We know you’ve spent months coming up with activities for your children during the pandemic, and as we move through the summer, the temperatures are getting hotter and indoor activities are definitely needed. We have ideas for fun, educational experiences! From the safety and comfort of your own homes, you and your children can enjoy incredible virtual field trips, offered by museums, aquariums, zoos, and other institutions around the world. Enjoy!
Zoos & Aquariums
San Diego Zoo, California
The San Diego Zoo’s website is kid-friendly and easy to navigate. Visitors can click on an animal to learn more about it and even watch live cams of some of the zoo’s most popular residents, including the pandas. Also found on their site are videos that teach easy crafts and also fascinating tours with zookeepers.
Monterey Bay Aquarium, Monterey, California
The Monterey Bay Aquarium website has activities for all age groups, loads of online resources, and cute live cams. Who doesn’t love live cams?
Cincinnati Zoo, Ohio
Zookeepers host daily “home safaris” on Facebook at 3:00 p.m. ET, and previous home safaris are available to watch on the zoo’s own website.
Science
Kennedy Space Center, Florida
On their Facebook page, educators at the Kennedy Space Center host periodic live videos about all things space. Perfect for your budding astronaut or space fanatic.
California Science Center, Los Angeles, California
While they are closed during the pandemic, the California Science Center releases its Stuck at Home Science! videos every weekday at 1:00 p.m. ET. Each week has a theme like “All Cooked Up!” and “1, 2, 3, Blastoff!” Visitors can follow along with science experiments that use household items that you likely already have on hand.
National Air and Space Museum, Washington, DC
The Air and Space Museum is one of the most visited museums in the world — and now you can visit it without leaving your house. Tour the halls of the museum thanks to Google Arts & Culture. You can enjoy interactive exhibits and games too!
American Museum of Natural History, New York, New York
The American Museum of Natural History has Ology, an entire website for children to explore. Each section lets children choose an “ology” to learn about, like paleontology or archaeology, and includes related games, videos from resident scientists and fun activities.
KidsQuest Children’s Museum, Bellevue, Washington
KidsQuest offers daily YouTube streams featuring at-home activities and storytime. Activities are centered around art, math and science.
Mars (Yes, Mars!)
This is another opportunity for budding astronauts and space fanatics of all ages. It enables kids of all ages to visit Mars. Yes, the actual Mars. The Curiosity Rover allows us to join for a virtual ride-along thanks to a partnership with Google, Access Mars and NASA.
Art
The Kennedy Center, Washington, DC
Mo Willems, the current Kennedy Center Education Artist-in-Residence, is hosting Lunch Doodles every weekday at 1:00 p.m. ET. Budding artisits can learn how to draw some of Willems’ popular characters, like Elephant and Piggie. They can also create their own art work.
The International Museum of Children’s Art, Oslo, Norway
If your children need even more inspiration, they can take a virtual tour of the first museum dedicated to art made by children from over 180 different countries. Google Arts & Culture has made a selection of works available that range from sweet to silly to downright profound.
History
Colonial Williamsburg, Williamsburg, Virginia
Colonial Williamsburg is allowing visitors to travel back in time from wherever they are with videos and educational resources. The “Explore from Home” series on YouTube includes videos with some of the historical interpreters, including the people who portray Martha Washington and Thomas Jefferson.
National Museum of American History, Washington, DC
Civil War buffs will love the chance to solve their very own mystery — and explore the archives of the Smithsonian — with Ripped Apart, an iPad app from the Smithsonian. Could there be ghosts trapped in the basement of the National Museum of American History? Play this educational game and find out!
The British Museum, London, England
Middle and high school teens will enjoy exploring The Museum of the World, an interactive timeline that gives them a look at some of the museum’s 8 million works. The timeline is elegantly organized by date, geographical area and theme. Click on an object to learn more and even get a mini lecture from a curator. Parents will love this too!