Stay At Home Resources: free activities to help you get through COVID-19 quarantine
You all loved these resources so much that we’re back with new content!
Since we’re still spending a lot of time at home, we’ve refreshed the below resources with some new free and fun things to do!
Our Manager of Volunteer & Donor Engagement, Tina Chan Sweenie, put together this comprehensive list of free resources that will allow you to virtually explore and experience everything from the performing arts to workout and cooking classes to National Parks.
Even better, all of Tina’s personal favorites are marked* to help you decide what to do. So stay at home, stay safe, and enjoy! And if you discover a new resource you’d like us to add, shoot Tina an email at tinachansweenie@penn-mar.org and we’ll credit your addition!
Art
- For Fun Fashion Activities, like jewelry making, knitting, and more, visit this site, suggested to us by Michelle from the Girl Scouts of Western Washington!
- For Arts & Crafts Activities, PLUS virtual trips to art museums, check out this page, suggested to us by our friends Erin and Trey!
- Try out this fun, artistic Game Night idea!
- Enjoy Joseph Gordon Levitt’s Create With Me series
- Take free Drawing Classes from Famous Illustrators
- Check out these 27 Art Activities and Lessons to Try at Home
- Art Tutorials: prompts to Create Where You Are
- Drawing Interactive Generative Art*
- Drawing with Jarrett J. Krosoczka, Author & Illustrator
- Homemade Modeling Clay
- Step-by-Step Drawing, great for kids and adults!*
- Lunch Break Doodle with Mo Williams, Cartoonist
- Crazy Art Challenge that gets the entire house involved!*
Music, Dance, & Entertainment
- Tune into Some Good News – the viral filmed-at-home, good news TV show from John Krasinski
- Get Shakespearean with FREE performances from The Globe Theatre
- Enjoy the classic Baltimore movie & musical, Hairspray’s “You Can’t Stop the Beat” finale performed by a slew of stars!
- Check out The Kennedy Center’s Couch Concerts
- Watch the cast of A Chorus Line reunite to perform the iconic opening number
- Join the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater*
- Cello Playing like you’ve never seen before!
- Berklee Students’ Virtual Orchestra*
- Just for Fun! An iHeart Radio Concert featuring the Backstreet Boys & other bands!
Travel, Discover, & Explore
- Italy, ohhhh how we love thee!
- Explore Antarctica
- Experience the most amazing views of the deep sea!
- See the entire collection of the Dali Museum
- Go on over 30 Virtual Field Trips*
- Enjoy these 5 Gardens, just in time for spring!
- Visit the Spy Museum and use their Lesson Plans & Activities
- Harry Potter Fans can check out the Wizarding World
Read
- If you like Dr. Seuss and Dr. Dre, this is for you!
- The famous Reading Rainbow, read by Levar Burton!
- James and the Giant Peach read by famous funny people!
Animals, Environment, & Nature
- Penguins walk through an art museum (we could watch this all day!)
- Watch Orangutans and Otter Friends!*
- Live stream the Monterey Bay Aquarium
- Watch the Environmental Film Festival*
- Access NASA’s entire media library for free!*
- Meteorologist Hayley LaPoint is teaching Weather Courses
- Explore “The Hidden Worlds of the National Parks” via an amazing, guided virtual tour.*
- Attend virtual Marine Biology Camp
STEM
- Try out this Marble Run
- Check out Engineering Challenges from The James Dyson Foundation
Fitness
- Yoga for All Levels: search with in these videos for specific physical needs and moods.*
- Gentle Chair Yoga
- PE with Joe: fun home workouts
- YMCA’s Health & Fitness Videos
- Flow: relax, think positive, and flow with these mindfulness exercises.
Food
- Bon Appetit! Learn to cook with a fun cast of characters. Brad’s our fav!
- Have fun cooking with Chef Jacques Pepin
- Pick Up Limes (OK, they win for punniest name!) – healthy, simple, DELICIOUS recipes
- Easy but healthy food prep ideas
- Make the most amazing, tasty, and easy rustic bread with Breadmaster Jim Lahey via this Recipe or Video*
- Try the Easiest Pancake Recipe*
- Easy Treat: Italian Affogato! Hot coffee poured over a scoop or two of vanilla ice cream. If you want to get fancy, try with coconut ice cream.*
Educational Resources
- Virtual School – All sorts of topics while being taught by celebrities
- The Digestive System taught by Dr. Ken Jeong
- BBC offers thousands of Free Curriculum-Mapped Videos, arranged by subject*
- Audible is also free right now!*
- Use the Public Library’s online book and audio books*
- Scholastic Classroom
- Brain Pop Cartoon explaining COVID-19
- Indigenous Educators teach short K-8 lessons online