A few months into Toronto’s pandemic shutdown, Sarah Hammond was on the hunt for something to fulfill her kids’ social needs while they were stuck at home. That’s when the public school teacher and mother of two discovered Lockdown, a YouTube Original series about a group of friends who use Zoom, texts, and webcams to solve a mystery despite being socially distanced. Bingo.

“My kids love it because it teaches that even though we’re separated and we’re in our own individual places, there are still ways for social interaction and connection—which kids so desperately need now,” Hammond says. 

But kids in virtual classrooms are missing out on a lot more than long division; in fact, the lack of