Spending a little more time than usual at home? Looking for ways to keep the whole family educated and entertained during this difficult time?
We’ve been busy scouring the net to keep ourselves and our little ones entertained and sharing with you here all the links we can find to top FREE resources available on the internet.
Bookmark this page so you can access it later!
(NB – many of these resources have been made free for only a limited time during the unprecedented period of Covid-19 lockdown around the world. Do be careful when signing up for any free resource in giving credit card or PayPal details; You may be charged for any subscriptions after a certain period. If you need to subscribe by email you can always unsubscribe later)
Free resources for animal & nature lovers
When trips to the zoo or your favourite aquarium aren’t possible, here’s where you can still grab a slice of up-close animal action through your screen:
- San Diego Zoo has 10 different live cams you can enjoy watching baboons to penguins, polar bears to apes and all your zoo favourites – visit their website zoo.sandiegozoo.org/live-cams
- Monterey Bay Aquarium are sharing feeding time can be seen on their website montereybayaquarium.org/animals/live-cams
- Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Gardens have a great new Home Safari – Facebook live series at 3pm EST – access from their Facebook page
- Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens present for free The Zoo Comes to You – daily Facebook Live weekdays at 2pm EST
- Cute and Cuddly? Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary in Australia are sharing their live feed cams around their natural habitats.
- Enjoy the beauty of the Northern Lights. Explore.org have a live cam at Churchill Northern Studies Center in Manitoba, Canada for sensational night sky views and sounds here. Their full blog and webcams are well worth an explore from African savannahs to tropical oceans over on explore.org.
- Marvel at stunning sites around the world from the thundering Niagra Falls to the calming waves of Kauai with the incredible earthcam.com
Free online virtual travel resources
Want to tour some of the world’s most famous museums? Sit back and enjoy the fabulous artworks as you are taken on a virtual tour.
- Why not check out the inside of the Sistine Chapel here
- Or take a trip through ancient civilization with the British Museum here
- Explore the Great Wall of China
- Get up and personal with the inside of the Eiffel Tower
- If you love Rome, check out this great collection of virtual museum ideas by mamalovesrome.com
- Google Arts & Culture App – curating content from over 1200 leading museums and galleries around the world. Stroll through the Taj Mahal or examine your favourite artworks in fine detail, it’s incredible what has been curated. Strolling Yellowstone National Park and Giraffatitar VR has been a big hit with our kids, check it out here!
Free resources for exercise
With all this armchair viewing, it’s time yo get your body moving with some great free resources that can be accessed from home. YouTube is your friend here, and with so many great online fitness videos, it’s hard to know where to start! Here’s just a small selection we have enjoyed:
- Cosmic Kids Yoga (for your younger kids)
- Yoga with Adriene – meditation for anxiety might be a good spot to start
Mindfulness and colouring
In these often stressful times, there’s nothing better for Mama Self-Care than a little mindfulness coloring. These great organizations are offering collections for free at present, follow along with #colorourcollections on social media to learn more:
- The Getty free colouring book from the Getty Museum and Getty Research Institute
- The Smithsonian has also joined in sharing their Color in a New Light collection
- New York Botanical Garden Coloring Book
Musicals and Theatre
- BroadwayHD – pick up a 7-day free trial (thereafter $9 per month)
- Check out this up-to-date guide by The Stage to live streaming theatre performances
Let us know in the comments if you have found any other wonderful resources families can share.