Palos Verdes Librarians To Host Kids Virtual After School Program

RANCHO PALOS VERDES, CA — It's been months of quarantine and now there are a few ways for kids to continue connecting and having fun—virtually.

Palos Verdes Library District is hosting a virtual program for kids featuring fun activities that kids can do safely at home.

Kids in kindergarten through fifth grade are invited to join librarians for creative crafts, silly science projects and after school snack inspiration.

Like all people, children are experiencing unique challenges to mental health in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

Health experts believe children could be facing new health problems with distance learning, including online bullying, discrimination or economic stressors going on at home.

It's not an easy time to be learning from home, said Archana Basu, research scientist in the Department of Epidemiology at Harvard Chan School and a clinical psychologist and instructor in the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School in an interview with Harvard Health.

"Right now, our physical safety as well as our social connectedness are being challenged," Basusaid. "We’ve been calling it home schooling, but the reality is that it’s crisis schooling at home."

Creating social connections can help children who might feel distressed or anxious under the new normal, living without school and a schedule they once had.

Community and connecting can happen both in and outside the virtual classroom.

"Building social connections among peers into the school day intentionally, and finding ways to sustain those connections through the school year, will be important," Basu said.

Check out PVLD’s calendar for upcoming events and how to sign up: bit.ly/347iLZs.

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