THINGS TO DO
Below is a variety of online activities for kids and adults to enjoy from home!
Please note that we do not endorse or receive funds to advertise any of the sites or services listed on this page.
If anyone has any other appropriate sites to add, please send them to Michelle via email
ART CLASSES FOR KIDS & ADULTS
CYBER TASTING CLASS
EXERCISE
GARDENING
SPACE ACTIVITIES
STORYTIME
VIRTUAL EXPERIENCES
Art for Kids & Adults
Angela Anderson offers fun and easy art lessons for beginners and experienced artists of all ages. https://www.youtube.com/user/angelafineart/playlists
Art for Kids Hub features quick and easy art lessons for kids. https://www.youtube.com/user/ArtforKidsHub
The Art Sherpa on YouTube offers over 1,000 different videos to follow along and create gorgeous acrylic artwork. https://www.youtube.com/user/HoneyBmama/videos
Coloring Pages for Kids https://www.justcolor.net/kids/
Coloring Pages for Adults https://www.justcolor.net/our-galleries/
Google Arts & Culture features content from over 2000 leading museums and archives who have partnered with the Google Cultural Institute. https://artsandculture.google.com/
Disney & Pixar are releasing free online tutorials to teach kids how to sketch out their favorite characters, from Frozen's Anna to a vintage 1920s Mickey. Check out an ongoing list of options on the Disney Parks Blog
Museum of Modern Art (MoMA)'s Free Course Lineup - Older kids will want to take advantage of the free online courses MoMA in New York City is currently offering, aimed at bolstering everyone's appreciation for art. Nine classes—including one on modern art and ideas—are freely available via Coursera, an online learning platform that hosts more than 3,900 massive open online courses (MOOC) and specializations
SkillShare - Tweens and teens will enjoy this free 59-minute lesson on character illustration, figures, faces, and clothing from Gabriel Picolo, a comic artist on online learning community platform SkillShare.
Metropolitan Museum of Art is offering up web-only features, like virtual tours and an online drawing class recently launched in honor of The Met's 150th anniversary in April. It's a virtual extension of The Met's Drop-In Drawing program, the session includes a step-by-step instructional video that guides you through the finer points of rendering an image of The Met's facade using perspective.
DrawingCoach.com - If kids are eager to dive right into drawing, they'll do well to check out this straightforward blog that offers step-by-step instructions on drawing a wide variety of objects (like flowers, people, trees, etc.) and examples. Some lessons also include video tutorials.
Udemy hosts a wide variety of art and drawing classes for free. For instance, in one, step-by-step, two-hour course, teacher, art instructor, and artist Em Winn shows children over 5 how to draw cartoons.
Aaron Blaise spent 21 years as an animator on Disney animated classics like Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, The Lion King, Pocahontas, Mulan, and more. Now, kids can learn his masterful techniques on his YouTube channel "The Art of Aaron Blaise" and in Blaise's online courses, many of which are now free in response to the pandemic.
The Art Institute of Chicago (yes, the same of Ferris Bueller fame) is featuring family and educator resources, art-making activities, interactive stories, video and audio tours, collection highlights, and more on their website. Check out their hub for art-making and creative writing activities, many that are targeted to kids 7 and older.
Cybeer Tasting Class
Select Tuesdays at 7:30 PM
Visit bonbeer.com/tasting-classes for more details and to register.
Ruth and Mike, owners of Bon Beer Voyage have been hosting beer tasting classes in South Florida for years at places like World of Beer and The Brass Tap. They are now bringing their popular classes online for you to enjoy safely and comfortably from your own living room, patio, or wherever you are watching from.
Classes include:
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Guided Beer Tasting of Two Different Styles
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Beer trivia and awesome beer swag prizes
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Plus other beery cool surprises
Registration is required and participation is limited. A private link will be provided to each registrant a few days before, so that you can join the Cybeer Tasting from the comfort of your home, or wherever you are.
Visit bonbeer.com/tasting-classes for more details.
EXERCISE
YMCA 360 On-Demand Videos - Take group exercise classes for all ages right in your own home at no charge for a limited time! View classes at YMCA360.org
GARDENING
How to Start a First-Time Garden: For beginners who are looking to create new gardens for the first time ever, check out Garden Tutor’s free online class. The course covers the basics of gardening, including how to choose a garden site, choosing plants, creating a garden plan, and planting and maintaining your new landscape. The entire class takes about 2 or 3 hours to complete, and by the end, you’ll have all the knowledge you need to plant your first-ever garden.
How to Start an Organic Vegetable Garden - Alison is an online learning website with about 1,500 free courses, including photography, makeup artistry, and intros to learning a new language. We spotted its course on organic vegetable gardening that's 2 to 3 hours long, and takes you through the basics of growing food without synthetic pesticides or fertilizers. There are modules about growing specific vegetables, including carrots, cabbage, and spinach, so if you're interested in just a few veggies, you can skip ahead to watch the videos about growing them.
Vegetable Gardening: Innovative Small-Space Solutions, with Jodi Torpey
Flower Gardening – Online Courses
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The Cutting Garden, with Charlie Ryrie
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Flower Arranging, with Paula Pryke
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A Gardeners Guide to Growing Roses, with Paul Zimmerman
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The Flower Kitchen, with Carly Cylinder
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The Art of Environmental Floristry, with Shane Connolly
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Stunning Succulent Arrangements, with Debra Lee Baldwin
Specialty Gardens – Online Courses
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The Herb Garden, with Dr. Rachel Petheram
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Gardening With Herbs, with Megan Cain
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Attracting Birds and Butterflies, with Linda Kelso
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Container Gardening, with Meg Smolinski
Space Activities with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
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NASA’s Spot the Station website is a tracking tool that allows you to look up your location from anywhere on earth, and find out when, where, and how you can see the International Space Station pass over head.
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NASA’s Science Space Place features lots of hands-on activities for kids.
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Learn with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Launch rockets, build robots, explore your world and beyond!
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NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory’s Teachable Moments for students.
Want even more space-themed activities? Visit the NASA at Home website for e-books, videos, podcasts, and more!
Storytime Online
The SAG-AFTRA Foundation’s award-winning children’s literacy website, Storytime Online, streams videos featuring celebrated actors reading children’s books alongside creatively produced illustrations. Readers include Viola Davis, Chris Pine, Lily Tomlin, Kevin Costner, Annette Bening, James Earl Jones, Betty White and dozens more.
Visit the Storytime Online website.
Virtual Experiences
Explore the world from the comfort of your own home through these amazing virtual tours and experiences.
Aquariums & Zoos
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Monterey Bay Aquarium Education & Games & Activities
Concerts
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The Billboard website and National Public Radio (NPR) are keeping updated lists of online concerts, who’s playing, and where you can catch it.