Activities From Home
Are you looking for a new activity to do while at home? Try one of these digital activities or resources including virtual museum visits, storytimes, and more. We’ll keep updating as we find more, so check back for more fun while also practicing social distance.
Library Fun at Home Newsletter
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Youth Blogs & Videos
Kids at Home with MPPL has a variety of activity ideas for kids, presented and curated by your friends at the Library. Most activities will be best suited for grades K-5, but many are fun for the whole family.
Staff Picks for Kids has tons of reviews written by the Youth Services staff for books of all levels and genres.
MPPLTV is the Library’s YouTube channel and has many fun videos including storytimes and book reviews.
Read, Listen, and Watch
Many of these resources can also be found on our e-Library, Homework Help, or Web Resources pages.
Some of these resources can also be accessed through apps on Android and Apple devices. A full list of apps that can be used with your MPPL card can be found here.
- Dial-a-Story: Call 847-232-8600 to listen to stories, jokes, songs, and more. Some items are read by your librarians, and some by other great narrators, but all have been carefully selected by library staff. Play a free pre-recorded story right from your phone, 24/7. Selections will change monthly.
- Hoopla
- Kanopy
- OverDrive/Digital Library of Illinois
- International Children’s Digital Library
- Story Cove
- TumbleBooks Library
Online Storytimes
- Brightly Storytimes posts weekly videos of Ms. Linda reading picture books.
- Kids Stories in ASL has a great collection of videos of kids and adults reading a picture book story in American Sign Language.
- Storytime From Space has astronauts reading while in outer space.
- Read Together, Be Together has authors, illustrators, and celebrities read and talk about books in short videos.
- Storyline Online is a program with the SAG-AFTRA foundation and has videos of celebrities readying picture books.
Music
Sing and dance along with these great musical artists and groups.
Podcasts
Check the show notes to make sure the the episode you’ve chosen is a good fit for your family!
- Best Robot Ever
- Brains On! Science podcast for kids from American Public Media
- Forever Ago from American Public Media
- Grimm, Grimmer, Grimmest
- Myths and Legends
- Stories Podcast from Wondery
- Story Pirates from Gimlet
- Story Story Podcast
- Wow in the World from NPR
Virtual Learning
- Homework Help has many resources you can use while studying at home. Some you don’t even need a library card to use.
- ABCmouse.com has a free trial for 30 days.
- Tutor.com is available with a library card.
- Khan Academy has video tutorials including a course called Imagineering in a Box that goes behind the scenes of Disney.
- Read, Wonder, and Learn!: Favorite Authors & Illustrators Share Resources for Learning Anywhere – Spring 2020 by author Kate Messner has a list of resources from various authors and illustrators.
Virtual Activities
- Dav Pilkey at Home is releasing weekly activities created by the author of Dog Man.
- Hogwarts Digital Escape Room lets you try an escape room challenge from your home.
- Lunch Doodles with Mo Willems lets you join the author in his studio daily to explore drawing and writing.
- Virtual Disney World lets you experience Disney attractions and park areas without leaving your home.
- Sesame Street’s “Caring for Each Other” Initiative has videos, talking with your kids resources, and games.
Screen-Free Activities
Need a break from your computer or device screen? Find an activity here and then put the screen away.
Fitness & Movement
- GoNoodle has many videos that will get kids dancing and moving.
- Cosmic Kids Yoga has guided yoga videos that are especially for kids.
Virtual Field Trips
Visit a museum, aquarium, or zoo virtually! You can also watch animals through wildlife cameras in their habitats. Here are some of our favorites.
- Museums:
- Aquariums, Web Cams, & Zoos:
- Cincinnati Zoo
- Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo’s Red Panda Cam
- Explore.org has many different web cams to explore. Two favorites are the Kitty Rescue Sanctuary and the Puppy Playroom.
- Hattiesburg Zoo Sloth Cam
- Houston Zoo
- Monterey Bay Aquarium
- National Aquarium
- San Diego Zoo
- Smithsonian Zoo
- Shedd Aquarium’s animal residents have been taking field trips on Instagram.
- Vancouver Aquarium