Born on this day!! Actress Lee Meriwether is 85. Musician Ramsey Lewis is 85. Actor Louis Gossett Jr. is 84. Actor Bruce Weitz is 77. Singer Bruce Cockburn is 75. Jazz singer Dee Dee Bridgewater is 70. Actor Richard Schiff (“The Good Doctor,” “The West Wing”) is 65. Singer Siouxsie Sioux of Siouxsie and the Banshees is 63. Singer-guitarist Neil Finn of Crowded House and Split Enz is 62. Actress Peri Gilpin (“Frasier”) is 59. Actress Cathy Silvers (“Happy Days”) is 59. Comedian Adam Carolla is 56. Actor Todd Bridges (“Diff’rent Strokes”) is 55. Drummer Sean Kinney of Alice In Chains is 54. Actor Dondre’ Whitfield (“Queen Sugar”) is 51. Actor Paul Bettany (“The Da Vinci Code,” ″A Beautiful Mind”) is 49. Singer-guitarist Brian Desveaux of Nine Days is 49. Actor Jack McBrayer (“30 Rock”) is 47. Rapper Andre 3000 of Outkast is 45. Rapper Jadakiss is 45. TV chef Jamie Oliver is 45. Actor Ben Feldman (“Mad Men”) is 40. Actor Darin Brooks (“The Bold and the Beautiful”) is 36. Actor Chris Colfer (“Glee”) is 30. Actor Ethan Dampf (“American Dreams”) is 26. Actress Desiree Ross (“Greenleaf”) is 21.

THIS DAY IN GENIUS HISTORY

1996 – After a year and a half of bloodshed, Russian President Boris Yeltsin met with the leader of the Chechen rebels and negotiated a cease-fire.
1647 – The first recorded execution of a witch reportedly took place in Massachusetts when Achsah Young was hanged.
1703 – St. Petersburg was founded by Czar Peter the Great.
1936 – The Queen Mary left England on its maiden voyage, arriving in France four hours later.
1937 – Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco opened.
1941 – British ships sank the German battleship Bismarck off the coast of France, resulting in the loss of 2,300 lives.
1994 – Nobel-prize winning dissident, Alexandr Solzhenitsyn returned to Russia after 20 years in exile.
1999 – Slobodan Milosevic was indicted by the International War Crimes Tribunal at the Hague for crimes against humanity.

Today Is: Cellophane Tape Day, Joe Cool Day, National Senior Health & Fitness Day, World Orienteering Day, World Otter Day

TODAY ON TV!
Primetime TV (All Times Eastern)

CBS – 8:00 –  Game On  /  9:00 – SEAL Team  /  10:00 – SWAT
NBC – 8:00  – Chicago Med  /  9:00 – Chicago Fire  /  10:00 – Chicago PD
ABC – 8:00 –  Thor: The Dark World  /  10:00 – Agents Of SHIELD
FOX – 8:00 – MasterChef  /  9:00 – Ultimate Tag
CW – 8:00 –  The 100 /  9:00 – Bulletproof

TV Talk Shows

Jimmy Kimmel: Howie Mandel
Jimmy Fallon: “Tonight Show” Staff Favorites, including Jamie Foxx, Bruce Springsteen, Will Ferrell
Stephen Colbert: Anderson Cooper, Mark Foster (R 5/4/20)
Seth Meyers: Ice T, Paul Schrader, Ina Garten, Tucker Rule (R 2/6/19)
James Corden: Helen Hunt, Ron Funches, Dave East (R 11/18/19)
Lilly Singh: Lana Condor, Sofia Carson (R 2/24/20)
Daily Show: Pre-empted
Conan: Julia Louis-Dreyfus (R 4/16/20)
Watch What Happens Live: Pre-empted
The View: Zach Braff, Donald Faison
The Talk: Keegan-Michael Key, Venus Williams, Rob Gronkowski, guest co-host Irika Sargent
Live with Kelly and Ryan: Josh Gad, Monica Mangin
Ellen DeGeneres: James Corden
Wendy Williams: Jeremy Parsons, Mercedes Sanchez (R 10/18/19)
The Real: Kevin Hart, Kristen Bell
Kelly Clarkson: A new Message From Montana, repeat segments with Tim Allen, Alison Pill (R 3/19/20)
Tamron Hall: Erin & Ben Napier, Iyanla Vanzant, Michelle Hord

 

WHAT ARE YOU TALKIN’ ABOUT? Here are today’s PPM-Friendly Topics!

QUESTION: Tired of worrying about COVID-19, MURDER HORNETS and MEAT-EATING LIZARDS?? Then check out the starving, aggressive RATS!!!!!!!!

 

QUESTION: When your kids go back to school, will their TEACHERS be there?? New poll shows around 20% of teachers will NOT BE GOING BACK!!!!!!!!!

 

QUESTION: Is this “SAFE SEX?” Brothels offer to limit customers to only TWO POSITIONS in order to reopen with minimal risk of “spreading” CORONAVIRUS!!!!

 

QUESTION: How does JENNIFER LOPEZ feel about postponing her wedding to ALEX RODRIGUEZ?? She’s “a little heartbroken!” WAIT… only “A LITTLE?????”

 

QUESTION: Looking forward to Steve Carrel’s “SPACE FORCE” this Friday on NETFLIX?? Well… the reviews are in, and they say: “IT’S SHOCKINGLY BAD!!” Oops!

Elon Musk Simplifies Baby Name

Singer Grimes and SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk have slightly changed the name of their infant son.  The child was born May 4. He was originally named X Æ A-12, but will now be known as X Æ A-Xii.  USA Today, UsMagazine.com and EW.com reported Grimes confirmed the alteration in the comments of an Instagram post Sunday.  “Roman numerals. Looks better tbh,” Grimes said when asked if she and her partner changed their baby’s name due to a California law that wouldn’t allow a numeral.  Grimes explained in an earlier post what the name means.  “X, the unknown variable. Æ, my elven spelling of Ai (love &/or Artificial intelligence) A-12 = precursor to SR-17 (our favorite aircraft). No weapons, no defenses, just speed. Great in battle, but non-violent. A=Archangel, my favorite song,” she wrote.
********Thanks, crazy lady!!
****Now that that’s straightened out, maybe Elon can concentrate on that SPACESHIP he’s launching today!!
****The kid will be like, “Couldn’t you just name me Jose, like everyone else?”

Queen Guitarist Suffers Heart Attack

Brian May has a new outlook on life after suffering a heart attack.  He took to Instagram on Sunday where he posted a video detailing his recent health scare, which came after he tore his butt muscles to “shreds” while gardening.  According to May, the tear on his backside was not the sole cause of his “agony,” which continued a week after the doctor spotted something wrong.  “I could not believe the pain,” the musician recalled. “Eventually I had another MRI, but this time I had one of the lower spine and sure enough… I had a compressed sciatic nerve — quite severely compressed — and that’s why I had this feeling that someone was putting a screwdriver in my back.”  May shared that while he considered himself to be a “very healthy guy,” he did have a “small heart attack” while treating his pain.  “It’s not something that did me any harm,” he explained. “It was about 40 minutes of pain in the chest and tightness and that feeling in the arms of sweating… Long story short, my wonderful doctor drove me to the hospital himself.”  He said he received an angiogram at the hospital, which showed he had three arteries that were congested and “in danger of blocking the supply of blood to my heart.” He ultimately opted to have three stents inserted.  “It wasn’t easy,” said May. “The only reason it wasn’t easy for me is because of the pain, the excruciating pain I had in my leg. Otherwise, it would have been a doddle.”
******Crap!! He’ll be dead before the REAL Queen!!!
******Freddie Mercury’s in Rock and Roll Heaven, singing “Another One Bites the Dust!!”
*****Wait a minute!! Didn’t Queen release an album in 1974 called “Sheer Heart Attack??”

Mary-Kate Files For Divorce

Mary-Kate Olsen has officially filed for divorce after New York City courts lifted a moratorium put in place amid the coronavirus crisis, reports say.  According to multiple outlets, the child-actress-turned-fashion-designer filed in New York Supreme Court on Monday, the same day the moratorium was lifted.  Earlier this month, it was revealed that she filed an emergency petition to file for divorce from Olivier Sarkozy. Her bid was denied, however, because the couple’s split was not deemed an emergency by the court.  “Currently, we are only accepting essential, emergency matters for filing,” a spokesperson for the New York courts said in a statement to Fox News in mid-May. “The original filing was rejected by the New York County clerk because they did not follow the essential matter procedure.”  Courts began accepting new lawsuits and non-essential divorce filings on Monday, meaning Olsen’s request no longer had to be deemed an emergency.
******It’s an emergency to her!!!
*****She’s very upset, because her Aunt Becky is going to jail!!
******Also, her husband’s last name sounds like a virus!!

Eminem Gives Out Phone Number

Rapper Eminem has released his cell number to legions of fans, who call themselves “Stans” after his 2000 hit single, inviting them to text 313-666-7440.  He wrote, “text me, ill hit you back” in Instagram and Twitter posts, both of which quickly went viral. The 47-year-old is dropping his digits two decades after releasing his third album, “The Marshall Mathers LP,” which remains one of the fastest selling albums ever, Billboard reports.  “Dear Stan, I meant to write you sooner, but I just been busy,” writes Eminem in his caption, another reference to his own song, which chronicles the spiraling and murder-suicide of a fictitious superfan named Stanley Mitchell. It’s too late for him, but everyone else can shoot a message and receive this back: “Yo, it’s Em, hit the link to get added to my contacts. I’ll be back with the plans for this week!”  Eminem isn’t the first A-lister to invite texts and calls from their followers. Amy Schumer, Jennifer Lopez, and Paul McCartney are also using cells, through a fan engagement platform called Community, to stay in touch.
******Maybe he shouldn’t be suggesting that his fans are “Stans??” Just sayin’….

Aretha Franklin Looked For Dating Advice

Aretha Franklin once hit up Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds for relationship advice.  “Five years ago I performed with Aretha . . . I sat in her [dressing] room and she told everyone to leave . . . then she said, ‘You be writing all these love songs and I want your advice,’ ” Edmonds recalled. “She said, ‘I’m seeing this gentleman and I’m gonna tell you some of the things he’s been doing. And I’m trying to decide if I want to date him or not’ . . . I said, ‘I wouldn’t trust this gentleman.’ About a month later I got a call and she said, ‘You were right, Face. He wasn’t the one.’ ”  he revealed that during an Instagram Live celebration for the 25th anniversary of the “Waiting To Exhale” soundtrack.
******The “gentleman” in question was a Grub Hub driver she’d kidnapped!!
******She didn’t think he was happy chained up in her basement!!
******If you dated Aretha, you’d better bring the food!!

Betty White Surviving Pandemic

98-year-old Betty White, has become a pro at social distancing — and jokes that boozing is getting her through the lockdown, according to reports.  “I’m blessed with incredibly good health,” White proudly told Closer Magazine.  “That’s something you appreciate a lot,” she told the UK mag.  White’s rep told the “Today” show that the actress — who turned 98 in January — has been strict on maintaining safety during the pandemic, knowing her age puts her in the high-risk bracket.  “No one permitted in except those who must,” the rep said, noting she has “helpers who are great with her.”  White likes to joke that her good health is down to something else, however — her love of a good vodka martini, friends told Closer.  “Betty loves to joke that vodka keeps her young,” one unidentified close friend told the mag.  “She loves the image of her sitting at home in a rocking chair, drinking a martini and watching game shows,” the friend said, while stressing that she’s “not really a big drinker.”
*****TRUE: We know people who have seen her with the gallon-sized jug of Vodka at Albertson’s!!!
*****What do you say to a 98-year-old who drinks too much?? “Bad for your health??”
******She also stocks up on birth control!!

Tiger King Star Teases Another Season

Tiger King favorite John Reinke (the one with the fake legs) has teased a second season of the Netflix hit as he claims producers have ‘hundreds of hours of unused footage’.   The right-hand man to documentary subject Joe Exotic won praise for his frank attitude and candid interviews in the show, which followed the controversial workings of the GW Zoo and its wild cat collection.   After the success of the series, he has now revealed producers have enough to create a second series based on the footage. The acclaimed documentary from Eric Goode and Rebecca Chaiklin focused on Oklahoma zookeeper Joe.  Joe was sentenced this past January to a 22-year prison stint in Oklahoma in connection with a 2017 murder-for-hire plot of his business archival Carole Baskin; and numerous wildlife law violations. Discussing follow-up episodes, John said: ‘There’s so much more content that needs to be in there and I know Netflix have footage for two or three more episodes. The Network said they are going to be in touch with me about it….  ‘There’s still a bunch of other footage out there. Joe had a bunch of directors through the zoo at various points and they took the footage with them…  ‘They filmed everything and took what they had on video with them. That footage is also likely to surface at some point.’
*******A sequel?? It’s too much to hope for!!
****Hopefully, it’ll be ready in time for the next lockdown!!
******With the scripted series and more documentary, this fall could be “All Tiger King, all the time!!”

Kevin Hart Gives Crash Recovery Update

Kevin Hart is now sharing that he was more critically injured during his car crash last year than he originally said.  He appeared the “Joe Rogan Experience” podcast that posted Monday and said he suffered fractures in his back and had his spine fused.  The crash made Hart appreciate life more, having come so close to death, he said.  “When you come close to that light and if you are fortunate enough to come back to that light, you value life differently,” he said. “There are no bad days for me.”  He said his “biggest cry in life came from the first day that I came home from the hospital.”  “There was an option of me never seeing that home again,” Hart said. “There was an option of me never walking on that driveway again. There was an option of me never seeing my wife and my kids again.”  Hart told Rogan during the podcast that he pretended to be better than he actually was while he was recuperating.  “I lied in the hospital because I didn’t want them to know that I was having pain,” Hart said, “because I thought that they were gonna stop me from letting me continue to try my walks.”
******We all KNEW he was lying, didn’t we??
****The other thing he was thinking about was all those big movie projects he could lose!!
TOPIC: “The time I almost died!!”

Britney Spears Self-Quarantined For Her Kids

Britney Spears took extra precautions amid the coronavirus pandemic before seeing her two kids, according to TMZ. She was quarantining in her home state of Louisiana for much of April, and when she returned to Los Angeles, her ex Kevin Federline requested that she spend two weeks in self-isolation before seeing their sons — Sean, 14, and Jayden, 13. According to the outlet, Spears was happy to comply with Federline’s wishes.  Federline, who was married to Spears from 2004-2007, has been home-schooling the boys since schools closed down in mid-March.
******Britney offered to home school the boys! She was going to teach them “how to handle a snake and dance around in skimpy outfits!!”
******Shouldn’t everyone coming out Louisiana be quarantined?? 

 

Ripping The Tabloids (Throughout the week, we’ll give you the stories from that weeks tabs!)
**Please Credit Publication!

‘Property’ Bro Ain’t Sold On Twin’s Future With Zooey!-(National Enquirer)

Drew Scott is thrilled his twin, “Property Brothers” co-star Jonathan, has found love with twice-married Zooey Deschanel, but sources said he’s hoping his smitten sibling will pump the brakes on any wedding plans until he’s sure she’s The One!  Jonathan, 42, and Zooey, 40, have been loved-up in lockdown at his place, while her two kids spend time with their dad, Jacob Pechenik, Zooey’s second husband.  “Drew is worried Jonathan might be diving in too quickly,” the insider dished.

Too-Loud Jerry Stresses Spouse!-(Globe)

Loudmouth Jerry Seinfeld’s voice isn’t exactly music to wife Jessica’s ears!  Married since 1999, the annoyed mom of three, 48, grouses her sitcom-legend spouse has been making her cranky with his personal volume.  “This man yells instead of talks,” she whines.  “He cannot talk in a normal voice.  He cannot perform on stage anymore so he just YELLS YELLS YELLS.  ALL.  DAY.”  Jerry, 66, isn’t arguing.  “It’s very true,” admits the funnyman.  “But, you know, when I’m with my friends out touring or I’m around other comedians we all yell.  Comedians yell because you get in the habit of doing that to get the audience’s attention, but having no one to yell at now, I yell around the house and….it’s like an emotional release,” he explains.  “If you can find something to yell about that doesn’t upset people like, ‘WHY DON’T WE HAVE MORE SPOONS?’ you just feel better.”

Loose Talk-(Us Weekly)

“Turns out I did a through job.”-On managing to injure his butt while partaking in some “over-enthusiastic gardening.”-Brian May.

“Look at me:  Do I care?  No. ‘Cause I’m comfortable in this bad boy.”-Clapping back after being criticized for rewearing the same jacket on The View, Whoopi Goldberg.

“This means ‘loyalists’ in colonial times.”-Her response to Seth Meyers after daughter Penelope, 8, dressed in a colonial-style dress and pulled the “loser” sign during her interview, Tina Fey.

Kelly’s Sell-Off-(Star)

Kelly Clarkson is simplifying her life, Piece by Piece.  The singer, 38, recently put her $7.5 million lakeside estate in Hendersonville, Tenn., and her sprawling $10 million mansion in L.A.’s San Fernando Valley on the market.  “Kelly’s very sensible about her finances-and very savvy about real estate,” an insider says.  “Selling these two homes will free up a huge amount of cash.”  One property she isn’t off-loading, however, is her beloved Vintage Valley ranch in Montana, where she and husband Brandon Blackstock, 43, and their two kids, River Rose, 5, and Remington, 4, have been pulling together during quarantine.  “She’s ditched the designer clothes and fancy haircuts and is living a simpler, no-frills life,” the pal says of her time in the Treasure State.  “Kelly’s been cleaning the house herself from top to bottom and making yummy casseroles for dinner and serving the leftover the next day.  Montana really is her home sweet home.”

Party Time-(Life & Style)

May 12, LA

Talk about a Modern celebration!  Ariel Winter surprised boyfriend Luke Benward with a social distancing birthday party-featuring Krispy Kreme donuts for drive-by guests-in honor of his turning 25.  Though she and Luke were spotted together in December following her split from Levi Meaden, Ariel didn’t confirm their relationship status until January, reposting a message from the Dumplin’ actor that read “Happy birthday, Bunny!” on her 22^nd b’day.

Getting Serious:  Robert Pattinson & Suki Waterhouse-(People)

Dating since 2018, the actor, 34, and the model, 28, have been isolating together in London amid the pandemic.

Eyeroll of the Week-(In Touch)

Ben’s a fool in love! 

Ben Affleck can’t hide his feelings for Ana de Armas-and they’re even trying for a baby!  Did he learn nothing from Bennifer?  Despite being maligned for his overexposed 2002 to 2004 romance with Jennifer Lopez, Ben Affleck, 47, is happily flaunting his hot new girlfriend, Ana de Armas, 32, with regular PDA-filled strolls, Instagram posts and….matching necklaces!  “Are they BFFs in high school?” snarked one commenter after the pair were seen sporting half-heart pendants.  “Ben’s really into Ana,” says a source.  “They even want to have a baby together!”

 

STUPID NEWS

Two-Faced Kitten

An Oregon family welcomed an unusual arrival when their barn cat give birth to a kitten with two faces on a single head.  Kyla King, whose family lives on a farm east of Albany, said the 1-year-old barn cat gave birth to a litter of six kittens Wednesday, and she soon realized the runt of the litter had two mouths, two noses and four eyes.  The Kings dubbed the kitten Biscuits and Gravy, or Biscuit for short.  The new arrival’s rare condition is believed to be caused by a birth defect known as diprosopus, or craniofacial duplication. Felines with the condition are commonly known as Janus cats, after the ancient Roman god often depicted with two faces.  King said Biscuit was rejected by the mother cat, so she has been hand-rearing and feeding the kitten until a full veterinary exam can be conducted to determine whether Biscuit is healthy enough to survive.  See the video HERE.
*******She’s tough to feed! Each mouth wants a bottle!!
*****What a two-faced pussy!!
******When the faces start arguing with each other, you have a problem!!

Drive-Ins Making A Comeback

Businesses in New Jersey and New York are reviving a once-dwindling concept by opening pop-up drive in movie theaters in their parking lots.  The Kathedral Events Center in Hammonton, N.J., announced it has started showing movies in the social distancing-friendly style of a drive-in theater with its “Karpool Cinema” series.  The pop-up theater held its first event Thursday night with a showing of Sonic the Hedgehog.  “When guests arrive on site, we have a staff member direct them on where to park. That way, they have the ability to open their tailgate, roll down the windows and enjoy,” Maximillian Rodio, executive director of Kathedral Events Center, told WPVI-TV.  Rodio said the parking lot has been repartitioned into 75 parking spots spaced about 10 feet apart to comply with social distancing guidelines amid the COVID-19 pandemic.  The films are projected onto a 40-foot screen, and the sound is broadcast to the vehicles via FM radio.
********In California, real drive-ins that have been closed for years are reopening!! (true)
*****Now all they need are some movies!!
*******Drive-ins are only fun if you smuggle your kids in the trunk!!!

Bats Seen On Weather Radar

A Texas meteorologist shared weather radar footage showing a large swarm of bats being dispersed by gusts from a thunderstorm.  Chris Suchan, meteorologist for WOAI-TV, said a swarm of bats large enough to be picked up by weather radar emerged from Frio Bat Cave in Uvalde County on Wednesday night, and the radar footage shows the millions of Mexican free-tailed bats encountering a thunderstorm. Suchan said the footage shows a gust front — a powerful wind created by torrential rains pushing downdrafts outward — colliding with the swarm of bats, dispersing the flying mammals.  “Dual-Pol radar works beautifully to distinguish these bats from rain when storms and the bats are on radar,” Suchan said. “[It’s] easy to identify the ring signature, but on occasion, when they’re starting to come out, it can look like a storm core until you see the ring show itself as they fan out.”
********You know what they call that in China? “Dinner!!”
******It’s enough to make you “bat-sh*t crazy!!”
******What was the forecast?? “Rainy with a chance of bats??”

Boy Fishes Out Stolen Safe

A 6-year-old South Carolina boy helped solve a neighbor’s mystery when he went magnet fishing in a lake and reeled in a safe that was stolen eight years earlier.  Knox Brewer took up magnet fishing after watching a video about the practice on YouTube, parents Jonathan and Catherine Brewer said.  “We got it to help pass the time during the virus,” Catherine Brewer told WCIV-TV. “He’s learned about which rocks are magnetic and which aren’t.”  Knox said he was magnet fishing on Whitney Lake on Mother’s Day when his magnet attached to something heavy. A nearby stranger helped him pull his line back up to land and they discovered it was a metal safe.  The safe contained items including jewelry, a notebook and a checkbook.  The Brewers contacted police and soon discovered the safe had been stolen from a neighbor’s home eight years earlier.  “She got some missing charm bracelet pieces that were still left in there,” Catherine Brewer said. “She said all the expensive stuff was gone, but at least she got closure and some of her pieces back.”
********It’s not as flashy as dynamite fishing!!
*****He also pulled in a few rock fish!! They’re magnetic!!
******And we thought magnet fishing meant you were trying catch magnets!!

 

STUFF THAT’S COOL AND VIRAL

VIDEO: GUY IN WHEELCHAIR TRIES TO ROB STORE.

VIDEO: SKATERS CONVERT HOME INTO CRAZY SKATE PARK!

 

A LIST FOR WEDNESDAY

8 Educational(ish) Activities For Kids That Aren’t Worksheets

Huffington Post

 

1. Unlock their inner naturalist.

Now that the weather is getting warmer, it’s the perfect time to get bored kiddos outdoors and teach them an appreciation for the world around them — whether you’re in the city or the country or somewhere in between.

Amanda Mason said she’s been having her kids observe clouds and draw them. They look up the type of cloud together, and then she has her older kid write a story about riding on the cloud while her younger kid draws a picture of what that would be like. Meanwhile, Liz Sorenson has her kids go on nature walks and pick up what they find — like pine needles (to practice cutting with scissors) or flowers and leaves that they use for collages.

Several other HuffPost readers mentioned that their kids are getting really into bird-watching.

“My 5-year-old daughter loves learning to identify the birds in our area by their appearance and their call!” Margarita Clarke said. “She carries around her ‘bird book’ and tries to find the picture that matches what we see.”

 

2. Bake, bake, bake.

Yes, this one definitely requires parent supervision, but several HuffPost Parents readers raved about how great baking has been both as a form of entertainment and as a stealthy educational opportunity for their kiddos. Measuring = math! Plus, they’re learning how to follow directions and are being reminded of the power of patience.

“My kids are loving watching Kids Baking Championship and then baking like crazy!” Heather Brown said. “They’ve made cookie cake, cream puffs, macaroons, blondies and more!”

Another reader said her 16-year-old has been baking for her chemistry class, so it works for older kids, too.

 

3. Set up easy science experiments.

Covey Denton, a mom of three, has a leg up on the rest of us on this one because she’s also a science teacher. But she said it’s pretty simple to set up regular science experiments for your kids using items you likely already have at home.

Lists like this one from MommyPoppins can give you some great ideas — and the internet is awash with them. My own kid has gotten a kick over sticking a piece of sandwich bread in a plastic bag and jotting down daily observations about when and how it’s growing mold.

 

4. Have them write a choose-your-own adventure book.

“My first grader is writing a choose-your-own adventure book,” Megan Pohorylo Tucker said. “He writes out a ‘chapter’ by hand and then uses an app to type in the story and draw a picture.” (Though you could certainly keep it old school and do it all by hand.)

It works on a few levels, Tucker said. It keeps her son occupied and gets his creative juices flowing.

“We discuss ways the story could go and challenge him to overcome obstacles in the process,” she said. “Writing + problem solving + art = sorted!”

 

5. Use chalk.

Several HuffPost Parents readers talked about the somewhat magical impact that simply swapping pencil and paper for chalk and a stretch of sidewalk can have on keeping kids excited about academic activities.

“I’ve been having my kids practice their math facts and sight words in the driveway with chalk,” Katie Mannella said. Other parents mentioned how much their kiddos are loving drawing chalk pictures in the great outdoors.

 

6. Play store.

Again, this is another one that requires some level of parental involvement, but Sarah Renee said her 5-year-old daughter has gotten really into playing shoe store.

“We line up the shoes from the closet. Then, we use play money and we role-play the customer and the shoe salesman,” Renee said. “She has to do the math associated with the paying and returning change.”

If shoe store isn’t necessarily your kid’s thing, there are plenty of ways you could go with this — combining some simple imaginative play with quick opportunities to sneak in learning about manners, counting, etc.

 

7. Try board games — with a math challenge.

Board games have a lot of brain-boosting benefits for kids — they teach them basic life skills and encouraging family bonding, for instance — but HuffPost Parents reader Lia Polum takes her family’s game-playing up a notch with a smart swap.

For any game that typically requires a spinner, they use two dice instead.

“Then, they have to add or subtract the two before they move their piece,” Polum said of her kids, adding that the idea came from her kindergartner’s teacher.

 

8. Just … play.

So many parents said they, too, are done with trying to force too much educational stuff on their children. And there are only so many Pinterest-worthy activities a parent can throw themselves into. So they’re keeping it simple — with a focus on using as much pent-up kiddo energy as possible.

“I have an ADHD kiddo who is also on the autism spectrum (he’s in kindergarten),” Jamie Barnes said. “His favorite activity lately is hitting a balloon around with a pool noodle that’s been cut in half. It’s great for his OT and burns off some of his endless energy.”

“To be honest, I sent my kids outside in their bathing suits to play with the water hose today,” Brooke Paige said. “There are only so many worksheets and Zoom meetings they can take.”

 

The preceding material was compiled and edited by Brandon Castillo.  The Editor-In-Chief is Gary Bryan.  The Radio Genius Show Prep Service is licensed for use on-air only by subscribing radio stations.  Other means of redistribution is forbidden.
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