COVID-19 and Informal Education

Considerations for Informal Learning During the Pandemic

Abstract

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has impacted non-formal education, which includes children’s informal learning and social development.  Due to the required closings of many informal learning spaces, children have been left without methods to construct their learning physically and socially.  This essay discusses how informal learning benefits children, how COVID-19 has interrupted children’s receipt of those advantages, and ways in which children, families, educators, and communities can compensate for the temporary closings of informal learning spaces.