 this fall plus middle school tennis.”
There are also virtual classes for karate, yoga, and dance. We asked Bacolor about the best ways for kids to stay connected when they can't participate in in-person sports right now. She said these virtual workshops have been a great way for students to stay in touch with each other. “We’ve witnessed so many positive interactions between students!” she said. There is a section of free youth classes on the website where these classes are listed for future semesters, so keep an eye out for registration periods.
You can learn more about current Rec & Ed offerings by visiting aarecedonline.com/youth-enrichment-classes. Parents can follow Rec & Ed on Facebook (facebook.com/aareced), visit their website at aarecedonline.com, or call (994) 2300 ext. 0.
Leslie Science & Nature Center Remote Camps
Leslie Science & Nature Center and the Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum recently merged organizations. During social distancing, both facilities were closed to the public temporarily, but Leslie has now reopened with unique options for families, including private parties for families or pandemic pods, and outdoor events. “We anticipate that we will continue our free monthly programs,” said Susan Westhoff, who is Executive Director of Leslie Science & Nature Center and the COO of the Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum, “including our Raptor Feeding, Fireside Fun, and the New Moon Hike with nocturnal animal programs.” Leslie also plans to adapt their annual Valentine’s event, Owl Do I Love Thee, for an outdoor or distanced program. The Spring Eggstraveganza program that follows animals that lay eggs in spring is also planned to be reinvented for social distancing.
The cool thing about the Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum merging with Leslie is that parties at Leslie can now involve cool projects from the Hands-On Museum, from creating slime to building and launching rockets. Westhoff said that families can reach out to schedule private birthday parties or events for their pandemic pods so they can feel more comfortable as a group going out of the house, and those parties can include Hands-On Museum projects like this, as well as fire pit rentals, dissecting owl pellets, or seeing the rescued raptors on site at Leslie. It sounds like a lot of fun, just as much as going to one of their outdoor bonfires. Westhoff said Leslie is also planning to partner with the Ann Arbor Public Schools and local preschools to create programming for days that many children are asynchronous (remote schooling days) learning.
The Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum remains closed to the public but may also create more socially distanced programming hosted at Leslie or on-site. Westhoff told us that one of the benefits of working together is that joint programming can now bridge the gap between STEM subjects, like states of matter or environmental engineering, and nature programming, such as tree identification in Leslie’s Black Pond Woods and learning about the water cycle. Leslie currently has an outdoor tent on-site with indoor bathroom access and often has programs near the fire pits for warmth as the winter closes in. We hope that between all those options, you find a cool outing for your family among the many programs they’ve reimagined for kids this year.
You can learn more programs through the Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum at aahom.org or the programs at Leslie Science and Nature Center at lesliesnc.org.
It’s Not Really So Bad Being Home
I thought we would face challenge after challenge with the school year starting with remote school technical glitches and social isolation, but as fall has eased into colder weather this year, I saw my daughter ease into a new schedule that worked very well. She does PE at home, takes a remote art class we coordinated with a friend, and calls her friends on her laptop whenever she’s not in school. It’s nothing to complain about, given the circumstances. More than anything, I feel lucky to have a family to love, to be home and safe after a year of uncertainties, to have a kid who really only needs loving family, art supplies, and her dog. If you’re having a hard year, my heart goes out to you. I hope that some of these remote and outdoor programs will offer your family a renewed sense of connection with the community, and I’m glad the options are so diverse. I truly am impressed with the number of programs put together literally overnight by community programs in Ann Arbor with kids’ safety, education, and comfort as the highest priorities. It’s what makes Ann Arbor still feel like home, even on Zoom.
Laura K. Cowan is a tech and wellness journalist and the Kids in the Community columnist for the Crazy Wisdom Community Journal. She also writes the Healers of Ann Arbor column. She is executive editor of Ann Arbor tech blog Cronicle Press at www.cronicle.press.
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