18 Aug 2021

RNZ's lockdown lifesavers for harried caregivers

6:41 pm on 18 August 2021

Stuck at home with the kids? Wintery weather keeping everyone inside? A recipe for madness perhaps? Well, don't let those walls close in around you - help is at hand on the RNZ website and RNZ podcasts. 

Young father working from home with little daughter drawing during covid-19 lockdown. Child drawing next to dad who is smartworking with laptop and headphones for social isolation. Front view.

Photo: 123RF

For the littlies and not quite so littlies, try RNZ's Storytime

Or if you’d rather listen on your favourite podcast app – Apple, Spotify, iHeart and the like – follow the one-click link here.

Both these webpages have heaps of great New Zealand stories for the young and young at heart told by some terrific actors.

There’s Hairy Maclary, Moe Makes Music, Maui – Sun Catcher and other New Zealand favourites such as Ruru on the Ramshackle Farm, Grandma McGarvey, and The Travelling Restaurant.

But that's not all we have.

For someone who is less interested in stories, maybe science is the way to go? Try Nanogirl for a feast of info about 'stuff' and the science behind how it works‘How planes fly’, and bringing dinosaurs back to life.

Click this link for all the episodes, plus some video on experiments you can do at home, with Nanogirl herself.

You may of course be blessed with a tweenager or three lurking around your ever smaller house emptying the fridge and moodily grumbling about school, lockdown, weather, crappy internet speed (take your pick).

Well, we have something for them as well.

The 'Not for Children' collection has some a range of episodic stories for a tween and teen listener - Really good for reluctant readers.

Or if history’s your kid’s thing, they can watch or listen to the hit series The Aotearoa History Show. It’s great for children Intermediate school age and up.

And you of course will want something to listen to yourself, barricaded in behind your hoard of loo paper and tinned beans.

Try the Short Story Stack for a power of great stories for grown-ups.

If all else fails just click around the RNZ website and you will find a huge assortment of entertaining, informative and interesting material.

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