Kids love to help, and that's especially true now, as they see and hear stories about coronavirus affecting neighbors, friends, and strangers around the world. Sending inspiring messages, making homemade masks, and gathering important supplies can make children and teens feel more connected, and even spark joy during these dark times. "Children have an intrinsic need to help others, and get true enjoyment from getting involved 'just like' mom and dad," says Alyssa Schlehuber, LCSW, a social worker who counsels patients and families at Boston Children's Hospital.

From planning virtual Easter egg hunts to organizing a food drive, we've collected 20 ways that kids and teens can serve their communities during the coronavirus pandemic. Our Coronavirus Parents' Guide has hundreds more ideas for keeping kids busy and happy at home.

Note: NYC schools are doing remote learning for the rest of the 2019-2020 school year due to COVID-19. We have updates on NYC school news and other impacts on NYC families and educational resources and activities while at home with kids. 

If you've got a child in public school, you live by the school calendar. Many local NYC preschools follow the public school schedule, too. The New York City Department of Education's calendar for the 2019-2020 school year is below, and you'll want to bookmark it now for reference—and to help with planning family vacations and school break camp coverage. 

As a surprise (and welcome) early holiday present, the Department of Education announced on September 24 that schools will also be closed on Monday, December 23. The previously released version of NYC's school year calendar originally had kids and teachers showing up for a one-day school week on the Monday before Christmas...but happily, that day is now scratched from the official calendar.

With the exception of the occasional unplanned snow day or case of the sniffles, these are all of the dates you can count on your kiddos being out of school during the 2019-2020 school year.

Keeping a toddler occupied and happy day after day is no small feat! Children in this age group rarely stay engaged in one activity for long. But give them pots and pans to bang on, water to splash in, or music to dance to, and, as any parent of a 1 or 2 year old will tell you, toddlers are at their happiest.

So, we've put together a list of toddler activities that will encourage little ones to create, move, learn, and have fun.

For more ideas on how to help kids of all ages have fun playing indoors, check out our At-Home Activities Guide for Parents. Don't be surprised if any of your toddler's older siblings want to join in on the activities below. These ideas are fun for a range of age groups. For ideas to keep your baby occupied, read our 12 Easy DIY Sensory Activities for Babies.

For those of us who are not good at math, we need a little help. I was a straight-C math student all my life. But, if I'd had all the help​ that kids have today? My math story might have turned out a little better! 

Do you know how to teach Common Core math? I sure don't. So I've rounded up fifteen apps that we think will help the kids best learn math and figure out that math homework without making you tear out your hair.

For more math and science fun through hands-on experiments, check out our Guide to Science Experiments for Kids and Fun STEM Activities.

The long-awaited Legoland New York Resort is the latest casualty of the coronavirus pandemic. The resort, located in Goshen, New York, 60 miles north of New York City, announced Tuesday its opening date has been delayed to summer 2021. It was previously scheduled to open on July 4, 2020. An exact date has yet to be announced, but for now, consider all those plans to peruse Miniland or meet Master Builders to be on hold.

The resort said its decision came after consultation with the CDC.

In the long weeks of summer, encourage your children's invention, curious nature so they don't begin conducting experiments in your house. STEM, science and tech summer camps work both sides of your kid's brains, and there are lots of options around Houston

Below you'll find a plethora of camps around Houston that encourage children to think outside the box, foster a love of the sciences and keep boredom at bay, all while presenting educational information in an entertaining way. And for more summer and vacation camp ideas, check out our comprehensive camp guide and full directory of camp listings.

Note that camp openings and closures are changing frequently in the 2020 season; click through to the camp website for the most current information.

With summer just a few short months away, it's time to figure out where the kids will go to camp. Depending on their interests, there's STEM camps, theater camps, arts camps, and sports camps. Read on for a list of the favorite sports camps in and around the Philadelphia area, and check out our summer camp guide for more inspiration.

Whether working from home or just dealing with housebound life during coronavirus, most parents could use break from their kids right about now. (Psst...they could use a break from you, too.) Yet, parents are justifiably uneasy about having sitters or even grandparents over right now. Enter Hearts over Hands, a new virtual sitting service that pairs families with student volunteers from New York City's Columbia University.

The college students will play games, conduct art projects, chat and provide homeschool help and tutoring with kids ages 7 and up—all online and for FREE.

Read on to find out more about Hearts over Hands, available now on our newly launched Poppins@Home website, which offers additional virtual classes for kids, enrichment, birthday entertainers, and more programming for kids.