Resources During Our Current “Normal” – Covid-19
One month down…an uncertain number of days to go! After another extention of the stay-at-home order today from Govenor Witmer and schools are out for the rest of the year, what’s next and how can we be diligent to protect and support for our families during Covid-19?
Although there are so many unknowns and rapid changes are occurring daily, our team is hard at work to prepare, connect, and provide helpful resources, as well as communicate with high reverence, “we are in this together!”
This is why below you’ll find family & community resources, homeschool/educational tools, food and lunch offerings, childcare, telemedicine resources plus things to do at home and non-germy fun options.
This Article Will Continue to Update
If you have links, updates, and information to add to this list, please comment below. Together we can communicate to help and inform our communities.
Thank you in advance for your help and support!
Family + Community Resources
Family Resources
With so many feeds, posts, and places to gather information it can be hard to know which ones will truly be helpful. Some we may not know even exist.
If you have sources you love and ways to help our community stay informed please comment below so we can continue to bulk up this list for each other.
Where to Buy Local Meat, Produce, and more
Find local area farms providing items like meat, dairy, popcorn, fresh produce, bread and more.
Working from Home
This is our wheelhouse! These tips can help you work remotely.
Explaining Coronavirus
A Helpful way to explain Coronavirus to our kids.
How Moms Can Take Care of Themselves During Stay-at-Home-Orders
Momma, you need to take care of yourSELF during this shutdown.
How to Celebrate Birthdays and Celebrations During the Shutdown
What you can do when birthdays drastically change during the Coronavirus.
A Michigan Doctor Teaches How to Bring Groceries Into Your Home
Pretend the germs are glitter and you don’t want any in your home.
Grocery Hours & Strategies – Includes list for Expecting Moms
Grocery Shopping Hours for Stores across Mid-Michigan, including delivery and pick-up options.
23 At-Home Date Night Ideas for Lansing Parents
Planning a date night may be the last thing you feel like doing right now but the reward of connecting with another adult is so worth it.
How to Tell if Your Kid is Suffering from Anxiety / Depression – and how to Help
Millions of American children suffer from mental health challenges. There’s a good change it’s your kid too, especially during this time.
Community Resources
Michigan.gov
Helpful links and Q&A for families, childcare providers, teachers, and more.
Lansing WKAR
FREE WIFI access
Spectrum and Comcast for students.
Hospitals
Here’s what McLaren and Sparrow are sharing.
Ingham County Health Department
If you have questions or concerns about coronavirus call 517 – 887 – 4517 or visit this link.
Local News Sources
Homeschool Resources // Educational Resources
Homeschool/Education Resources
Homeschool it is! We’re officially at this for the rest of the year of at-home-learning and I’m so thankful to say that some of our team are teachers and educators. I’m gleaning from them and we’re passing these great at-home learning options along.
If you have ideas or are already homeschooling, we’d love your helpful tips, please comment below!
School Just Moved Online for the rest of the Year.
Use these tips from a mom who’s been there.
Helpful Sites
Khan Academy a free education platform.
Education Companies offering free subscriptions.
Go Noodle for free educational and active games.
Capital Area District Libraries offer digital or streaming options.
PBSkids.org offer digital or streaming options.
10 FREE learning websites from BSC Teacher Education.
Learn sign language with DPAN.TV’s (The Sign Language Channel) Wee Kids and Hands Land on Amazon.
Language: Is your child in one of the immersion schools or interested in learning another language? Duolingo is a FREE educational source.
Free Printable Math worksheets by Sylvan Learning.
Study for the ACT and the SAT with The Olive Book.
Scholastic is offering fun learning challenges.
Lunches // Food for Kids in Need
Food/Lunches for Kids in Need
As our city’s kids are home until April many will be in need of lunches and meals. Lansing is amazing and we have many options for this in our area. As more and more options pour in we’ll continue to update this list.
If you know of a place that’s offering food for families please comment below.
Lansing Catholic Central offering free meals for any school-age student beginning March 16.
Lansing School District partnered with many local organizations such as YMCA and SodexoMAGIC providing 20 grab-n-go food locations around Lansing.
Charlotte Public Schools is offering a grab-n-go lunch service for ages up to 18 with NO student ID required.
DeWitt Public Schools will be distributing food at churches and pantries.
East Lansing School District is offering free meals to all students up to 18 years old.
Holt Public Schools will be deploying their mobile food bus on a regular basis.
Lansing and Ingham County Food Banks and pantries.
St. Johns Public Schools is offering a free meal schedule to all kids up to 18.
Waverly Community School’s free meal availability.
The Bread House is providing prepackaged lunches from 11 am – 1 pm Monday – Friday.
Eastside Community Action Center is providing free lunch for all kids for the duration school closings. M-F 12 pm – 1:30 pm, 1001 Dakin Street Lansing, Michigan 48912
Evoke Productions and Everything is Cheesecake are teaming up to provide meals for Lansing families. Reach them by messaging on their FB page or email: evokeproductionsllc@gmail.com.
Fiddler’s on the Grand is offering FREE pick-up only breakfast for kids.
Raddish is giving away 10,000 kits for FREE. See their “delicious activities.”
Saddleback Barbeque is offering meal options for kids and donations.
Medical // Telemedicine Resources
Places you can get a Telemedicine Visit
It’s allergy season, other sicknesses are going around, and the coronavirus is in Michigan it will be so helpful for us parents to have a doctor readily available. For now we have one options listed but this list will be added to as the days and weeks go on.
If you know of a place offering telemedicine appointments please comment below.
Appointments
98.6 offers Telemedicine appointments.
Family Doc Direct in Okemos is serving the Greater Lansing Area and vicinities. You could reach them at 517-220-0603.
Things to Do With Kids
Things to do at Home With Kids
I’m sure you’ve probably been whipping out all of your arts and crafts, games, movie choices, books, and more. If you need some extra ideas, here are some awesome ways to get through these next months at home.
If you have ideas of things to do at home please comment below!
First, Do The 21-Day Challenge!
Every day for 21 days on the LFF Facebook and LFF Instagram pages we posted fun interactive videos from team members and other exciting people around Michigan. We had so much fun and the challenges truly brightened the days. If you haven’t done these yet, you can still join the fun! If you have and want to do any of them again, you can find all 21 of them here.
Game On! The Best Board Games for a Winning Family Game Night
Step aside movie night, family game night is back and ready to win!
Try These At-Home Activities
Free online family yoga through MSU MI Stronger Family.
Storytime: Follow along with CADL during CADLtales on youtube (special online storytime.) Also, download or stream titles for the entire family through their website.
Watch and hear stories read from actors with Storyline Online.
Do ‘Lunch Doodles’ with Mo Willems!
Join Daily FB Live art videos with McHarpor Manor.
Make art with these sweet painting tutorials.
Try these Indoor activities from BuzzFeed.
Take a Virtual Tour around 12 Famous Museums.
Take a Virtual Tour of national parks.
Make playdough with Martha Stewart’s homemade playdough tutorial.
Go on a nature scavenger hunt.
Have a bed time story read to you by Josh Gad.
Play board games without the board.
Try out some new recipes for baking and meals and have the kiddos help.
Follow along during the LIVE drawing with Ben Clanton in “Let’s Draw and Eat Waffles on March 20.”
Disney Plus is making Frozen 2 available starting March 15th.
Try a FREE art class with Raising Wonder.
Printable 101 at home activities from Hip2Save.
Lockdown diaries, journaling, time capsules and more fun from GRKIDS.
Non-germy Out-of-the-House Fun With Kids
We are limited in where we can or want to go during this time but thankfully it’s starting to get warmer and nicer out each day. This means getting outdoors is an option and Lansing has a few places that are safe to do this.
If you have ideas and places that are non-germy please comment below!
But First, Where Will you pee?
Before you head out for a walk or hike, read this.
Go Disk Golfing:
Lansing has tons of disk golf courses and a perfect way to get out on an adventure with your family while social distancing.
Walk or Hike:
Lansing area Trails and Paths
Meridian Township Trails
Nature Center’s Trails
Go on a bike ride through the above trails or in your neighborhood.
Go on a walk in your neighborhood or around your own backyard.
Childcare Resources // Ideas
Childcare Resources/Information
We are working to find more solutions available in the Lansing area. If you have leads or information on childcare please leave a comment below.
CrossPointe Kids in the Perry school district has 20 open spots each day for the next three weeks.
Ways Your Family Can Help Locally // Give
Ways Your Family Can Help
Asside from the health department’s helpful tips such as staying home when you’re sick and washing hands, please comment below with your tips and ways families can help during this time.
The Red Cross is asking the healthy people give blood through this time.
Eastside Community Action Center is providing free lunch for all kids for the duration of school closings and is taking donations.
Sparrow Community Hospital Collection and Drop-Off Sites
Questions: Andrew.Cooper@sparrow.org, Kim.Fewins@sparrow.org or Barbara.Knox-Balderson@sparrow.org, 517.253.6144, or visit their site.
Old Eastern High School 10 am to 4 pm, Monday – Friday, at the northwestern entrance, 220 N. Pennsylvania Ave, Lansing.
Sparrow Carson: 10 am to 4 pm, Monday – Friday, southeast side of the building by the loading dock (East Maple Street and South Fourth Street).
Sparrow Clinton: 10 am to 3 pm, Monday – Friday, Drop at receiving cock on the east side of the Hospital.
Sparrow Eaton: 4pm – 7 pm, Monday – Friday, located at AL!VE, 800 W. Lawrence Ave., Charlotte at the main entrance.
Sparrow Ionia: 10 am to 3 pm, Monday – Friday, at the Orthopedic/Rehabilitation location, 537 W. Main Street, Ionia.
We’re Going to Get Through This – Together!
Wow, Lansing! What a crazy whilrwind we’re in! I’m so thankful our community is not only known for how caring, friendly, and our let’s-get-to-it attitudes, but it’s actually true!
Thank you for helping our community by sharing your ideas, resources, and support!
We’re going to get through this – together!
Duolingo is a free educationsl resource. It’s helpful for the older student to keep on track with a language course. I can also give a “thums up” for Khan Acadamy. Love it!
Kellie! Thank you this is wonderful. It’s been added to the home-schooling section. You rock!
Kyra Kare ND is an a women duo owned practice who offers telemedicine appointments! incredible! We love Dr. Preston, been using her for almost 2 years. The best! https://kyrakarehealth.com/
Hello! All of the Sparrow Medical Group offices are offering telemedicine visits – phone or video!