As items are added they will be put at the top of each list.
FREE ebooks & online audiobooks – all ages
- Levar Burton reads you short stories in this great podcast: http://www.levarburtonpodcast.com/
Storytime & author/illustrator events
- Storyline Online: Streams videos featuring celebrated actors reading children’s books alongside creatively produced illustrations. https://www.storylineonline.net/
- Julie Andrews and her daughter read to you https://www.julieslibraryshow.org/episodes
- Stimola Live is a website of live stream events for kids, tweens, and teens by professional authors and illustrators represented by Stimola Literary Studio: https://www.stimolalive.com/
- Stories read by TES teachers & staff: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLmsHgzJXbXK_H2mDGXKUA_0j8LzjNdB_k
- David Elliott is reading his book, Evangeline Mudd and the Golden-haired Apes of the Ikkinasti jungle, chapter by chapter online on YouTube. This title is especially good for grades 3-6 and above. https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=David+Elliott+Reads+Evangeline
- LivBits Let’s Keep Reading: list and links for authors and illustrators, etc. who will be doing regular live readings or interactive sessions: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1MrM7Ypu3uoEEwbyLQ6sxkx8d-sePrP2J64WQrb6dNfI/preview?fbclid=IwAR2S7d5ktOdd8PRnI2vsba_NxSPkJCzfAp0zlZm_BkGJjKdszKKIDshA5Ew
- A Google calendar of authors and illustrators proving regular scheduled read alouds, drawing sessions. https://calendar.google.com/calendar/embed?src=sau21.org_590a8plh1oh4mvnblgqsrsbeqg@group.calendar.google.com&ctz=America/New_York&pli=1
- Resource page from the Children’s Book Council contains links directly to publisher websites to easily access and learn more about the amazing children’s and young adult books and activities they have to offer. https://www.cbcbooks.org/readers/reader-resources/publisher-online-resources/
Things to Watch
- At Top Documentary Films you can find thousands of stunning, eye-opening and interesting documentaries: https://topdocumentaryfilms.com/
- Now you can watch Nexflix documentaries on YouTube for Free! Plants, Animals and People – Oh My! https://m.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvahqwMqN4M0GRkZY8WkLZMb6Z-W7qbLA
- Documentaries: https://documentaryheaven.com/
Stuff for Everyone
- Make a birdhouse: https://www.fws.gov/birds/bird-enthusiasts/backyard/homes-for-birds.php
- Get your brain working with Titanic Trivia! https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeKty_NMSCK4cQLPI21BUGOWTMl4Nl468Dn3R2uXr7Dtg_gYQ/viewform?fbclid=IwAR26wPaoHaYAyIUyw1PvqQfVZS3rIyQ1u55fB27nqjyHBoOOTX5GoJx42Qg&fbzx=8688222812224436456
- Take a 3D tour of one of my favorite (seriously) and vastly under-rated museums – The Smithsonian’s National Postal Museum: https://artsandculture.google.com/streetview/smithsonian-s-national-postal-museum-street-view/wQG5PGTzkifA0Q?sv_lng=-77.00805100137296&sv_lat=38.89805476142055&sv_h=195.87362205331186&sv_p=-12.243264599373433&sv_pid=NKojyXOj9OGGgfRw64voZw&sv_z=3.3306690738754696e-16
- National Parks!
- Tons of digital jigsaw puzzles: https://www.jigsawplanet.com/PreservationArlington?rc=upuzzles
- Free templates from Microsoft includes coloring books, word searches, mad libs, etc. https://templates.office.com/en-us/collection-family-activities
- Blank Comic Book Pages, “Finish This Comic!” Comics, and Drawing/Writing Prompts. https://jarrettlerner.com/
activities/ - Zoo Cams! https://www.elmwoodparkzoo.org/animal-cams/
- Blank Comic Book Pages, “Finish This Comic!” Comics, and Drawing/Writing Prompts by Jarrett Lerner: https://jarrettlerner.com/activities/
- SO Many Online Escape Rooms!
- A collection of digital escape rooms created by librarians all around the world (thanks to Central Otago and Queenstown Lakes Libraries for putting this together)! https://codc-qldc.govt.nz/blog/digital-escape-rooms
- and a Link to a more bunch here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1q8h-S-6iV_TKEtZ3f5s3u5M_bFZdMrATHJl5g0xy9fU/edit?fbclid=IwAR2RtzVC6UCThMET56NumZlXS-4qdheBhdAeuUlOzmzw1Veoewv0XDhpgjY
- Beasts & Blooms Garden Party: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdYo2-WzIIIQADpHrVa2Jc1LLQ9xq9TomyLxWMd-QVT7JF5og/viewform?fbclid=IwAR2eCddLH3DRfHb8DDNyCYPu7ZS4pgxIpHO3qKkdOp4DN-2AIde66O29crY
- Stuck in Mount Washington! from Gilford Public Library https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeeBa6Pw40sdtFehfwxeH_9tkYXGRajmWoC0TmPVwtAQepvmA/viewform
- 75 ideas to do indoors http://learnincolor.com/educational-activities-for-when-youre-stuck-indoors.html?fbclid=IwAR1hnivPthdCZn-qOMIScoj013FFIRMTNwQlC1Jffbzxa9mu-k45xvBqLMI
- Build your own Rube Goldberg machine. But try not to break anything!
https://youtu.be/auIlGqEyTm8 - 23 original coloring pages from Children’s Book Week. Can be enjoyed by kids and adults of all ages. https://everychildareader.net/cbw/coloringpages-2020/
- Because we need more penguins right now. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DVfTGFBJ8a8
- Put your time at home to good use – train your cats! Or just watch this amusing cat video. I think we all could use an amusing cat video right now.
https://youtu.be/7Nn7NZI_LN4 - Marking the 78th anniversary of the executive order authorizing Japanese Americans’ internment the Bancroft Library has digitized more than 500,000 materials on Japanese internment, including firsthand accounts and government records. https://news.lib.berkeley.edu/remember
- So much amazing art online https://artsandculture.google.com/search/partner https://kottke.org/20/01/paris-museums-put-100000-images-online-for-unrestricted-public-use
- If you’re cooped-up and curious, use your free time to decipher handwriting, tag images, and more. https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/archives-to-browse-from-home
- 450 free online courses from Ivy League Schools https://www.freecodecamp.org/news/ivy-league-free-online-courses-a0d7ae675869/?fbclid=IwAR0q-32Rbc5tFQuT5ydjRqn50qZ98BwoGn4tsMrHhjYwfJ_Z97DEsr_yNIo
Kid’s – Fun & Educational
- Hours …Days even…..of free entertainment from Candlewick Press! https://stayhome.candlewick.com/
- Learning about bugs at Home: https://entomologytoday.org/2020/03/27/learning-at-home-with-bugs/
- World Books has a lot of stuff to offer: https://www.worldbookonline.com/training/distance-learning/distance-learning.htm
- If you love the Magic Tree House books, you’re going to love their Home Adventures! Join Jack & Annie as they go on themed adventures! Each week to find activities, online reading challenges, crafts, recipes, games, and more. https://www.magictreehouse.com/go/
- Minecraft Hour of Code Tutorials: https://code.org/minecraft
- The Children’s literacy foundation: Fun Literacy Activities to Keep Your Kids Busy. https://clifonline.org/fun-literacy-activities-to-keep-your-kids-busy/
- Celebrate Poetry Month with Shel Silverstein – https://www.harpercollins.com/childrens/shel-silverstein-resources/
- Children’s Literacy Foundation – We’ve got some great ideas to keep their minds engaged, stretch their imaginations, and sharpen those literacy skills while kids are home. Check these out, and let us know what fun literacy activities you’ve tried! https://clifonline.org/fun-literacy-activities-to-keep-your-kids-busy/
- Free math games to play with dice.
https://www.didax.com/free-math-games-at-home/ - A list of reading and writing stuff for kids to do online from Publisher’s Weekly. https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/childrens/childrens-industry-news/article/82724-how-kids-lit-is-responding-to-the-coronavirus.html
- Virtual School Activities: A huge list of online fun and/or educational stuff online!
https://virtualschoolactivities.com/ - Resource page from the Children’s Book Council contains links directly to publisher websites to easily access and learn more about the amazing children’s and young adult books and activities they have to offer. https://www.cbcbooks.org/readers/reader-resources/publisher-online-resources/
- NASA Space Place’s mission is to inspire and enrich upper-elementary-aged kids’ learning of space and Earth science online through fun games, hands-on activities, informative articles and engaging short videos. https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/
- Ben’s Guide to the U.S. Government is designed to inform students, parents, and educators about the Federal Government. https://bensguide.gpo.gov/
- 75 ideas to do indoors (with free educational website ideas).http://learnincolor.com/educational-activities-for-when-youre-stuck-indoors.html?fbclid=IwAR1hnivPthdCZn-qOMIScoj013FFIRMTNwQlC1Jffbzxa9mu-k45xvBqLMI