Online activities for kids

Need some inspiration for online learning activities? Take a look at a few helpful links below:

Stories / Books

RNZ | Storytime (New Zealand audiobooks, stories and music for kids of all ages)
Maribyrnong Library | Story Time Online (each weekday, a new video will be loaded at 11am Australian time)
Storyline Online (children’s books read by famous people)
Story Time from Space (listen to astronauts read stories from space)

Museums

Google Arts and Culture (virtual tours of over 2500 museums and galleries around the world, like New York’s Museum of Modern Art and Amsterdam’s Van Gogh Museum)
Online Tours of the Louvre
The British Museum Online (allows virtual visitors to tour the Great Court and discover the ancient Rosetta Stone and Egyptian mummies)

Zoos (note time differences can affect livestreams)

General educational games / activities

Learning from Home (resources, guidance and information for parents, whānau, teachers and leaders from early learning to senior secondary)
Breakout EDU | Fun at Home (educational games for years K-12 - note this is an Australian website)
Scholastic Learn At Home (projects to keep kids reading, thinking, and growing)
Songs for Teaching (a large selection of fun songs to help teach preschool students)
Storybird (boost writing confidence)
The Kid Should See This (smart videos for kids of all ages)
Science Sparks | 40 Ideas for Learning With Lego

Geography

Access Mars (explore the surface of Mars on the Curiosity Rover)
Geography with National Geographic
Climate Kids (a NASA initiative covers a wide range of topics including weather, climate, atmosphere, water, energy, plants, and animals)
Google Earth

Arts / crafts

All Kids Network (crafts and activities)
Highlights Kids (fun games, recipes, crafts, activities)
Red Tent Art (step by step instructions on art projects including origami, 3D cards, clay pots, etc)
Lunch Doodles (Mo Willems, the author of ‘Don’t let the Pigeon Stay up Late’ is uploading daily drawing lessons)
MetKids (a wonderful detailed way to get kids engaged in the world of art)
DIY Joy | Paint Dandelions with Toilet Rolls (a quick and easy craft activity)

Maths

Coding

Science

Steve Spangler Science | Experiment Library (lots of science experiments that you can do at home)
Smithsonian | Ocean (for budding Marine Biologists: take a deep dive into ocean life; primary school age)
Medium | Science podcasts to listen to with your kids

Movement

GoNoodle (movement and mindfulness videos created by child development experts)
Sworkit Kid Workouts (kid-friendly workouts — choose from Strength for Kids, Agility for Kids, Flexibility and Balance for Kids, Warm-Up for Kids, Cooldown for Kids, Stand Up and Move for Kids, OR create your own custom kid workout)
Cosmic Kids Yoga (yoga and mindfulness for kids)
Kids Workouts to do at Home (PE lessons regularly uploaded on this YouTube channel for children of all ages)

Music

Virtual Musical Instruments (lets kids play instruments online; instruments include the guitar, piano, pan flute, drums, and bongos)
Zombie by The Cranberries (guitar play-along)
Shotgun by George Ezra (guitar play-along)
Girls Like You by Maroon 5 (ukulele play-along)
Surfin' USA (ukulele play-along)

Miscellaneous

Duolingo (learn a language)
Voki (create interactive avatars to showcase children’s learning)
Virtual Field Trips (Google doc with links to many different virtual "field trips")
The Nomster Recipe Library (illustrated recipes designed to help kids age 2-12 cook, recipes encourage culinary skills, literacy, maths and science)
My Kids Time | 101 Free Things to do with Kids
Guided Mediation for Kids (a collection of guided meditation videos for children)

Coronavirus – advice, scripts and stories for kids