The wealth gap continues to increase as many people stop investing due to fear. If you are worried your children aren’t going to become investors, it’s best to start teaching kids to invest right away.
A Frugal Life: How to Drastically Cut Expenses and Improve Your Finances
COVID-19 pandemic is laying waste to the global economy.
Living paycheck-by-paycheck represents a grim reality for many. Others face even bigger woes, such as unemployment and overwhelming debt. These worrisome trends have launched a frugal way of living into the mainstream.
Free Online Games to Teach Kids about the Environment
If you’re a mom of kids under 12, you know that one of the best ways to teach kids so that they actually remember information is to play games. Games are fun, so kids are eager to play, not knowing (or caring) that they’re actually learning something. If you have science minded kids, there are many free online games to teach kids about the environment.
Free Online Games to Teach Kids about the Environment
There are so many games and so many ways you can teach kids about the environment!
Games for Ages 4 to 7
Even your little children can learn about the environment with these fun games.
Environmental Protection Agency
Choose one of three games for ages 4 to 7 to teach them about air pollution and what the various colors mean—green day, red day, etc.
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
There are many, many games on the Kids Environment Kids Health page from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. These games are for kids in 1st to 4th grade. The free online games to teach kids about the environment include:
Climates of the World
Kids match children in a variety of clothes with the climate and country that they live in.
Matching Game
In one of the matching games, kids can match bird songs with the birds that make them.
Do check this site out as there is so much here young kids would like include many different games, jokes, riddles, and songs.
Energy Star
Calling all Dr. Seuss fans! The Energy Star website has a fun game called Join the Lorax. Games include coloring the Lorax characters, completing a word search, and a picture search for energy efficient items.
Games for Ages 8 to 12
SciJinks
The SciJinks site has many different games for kids from grades 3 to 7. This site has 23 games including a hurricane simulator and a tornado simulator (kids will probably enjoy seeing the flying cow spinning around when the tornado hits). Game topics include:
- Weather,
- Hurricanes and Storms,
- Clouds, Water, and Ice,
- Tides and Oceans,
- Atmosphere,
- Seasons,
- Satellites and Technology,
- Space Weather
EPA
For those who prefer more scholarly free games to teach kids about the environment, the EPA has an ozone science crossword puzzle. This puzzle would be perfect for 5th to 7th graders. There are 17 clues and 17 answers to choose from.
Energy Kids
The U.S. Energy Information Administration has all sorts of activities for kids on the part of their website called Energy Kids.
They have fun energy-related riddles such as, “How do energy-conscious people feel about wind power? Answer—they’re blown away.” When my son was in 3rd grade, he would have loved riddles like this.
They also have energy slang terms as well as puzzles (Sudoko, slider puzzles, crosswords and word searches).
For students who love participating in science fairs, the site has science fair experiment ideas for all ages, K-12.
Lastly, the site has suggestions for energy-based field trips as well as a brief description of each site.
NASA Science
For your kids in grades 6-9, Nasa Science has a game to teach your kids about energy flow called Go with the Flow. Kids get to experiment with how salt and heat affect the weather and the water currents.
If your child is interested in learning about space weather, there is also a game for that on the site called Shields Up!
Smithsonian Science Education Center
If you want to teach your kids about the environment, the Smithsonian Science Education Center site has games for kids in grades 3 to 6.
In the game Habitats, children are given a picture of a habitat (habitats range from desert, coral reef, jungle and marsh.) They then can choose from images of three animals to decide what animal belongs in that particular habitat.
Similarly, they also have a game, Home on the Range, that corresponds with 2nd grade learning standards. Kids try to find animals and plants that exist in certain habitats around the United States. If they don’t know the answer, they can click on each animal or plant that is a possible answer and read more about that particular one.
Smokey for Kids
Teach your kids about the dangers of wild fires with the Smokey for Kids site. Not only do kids learn how to prevent wildfires, but they also can play games to reinforce what they learn. Kids might find it especially fun to play the Storymaker Game. They first fill out quite a bit of information personalized to them, and then a story is created using that information.
Water Sense
In the Water Sense game, created by the EPA, lead the water drop through a maze, being careful to avoid water wasters. This game is great for late elementary and early middle school students.
Smithsonian’s National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute
In the Migration Game, students answer questions about migration. Each question that they answer correctly gets Wanda the Wood Thrush closer to her summer home in Maryland from her winter home in Costa Rica.
Sample multiple choice questions include, “When do Wood Thrushes fly when they are migrating?” and “How long does it take a Wood Thrush to migrate from Costa Rica to Maryland?”
Recycle City
Another site created by the EPA, Recycle City offers two activities for kids. First, there is the Recycle City Challenge, where kids can answer questions about actions people can take to reduce waste and energy use. They can earn points and jump on the leader board.
They can also play the Dumptown Game. The player is in charge of Dumptown and must start programs to reduce waste and encourage recycling. Players will be able to see the financial differences based on the programs they implement.
Final Thoughts
Most kids love playing games, all the better if they’re electronic games. Why not use these free online games to teach kids about the environment to both entertain and educate your children? I’m guessing your kids, if they’re like mine, would be happy to try out these games and learn new jokes and riddles to add to their repertoire.
Melissa is a writer and virtual assistant. She earned her Master’s from Southern Illinois University, and her Bachelor’s in English from the University of Michigan. When she’s not working, you can find her homeschooling her kids, reading a good book, or cooking. She resides in Arizona where she dislikes the summer heat but loves the natural beauty of the area.
What is the Average Cost of In-Home Care for Senior Citizens?
Do you have an elderly loved one who’s no longer able to completely provide for themselves? Do you hate the idea of banishing that person to an old folks’ home or retirement home?
If so, then you need to consider in-home care options. In-home care can be far superior to care in an old folks’ home for several reasons. The cost of in-home care, however, can also be significant.
8 Household Uses For Polyvinyl Alcohol Solution
Did you know that Polyvinyl alcohol or PVA is a great product to have in your house?
It’s a synthetic, water-soluble, odorless, and colorless polymer that has many uses in our households. This article goes over some of the most common practical uses for polyvinyl alcohol solution.
Let’s take a look!
Should Your Child Go to College This Year?
A year ago, most college seniors first decided if they wanted to go to college or not. If they did, they applied, and sometime in the spring received their acceptance letters and then chose what college they were going to attend. In the fall, they attended that college. In the age of coronavirus, that decision is no longer simple. If you’re a parent of a graduating high school senior, you’re faced with tough choices. Should your child go to college this year, or attend a community college instead, or just take a gap year?
The Case for Not Going to a University
If you want to be safe, the obvious choice is to take a gap year or plan to attend the community college.
This spring when cases of COVID-19 started appearing, universities shut down and closed the dormitories. There is a good chance that cases of COVID-19 will continue to increase. How will universities handle that? The trouble is that no university has specified their plan.
For many people, containing the uncertainty is a better option. These people will have their children enroll in the local community college and live at home. Others take a different route and are having their children take a gap year and start college not in the 20-21 school year, but in the 21-22 school year. By then, they figure things will have settled back down to normal either through herd immunity or a vaccine.
Besides mitigating uncertainty, another reason to wait on going to a university is because attending college far from home is expensive. Some students and their parents take out tens of thousands of dollars in student loans or make financial sacrifices to pay for university. Do they really want to pay all of this money for online classes? Then answer is no, which is why they’re opting out of university this year.
The Case for Going to a University
None of us have a crystal ball. Maybe this pandemic will be gone in the fall. Maybe colleges won’t be impacted. Some people are betting on that, or that if their kids do get the virus, they won’t be that sick. Others don’t want to put their education on hold for a variety of reasons.
My friend’s daughter plans to move 12 hours from home to attend university this year. So far, the college plans to open in person, though she did receive a note that the semester would end early—at Thanksgiving break.
Likewise, my nephew, who got into a prestigious school in Japan, opted to start university this year. So far, his classes have been all online and he’s sheltering in place in his dorm room. This isn’t an optimal way to start a university career, but for him, academics are more important than socialization.
Final Thoughts
Should your child go to college this year? Unfortunately, that’s a tough question to answer because so much remains unknown. Luckily, I only have a rising high school junior, so we don’t have to make such tough decisions. If we did, I think I would encourage him to stay closer to home because life as we used to know it doesn’t seem to be coming back anytime soon.
Melissa is a writer and virtual assistant. She earned her Master’s from Southern Illinois University, and her Bachelor’s in English from the University of Michigan. When she’s not working, you can find her homeschooling her kids, reading a good book, or cooking. She resides in Arizona where she dislikes the summer heat but loves the natural beauty of the area.
5 Awesome Deal Tracker Websites That Can Save You Money
When shopping around on the internet, we always look for the best deals because we want to save money.
Online shopping continues to dominate our lives but we want to make sure it does not bankrupt us!
So where do we go to find the best deals and coupons?
How to Work from Home When the Kids Are Home
Working from home can be difficult for some people. It’s easy to get distracted and make a phone call or do the laundry instead of working. However, if you have a situation like we have now where kids are home from school every day all day, working can seem impossible. Luckily, you can learn how to work from home when the kids are home. Doing so might not be your favorite way to work, but for now, you can get done what you need to get done.
How to Work from Home When the Kids Are Home
There are several strategies you can use to try to get work done when the kids are home.
Work Early in the Morning or Late at Night
I work from home part-time, and my favorite time to get work done is early in the morning. My kids generally wake up by 6:30 a.m., so I get up at 4 a.m. and work for two hours (after allotting myself 30 minutes to wake up!). Night owls may prefer to do the reverse and work late at night. The nice part of working early for me is that there are very few distractions, so I get a lot done during that time.
Hire Your Teen
If you have a teenager at home, you may ask if the teen would be willing to watch the younger kids while you work. If you could pay the teen, that would be extra incentive, but if not, just find a way to reward your teen for helping such as treating them to a movie or letting them use the car for a special event.
Give Your Kids Your Time First
You may feel like you need to get to your work right away, but that isn’t always the best decision. Often, if you give your kids your time before you begin to work, they’re happy to let you work uninterrupted afterwards. That’s because you’ve filled them up emotionally, and then they can play on their own. If you don’t spend the time doing this, they may pester you because they want your attention.
Utilize Down Time
While you’re probably spending part of your day making sure your kids are doing their school work, there are also times of the day when they are otherwise occupied. This might be when they’re playing outdoors, on a Zoom meeting for school or tutoring, or watching TV. Use that time to do your work. I save lighter work that doesn’t require as much concentration for these times. Then it doesn’t matter as much if I get interrupted.
Trade Off With Your Spouse
If you have another adult at home, trade off watching the kids. My husband is also working from home right now, so he works his traditional 8 to 5 hours during the weekdays. I let him work and don’t interrupt him or let the kids interrupt him. Then, on the weekends, he gives me time to work and complete anything I couldn’t finish in the early mornings.
Final Thoughts
Learning how to work from home when the kids are home is definitely a learning process. However, it can be done. As you adapt to this new situation, you will likely find working from home gets easier.
Melissa is a writer and virtual assistant. She earned her Master’s from Southern Illinois University, and her Bachelor’s in English from the University of Michigan. When she’s not working, you can find her homeschooling her kids, reading a good book, or cooking. She resides in Arizona where she dislikes the summer heat but loves the natural beauty of the area.
How to Unlock a Magnetic Cabinet Lock Like a Pro
Did you install a magnetic cabinet lock, hoping to protect your stuff from children? But then, did you lose the magnet key?
It happens! These types of cabinet locks are great for preventing easy access to dangerous items such as cleaning supplies or medications. Unlocking it without a key, however, can be tricky.
Self-Isolation Into Family Bonding: 5 Awesome Activities for Bored Boys
It’s every parent’s worst nightmare – stuck at home with nothing to entertain the kids.
The good news is, there’s so much more to do with young boys beyond screen time and computers. Encourage them to create, think, and play, all by using common materials already around your home.
3 Things to Consider Before Adding Saltwater Invertebrates to Your Reef Tank
If you’ve ever gazed at a fish tank, you probably already know how relaxed it can make you feel.
But this isn’t just a feeling. Aquariums are scientifically proven to boost your mood, reduce your heart rate, and lower your blood pressure.
Free Apps That Help Kids Manage Their Pocket Money
When we give our kids an allowance, we are giving them their first experience with money. An allowance allows them to make money mistakes (and hopefully learn from them). But it also gives them the chance to save for their goals and buy something for themselves only after having the discipline to save. However, kids don’t learn to be smart savers instantly, though a lucky few seem to right from the start! We, as parents, have to teach them. Another fun way to enhance this learning is by using free apps that help kids manage their pocket money.
Free Aps That Help Kids Manage Their Pocket Money
PiggyBot
This app allows parents and kids to track the children’s allowance virtually. Rather than hand your kids $10 for allowance, parents deposit the allowance virtually into PiggyBot.
The app lets parents deposit the money into three different accounts—spend, share, and save. Children can come into the app and set goals for what they want to buy with their money. When they reach their savings goal, the child can ask mom or dad for the money to buy the item. The parent simply deducts the money from the app to match the fact that money has been dispersed.
This is a simple app, which is available for free and works on an iPad, iPod Touch, or an iPhone.
bankaroo
bankaroo was created by a high schooler for kids to learn to manage their money. While many families use it at home, it’s also used in some school districts to teach kids money management skills.
bankaroo is free and can be used online. It can also be used as an app for iOS, Android, and Kindle phones and tablets. For $4.99 a month, you can upgrade to bankaroo GOLD, which will allow you to add interest to savings as well as transfer money electronically between family members.
I don’t have much cash on hand since we’re not going out right now due to the virus. Instead, I’ve been keeping track of what I owe my kids through bankaroo. It’s easy for me to manage, and my kids are enjoying the app. They can see their money grow there, even if they don’t have the cash on hand as they’re used to.
Allowance and Chore Bot
This app is free if you just need to enter information for one child. If you have more than one child, you’ll need to buy the $2.99 version, which supports multiple children.
As a chore app, you can give your child daily or weekly chores to complete and mark in the app.
As an allowance app, you can choose two versions. Either you pay your child weekly with the money not linked to chores, or you pay based on the chores that are completed.
Children can easily look at the app and see how much money they have accrued, what they’ve spent and on what. They can also compute how much they’ll make in the future based on their current allowance.
This app is good for all ages and is available on Android and iOS.
Star Banks Adventure
Star Banks Adventure app is the product of T. Rowe Price and is available for free. This app is best for ages 9+ and is designed for the iPhone and iPad.
This app presents kids with a game where they have to draw lines through matching shapes and colors. When they do that, they’re rewarded with virtual money to buy the things that they need. Through the app, they learn about money management and the banking industry.
ChoreMonster
Do you have trouble getting your kids to do their chores without procrastinating and complaining? If so, the ChoreMonster app may change that. Designed for kids ages 4 to 12, the ChoreMonster app is available on the Web, Android, iOS, and Kindle.
Parents can use the app to assign their children chores, give a weight to the chore such as earning 10 points, and then specifying what children can “buy” with their points. Rewards can be 30 extra minutes watching a TV show or getting an ice cream cone.
While this app does not specifically teach children about money, it does teach them the correlation between working hard for things that they want.
App for Less than $6
While most free apps should do just fine with teaching your kids about money and helping them manage their allowance, if you have $6 to spend, there are some apps that are popular and educational.
Savings Spree
This app is $5.99 and for iPhone, iPod Touch, or iPad. Perfect for kids ages 7 and up, kids will likely enjoy this app so much they won’t realize they’re also learning.
Savings Spree is designed like a game show, and kids must answer questions. They learn about using money wisely and long-term savings goals.
App for Less than $6 a Month
Most of the apps mentioned above are for kids 12 and under. What if you want to teach your teen about real-life money management? Suddenly the stakes get much higher. Of course, if you just give him cash, he can’t spend more than he has, but what if you want to teach him how to manage in our high-tech financial world?
FamZoo Family Finance
This is not one of our free apps that help kids manage their pocket money. In fact, this app is $5.99 a month unless you pay for 24 months in advance. In that case, the app is $2.50 a month.
Despite the price, this app is worth mentioning because it’s for kids 13+, and it’s not an app that teaches virtual lessons. Rather, the parents put money in the child’s account in FamZoo Family Finance, and the child is issued a card that links to the app. Parents can see their child’s spending and offer advice. The app also tracks chores and odd jobs and teaches teens about preventing credit card debt.
Final Thoughts
If you’d like to teach your child in a fun way, there are plenty of free apps that help kids manage their pocket money. There are also a few that aren’t free but you may find worth the price. No matter what apps you chose, teaching kids about finances with apps is fun and will hopefully set them up for a more financially savvy future.
Melissa is a writer and virtual assistant. She earned her Master’s from Southern Illinois University, and her Bachelor’s in English from the University of Michigan. When she’s not working, you can find her homeschooling her kids, reading a good book, or cooking. She resides in Arizona where she dislikes the summer heat but loves the natural beauty of the area.
