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Minnesota parents and students received something of an unexpected spring break this week, except this one isn’t any fun.

Gov. Tim Walz’s ordered that all schools 

, at least, in an attempt to stop the spread of COVID-19, the highly contagious disease caused by the novel coronavirus. The move leaves more than 850,000 Minnesota students out of the classroom and more than 135,000 school employees out of work.

See more tips on MPR News' Facebook group

Ways Minnesotans can help others during pandemic

For parents, there were immediate questions regarding how to keep students learning despite the classroom hiatus. Several parents pitched questions and ideas for keeping kids learning amid the coronavirus outbreak. The parents offered their insights in MPR News’ parenting Facebook group, 

Here are some ideas from the MPR News audience and elsewhere to continue learning from home.

Of course, reading to kids the old-fashioned way works great. But if work or working from home gets in the way, parents can outsource story time to the internet. Storyline has 

 of storytelling pros reading new and classic tales. Scholastic has

 for students of all ages, organized by grade level. The 

International Children’s Digital Library

 has kids’ books in multiple languages.

Concerts, lectures, worship services and more are moving online for safety’s sake. 

, a new Facebook group, has popped up as a place for people to share virtual events. 

 It’s a science podcast for kids made by MPR News’ colleagues at American Public Media. They’ve produced a timely 

, a Vermont Public Radio podcast where kids ask questions and journalists find answers.

Maintaining some sense of normality can be important in a time of crisis, especially for kids. Khan Academy has posted a 

, for example, is a website full of educational games for many subjects.

Visit the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra’s 

 for recordings of classic, stimulating pieces. Visit Google’s 

 website to take tours of famous museums and locales.

with music playlists and illustrated children's story time videos.

Despite the intentional isolation and social distancing being called for across the state and nation to stave off the spread of the virus, nobody is alone in this outbreak. 

Parents across the world are sharing resources for how to weather school closures. Take this Google Sheet full of 

 of educational websites that’s far more extensive than this article can be.

 to share your ideas and continue the discussion with others raising kids in Minnesota.

Cody Nelson

Author

Here are some ideas from the MPR News audience and elsewhere for kids to continue learning, but from home, amid school closures during the coronavirus outbreak. 

An empty classroom at Saint Mark's Catholic School.

How to keep kids learning as Minnesota schools remain closed during coronavirus outbreak

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