19+ Resources for Parents with Kids at Home
If your children are at home with you during this time, you may be looking for ways to keep them busy, entertained, and learning. Use these kid-friendly resources at home to help your children to continue to learn, find new ways to have fun, and stay entertained!
Daily schedule
Use this example for a daily schedule to help create a routine for your kids while they are at home. Schedules can help balance the time your children are learning, playing, relaxing, and doing chores. This is just one of many examples!
Timed Ticket Visits
Several places in Pittsburgh now have timed ticket visits available with social distancing guidelines and extra precautions around cleanliness and health. Below are a few of the places where you can now visit with timed ticket entries.
Carnegie Museum of Natural History
Carnegie Museum of Art
Carnegie Science Center
Andy Warhol Museum
National Aviary
Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium
Heinz History Center
Mattress Factory Museum
Pittsburgh Spray Parks
Pittsburgh Spray Parks are open for lots of summer fun! Check out the list of different locations that offer water features. These can be a fun summer activity for kids to cool off and get creative with water! Information and locations
Visit a Local Farm
Several farms in the area have opened for summer activities and farmers’ markets. Pick berries, see animals, and get out of the city at any of the local farms that are open to the public. Here are just a few:
Triple B Farms
Soergel Orchards
Round Hill Park & Exhibit Farm
Scholastic is providing four separate learning experiences each day for students to continue learning. Kids can work on the projects individually, with their families, or with teachers remotely.
Tour Museums Around the World from Home
Take a virtual tour of 12 popular museums from across the globe including the British Museum in London, the Guggenheim Museum in New York, and the National Gallery of Art in Washington DC.
Virtual Kids Activities also lists several museums to visit virtually!
Even while social distancing and staying at home, you can travel virtually to places around the world! These lists offer several resources that allow users to see and experience popular sites from the comfort of their living rooms!
20 Virtual Field Trips to Take with Your Kids
Virtual Field Trips with Links!
Virtual Kids Activities has a huge list of museums, aquariums, and zoos to visit from home!
Bring the Zoos to You!
Several zoos are offering virtual programming and tours to help educate and entertain kids from home! See the animals up close, learn from zookeepers and staff, and find other educational material about wildlife.
Cincinnati Zoo – Facebook Live Home Safari, Weekdays at 3pm
Pittsburgh Zoo – Animal cams, podcasts, and educational programming
San Diego Zoo – Learn about animals, do activities, and play games
Virtual Kids Activities – a long list of aquariums and zoos to view online.
SwitchZoo Animal Games – This online educational resource has fun games all dealing with wildlife
Visit the US National Parks from Home
Several National Parks have virtual tours of their major sites for people to view online. Along with each tour is also information about the park and about visiting, for future travel plans. Virtually explore Yellowstone, the Badlands, Yosemite, and many more!
You can use this time at home with your kids to explore the surface of Mars through NASA’s Curiosity rover.
The Canadian site FarmFood 360 offers virtual tours of various types of farms. Learn about agriculture and where our food comes from! This would be a great activity to pair with a family cooking night.
Kids can interact with their favorite TV shows and characters online through games and educational activities. PBS Kids is also offering a daily newsletter with activities and tips to help your kids play and learn while they are out of school.
If you have a toddler at home, Busy Toddler offers over 40 indoor activities that can help them learn and be entertained while at home. This is great for helping them play on their own while you are working from home or keeping them active and creative when they can’t go outside.
Free WiFi and Extended Data Caps
Many internet and phone service providers are offering limited-time free WiFi and hotspots, reduced price internet service, and extended periods of times for caps on data usage. These resources can be especially helpful with everyone home during the day using internet and TV.
FREE Online Educational Content
This is a list of several websites offering free educational games and content online while kids are out of school. These can provide a fun way for your children to continue learning.
Ride DisneyWorld & Disneyland Rides at Home
Now you can experience some of Disney’s famous rides at home with your kids! These YouTube videos help you feel like you are riding several of Disney’s rides, from Space Mountain to It’s a Small World.
This website helps kids learn coding skills through online courses.
Creative Projects and Resources
These organizations and individuals are providing online lessons, tutorials, and classes in art, literature, and music.
McHarper Manor Free Daily Art & Craft Tutorial
You Can Play That free live music class – every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 11am
Painted Paper Art – online tutorials
Poetry Teatime – have tea together and read poetry as a family
Ways to Keep Kids Active
Get your kids moving inside and having fun outside with these activities to help kids be more active.
30 Days of Nature Study
Fluency and Fitness – learn with fitness
Cosmic Kids Yoga – for ages 3+
Tips & Ideas from REI – everything from scavenger hunts to dance-offs