Free Online Resources

free online resources

*Note: This list is no longer updated. 4/6/2023

Books, Stories, & Education

Storyline Online

Breakout EDU

Minecraft: Education Edition

Scholastic

Hour of Code: Free Coding Resources (great for tweens and teens)

Science Experiments You Can Do At Home

Lunch Doodles with Mo Willems

Audible Books for Kids: Free Streaming of thousands of stories.

The Big List of Children’s Authors Doing Online Read Alouds & Activities

Storytime from Space

Pete the Cat Virtual Storytime - 11am Central, Weekdays

Zooniverse - Volunteer-powered research. You can choose any number of projects from lion sightings to digitizing anti-slavery documents to helping astronomers identify galaxies.

Science Center of Iowa & Blank IMAX Dome Theater


Entertainment

Harry Potter at Home - "...magical craft videos (teach your friends how to draw a Niffler!), fun articles, quizzes, puzzles and plenty more for first-time readers, as well as those already familiar with the wizarding world."

Virtual Theme Park Rides - Including Hogwarts Express (Universal Orlando Resort), Splash Mountain (Disneyland), and Frozen Ever After (Walt Disney World).

Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden

Cincinnati Zoo

Monterey Bay Aquarium

Houston Zoo

San Diego Zoo

Explore.org - Live cameras on wildlife in forests & oceans, and zen cams (peaceful nature cams on things like the Aurora Borealis)

Lord of the Rings and Dungeons & Dragons Online - free to all players until April 30. Along with the free content, Standing Stone will also be hosting extra events in both games.

Seattle Symphony

Metropolitan Opera

Mister Rogers Full Episodes

Hogwarts Digital Escape Room

Escape from Wonderland Digital Escape Room


Virtual Exhibits & Tours

Harry Potter: A History of Magic, The British Library, London, UK

Machu Picchu, Peru

Virtual National Parks Tours

Des Moines Art Center Tours

Brooklyn Botanic Garden, Brooklyn, New York

American Museum of Natural History, New York

Musée du Louvre, Paris

British Museum, London

Guggenheim Museum, New York

National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.

Musée d’Orsay, Paris

National Museum of Modern & Contemporary Art, Korea

Pergamon Museum, Berlin

Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam

Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam

The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles

Ufizzi Gallery, Florence

National Museum of Anthropology, Mexico City


Songs, Play, & Exercise

HyVee KidsFit - 30 Days of Play

Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden - Join them on Facebook for virtual meditation & yoga in the garden

Cosmic Kids Yoga

Cleveland Inner City Ballet Virtual Instruction Program for kids 

At-Home Play & Activity Ideas for Ages 0-3

Jim Gill - Music Play for all young Children

Songs and Music with The Laurie Berkner Band


Miscellaneous

7 Things To Do If You Can’t Leave The House

Free Online Events and Activities for Kids at Home - Common Sense Media

Free Arts & Crafts Resources for Home Learning