We started this resource at the begining of the Covid-19 pandemic to give families ideas for things to do while we were all very much at home. As time marches on, we’re still using a lot of these resources when thinking about things to do in the winter, when numbers start rising, when school has to transition to virtual for a few days, or when we’re just wanting to shake things up. We hope that it is inspires your family to try something new from the comfort of your home!
- Lunchtime Doodles with Mo Willems – The Kennedy Center invites us to Mo’s studio every day for the next few weeks to explore ways of writing and making.
- Neil Gaiman and Friends Read – Find popular books Coraline and The Graveyard Book free.
- Speaking of Authors Reading Their Books – There’s a list of children’s authors reading stories and search the hashtag #OperationStoryTime for more.
- Discover Next Favorite Kindie Artist – Children’s musicians from around the world are streaming concerts for kids.
- Amazon Future Engineer – Free online computer science classes for all students and teachers affected by COVID-19.
- Cleveland Inner City Ballet – Offering free virtual ballet lessons.
- Scholastic Learn from Home – Daily age and grade-appropriate activities for 20 days including stories, activities, fun learning challenges, virtual field trips and more.
- Club SciKids – A fresh science activity each day.
- Farm Food 360 – Explore farms and agricultural processes.
- Yellowstone National Park – Take a virtual tour!
- Skype a Scientist – Spend some time with scientists working in various fields.
- Go to The Symphony or The Opera – Seattle Symphony will provide free broadcasts and the New York Metropolitan Opera will have nightly opera streams at 7:30 pm and will be available for 20 hours.
- Paint and Hide Kindness Rocks – Add a little color to your day and extra fun to your walks painting rocks to leave for others to discover.
- Go To Disney! (Virtually) – There are virtual rides from Disney Land, Epcot, and more to be found here.
- Dance Break – Get moving with Just Dance videos on YouTube or GoNoodle.
- FREE Yoga for Kids – Cosmic Kids Yoga on YouTube uses active screen time including lots of favorites including Harry Potter, Moana, Frozen and Trolls.
- Make music. Hoffman Academy gives free online piano lessons for kids! No instruments? Sing! Our kids love Frozen Sing-A-Longs on Youtube.
- Go for a Walk – It’s easy to keep your distance outside. Give passersby a wide berth and enjoy the fresh air.
- Listen to Olaf/Josh Gad read Oliva Goes to Venice. His voice work is a joy and maybe he’ll do more!
- Art For Kids Hub – We love these drawing tutorials! Find leprechauns, spring things, folding surprise drawings, popular characters and more.
- Netflix – Here are lots of educational shows to check out.
- Try a New Educational Tool – This giant list of resources offering free trials or access is sure to have something that interests your kids (and maybe you too!)
- Take a Field Trip from Your Sofa – There are so many cool places to explore online!
- Show Love – How can we help our kids think of others? What about making cards, sending letters/videos/emails, and making phone calls?
Have other ideas? Drop them in the comments below!
Special thanks to our sponsor FVL Schools!
