Other Online Resources for Kids & Families
A selection of free online educational and entertainment resources for families
You can find online hundreds of websites offering useful resources for families who find themselves teaching and entertaining their children at home right now. Many are free, and others are offering free access for a limited time.
Below are some worthwhile ones that our library staff can recommend, with an explanation of what each offers. Some require a registration to use, but none require any form of payment to access their current offers.
- Corona Virus Picture Book
A free, downloadable picture book for children explaining the corona virus, as well as other free children's book resources from Candlewick Press - Authors doing story times
A list of sites where children's authors are reading their stories or leading other activites online - Storyline Online
Videos featuring celebrated actors reading children’s books alongside creatively produced illustrations - Laurie Berkner's "Berkner Breaks"
Daily music videos from Laurie Berkner, children's musician who's a favorite of our library staff - Parent's Guide to Virtual Classroom Resources
A catalog of good sites, organized by subject - PBS Parent Resources
Search for educational activities by age and subject, and sign up for the PBS Kids Daily Newsletter. - Scholastic Learn at Home
Integrated lessons by grade level (pre-K - 9th), pairing online versions of Scholastic books with activities and projects - Virtual Field Trips
List of sites offering online tours of museums, famous buildings, historic places, and natural wonders - Lakeshore Learning Free Resources
Free lesson plans, craft ideas, printable worksheets and more, from this educational toy vendor - Printable Worksheets
Site listing 70+ downloadable, printable worksheets, especially for younger learners - Ranger Rick magazine
Children's outdoor magazines from National Wildlife Federation, plus outdoor activities, crafts, and videos. Sign up for free 3-month access. - Khan Academy
Always free online classes and tutorials in a wide range of subjects, with special emphasis on math and science - HippoCampus Educational Videos
Free access to over 7,000 educational videos on a wide range of subjects for students middle-school through college aged - Science Buddies
Search for lesson plans and science project ideas, many of which can be done with ordinary household supplies. - Scratch Computer Coding
Kids can learn to code by creating their own stories, games, and animations with the free Scratch programming platform. - Girls Who Code
Free coding activity guides, for beginners and up, with new ones added weekly (for guys and girls!) - DCMP: Videos for students with sensory disabilities
The Described & Captioned Media Program provides free educational videos for families with students with visual or auditory disabilities. Sign up for free membership.