Equip for Kids
Age-Based Media Reviews for Families
Free. A website of curated media offerings for children from a variety of creators, with a keen eye for social-emotional learning contexts. Covers recommendations of movies, TV, apps, games and books. Also offers substantial readable guidance for parents on managing the media use and media literacy of their children, which differs with the child’s age. Has a coronavirus section. English and Spanish.
Committee for Children – Second Step
Free. Second Step is schools curriculum created by Committee for Children which has been popular among SEL-oriented schools for many years. Families (and educators) can now access Second Step Emotional Management lessons for early learners and Grades K–5 as their response to home confinement. Videos and Lesson Guides feature Committee for Children experienced teachers and counselors. Will soon launch an SEL training for adults (see https://www.secondstepsela.org/).
Cosmic Kids
Free and paid. A playfully presented collection of videos (“3 Little Pigs Yoga,” as one example) guiding yoga sessions for kids, along with yoga games, mindfulness for kids videos, and readable parent guidance. There is an app available containing much of their offerings. The parenting section provides helpful blogs covering home teaching of gratitude, compassion, positivity and relaxation.
How to use the Khan Academy Kids app
Free. Famous for its easy to grasp and often playful ways of teaching core subjects and inspiring interest in other learning, both in schools and at home. Khan Academy also embeds social emotional learning in its daily class structure and has a section of its free app for home use devoted to the subject. Dominantly ages 2 to 7. Available in many languages, including English and Spanish.
Child Development to Create Confident Kids
Free mostly, with $3 fee for some learning access. Primarily an after-school and teacher-development curriculum serving low-income students in four Southern cities for 24 years and now in expansion mode. Has now created a resource base for parents drawing on its long experience and successes with social emotional learning and behavioral tools. Offers several videos, books, art, activities along with “table-talk guidance” for grades K-2 and 3-5.
Emotional ABCs: America’s Most Awarded SEL Program
Free videos for parents and curriculum teaching basic emotional life skills for ages 4 to 11 in fun and clever gaming ways. Builds skills in a step-by-step process with short videos and engaging interactive activities. Students earn online games, cards, and prizes as they advance. Coordinated printables, cards, and certificates allow for offline activities. Mostly used by schools but now parents have free access.
Kreative Leadership
Free. One of the more delightful and useful collection of mostly short animated videos for toddlers through K-5. Covers several SEL areas including emotions and emotional intelligence, communications and listening skills along with such topics as critical thinking, bullying and screen addiction. Plus offers some fun interactive games.
Sesame Street – PBS LearningMedia
Do you know how to get to Sesame Street? This collection is designed to engage preschoolers in everyday learning by teaching core skills in Math, Literacy, STEM, and Social and Emotional Development. Here you'll find hundreds of videos, games, and printable materials to help you to excite even the youngest learners. Plus, check out more from Sesame Street, including cross-platform educational games spanning wide-ranging curricular topics and STEM educator guides - just browse through this collection page!
True Connection
Free for your first 30 days. A program for 7-12 year-olds adopted in a number of schools and chapters of Boys and Girls Club, among others. Elements that work at home are now available for families. The umbrella subject matters, “Overcoming Fear” and “Love in Action,” cover a lot of SEL territory with videos, print materials and art guidance. Also offer an adult section with videos covering emotional triggers and what they call “7 Levels of Energy,” plus a 5-minute mediation and a 5-minute breathing exercise to relieve stress.
Zip Zap Zop Enrichment
Asks for donations. Unique in that its core offering are improv games embedded with emotional intelligence and social skills learning. Offers live sessions as well as many video examples of games parents can play with kids or show children how to play. Strong also for Autism kids. Now mounting Zoom half-hour classes Mondays through Saturdays for kids 7-13.
Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning (family)
Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning (parents)
Parent Resources, Tips, and Advice
For Ages 2 to 8. A treasure trove of games, TV shows, apps, activities and coloring books. In four umbrella categories: Emotions & Self-Awareness, Social Skills, Character, and Literacy. Collectively, these include most subsets of emotional and relationship intelligence familiar to teachers of social-emotional curriculum and play.