Ongoing Online and Virtual Enrichment Events
Miscellaneous and Just for Fun
LUNCH DOODLES with Mo Willems! Mo Willems, beloved children's author, invites you into his studio every day for his lunch doodle. Learners worldwide can draw, doodle and explore new ways of writing by visiting Mo’s studio virtually once a day for the next few weeks. Grab some paper and pencils, pens, or crayons and join Mo to explore ways of writing and making together. If you post your art to social media, be sure to hashtag it with #MoLunchDoodles! New episodes will be posted each weekday at 1PM and then remain online to be streamed afterwards. Check back each weekday for new lunch doodles! FREE. https://www.kennedy-center.org/education/mo-willems
Online - Itsy Bitsy Sing Along: Animals. Sundays. Everyone's favorite Kids Room activity is now online! Every Sunday, the Maryland Science Center will have a new Itsy Bitsy Sing Along, just like in the Kids Room. They'll feature a couple of sing along songs with activities to go along with them. This Sunday, the theme is all about animals, so get ready to walk on the wild side! FREE. 12PM-12:30PM. https://www.facebook.com/events/255106888957316/
DJ Kopec Dance Parties. Beloved local DJ Kopec is putting on dance parties from his basement via Facebook Live during this pandemic. He's got theme nights and charity drives going on while he bring some much needed fun and stress relief to his fans. Check him out here: https://www.facebook.com/DJ-Kopec-251296750552/
Museums, National Parks and Gardens
Volunteer Park Conservatory Live Stream. You can get "plant therapy" on your couch for free through their live streams. Word is these live streams happen around mid-day, but if you miss a live stream, Instagram holds onto them for 24 hours; just check out their "story." FREE. https://www.instagram.com/vpconservatory/
Virtual Tour of The Waddesdon Manorm in Waddesdon, England. This Neo-Renaissance style château that has been a Rothschild family home since the late 1800s. The house, the grounds, and the majority of the collections seen throughout the home have been left to the National Trust, so that the public can visit and appreciate the home and gardens. The gardens were designed by Baron Ferdinand de Rothschild with help from landscape architect Elie Lainé. The breathtakingly beautiful interiors of Waddesdon Manor can also be virtually toured using the link provided. FREE. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EyYuxTfdtKo
Virtual Tour of Claude Monet’s Garden, Giverny, France. Claude Monet's garden inspired much of his painting. Royal Academy curator Ann Dumas introduces Claude Monet’s garden at Giverny in Normandy, which is open to the public between March and November and maintained by a team of gardeners led by James Priest. FREE. Garden tour: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rjWx2WNXFF4.
Virtual Tour of Chicago Botanic Garden, Chicago IL. With over 50,000 members, the Chicago Botanic Garden has the highest membership of any public garden in the United States. The Garden consists of 385 acres and has a grand total of 27 gardens and four natural areas. Some of the 27 gardens include the English Walled Garden, the Japanese Garden, and the Plant Science Center. Boyce Tankersley, director of plant documentation, takes you on a tour of what's in bloom this summer. FREE. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aV0Ryaw0hGc
Virtual Tour of Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden, Papaikou, HI. The Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden sits on 17 acres and it includes not only its own garden, but a nature preserve as well. With waterfalls, streams, and a boardwalk situated on the Pacific coast, this virtual tour is certainly a calming one, both visually and audibly. Expect to see more than 2,000 plant species, including over 80 species of heliconias and bromeliads, not to mention coconut and mango palm trees that have been around for over a century. FREE. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BtZ0dcUzGX8
Virtual Tour of Kew Gardens, Richmond, England. Kew Gardens is part of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, which also includes Wakehurst, a historic house and garden located over an hour away, in West Sussex, England. Located on 326 acres and boasting its own palace, Kew Gardens is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This virtual tour of 10 of the top ten sites in the Kew Gardens, also includes Kew Palace, the main surviving structure is known as Dutch House, which was once the residence of King George III and his family. Kew Gardens and Wakehurst have a grand total of approximately 27,000 taxa of plants, over 8 million specimens of plants and fungal herbarium, and a seed bank that contains more than 40,000 species. FREE. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ioG_Vfh0Kxw
Virtual Tour Five National Parks. If you want to escape to the great outdoors, you can virtually explore national parks. Google Arts & Culture teamed up with five national parks across the country to provide video tours led by rangers. From glaciers in Alaska to volcanoes in Hawaii, the tours will take you on incredible journeys. FREE. https://artsandculture.withgoogle.com/en-us/national-parks-service/parks
Museum Tours from Around the World. On Google Arts & Culture, you can take a virtual tour of thousands of museums around the world. According to Fast Company, the tech giant partnered with more than 2,500 museums and galleries, some of which include the Museum of Modern Art, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, and London's National Gallery. FREE. https://artsandculture.google.com/partner?hl=en
Virtual Tour the Louvre. While the Louvre in France is closed, you can virtually tour their exhibits. Tours allow you to zoom in on certain pieces and descriptions for more information. FREE. https://www.louvre.fr/en/visites-en-ligne
Virtual Tour Buckingham Palace. An iconic building and official residence of The Queen, Buckingham Palace has been the focus of many moments of national celebration. It is also a busy working building welcoming tens of thousands of people through its gates each year for Investitures, Garden Parties, Audiences and other events. Explore this magnificent building via a virtual tour. FREE. https://www.royal.uk/virtual-tours-buckingham-palace
Virtual Tour of Vizcaya Museum and Gardens, Miami, FL. Vizcaya is a Mediterranean Revival-style villa with Baroque elements that was once the home of businessman James Deering. The estate consists of 43 acres. It took eight years and $15 million to build the villa, and another year to complete the Italian Renaissance-style gardens and Vizcaya Village, which consists of 11 buildings across 12 acres, including greenhouses, fields, staff quarters, a garage, barns, and workshops. Explore the grounds and buildings in this virtual tour. FREE. https://vizcaya.org/virtualtour/
Virtual Tour of The Frick Collection, New York, NY. This Beaux Arts-style mansion located on the Upper East Side of Manhattan was once home to Henry Clay Frick, one of the most prominent industrialists during the Gilded Age. Take a virtual tour and see Old Masters paintings, decorative arts, and European sculptures in this former residence turned art museum, which includes Rembrandt, Gainsborough, Whistler, Bellini, Vermeer, and Goya, to name a few. FREE. https://www.frick.org/visit/virtual_tour
Virtual Tour Monticello, Charlottesville, VA. At just 26 years old, future President Thomas Jefferson inherited a plantation in rural Virginia. An architecture enthusiast, Jefferson himself devised a combination of Neoclassical and Palladian architecture for the estate that would come to be known as Monticello. It is now a National Historic Landmark, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. On your hour-long virtual tour, a Monticello guide will lead you in real-time through the first floor of Thomas Jefferson’s mountaintop home. You will get a private, unobstructed view of the house and collections and discuss important issues such as Thomas Jefferson’s role as a nation builder and Monticello as a plantation powered by the labor of enslaved African Americans. There are also "family tours" available, with information geared more toward families with children aged 5+. Both tours uses Zoom to connect visitors from across the globe. During the tour, you can ask your Monticello guide questions, which will be answered in real-time, making for an interactive and unique experience. $10. Daily: 10:30AM & 4PM Live Virtual Tours for Families; 1PM & 2:30PM Regular Live Virtual Tours. https://www.monticello.org/visit/tickets-tours/guided-virtual-tours/
Virtual Tour of the Vatican Museums. Instilling a sense of wonder in everyone who enters, the 15th century Sistine Chapel is most renowned for Michelangelo's ceiling frescos. You'll have them (and the rest of the place) to yourself if you visit virtually, before making your way through a whole series of Vatican Museums—not least, Raphael’s Room and the New Wing. FREE. http://www.museivaticani.va/content/museivaticani/en/collezioni/musei/tour-virtuali-elenco.1.html
The National Museum of Natural History. One of the world's most visited museums, and in our own backyard, this branch of the Smithsonian is magic at keeping kids of all ages entertained and learning. If your household could use some of that right now, head on in and start exploring the fossils, ocean life, even the insect zoo. And for pure eye candy, hit the Gems and Minerals Wing, or the Butterfly Pavilion. FREE. https://naturalhistory.si.edu/visit/virtual-tour
Volcanoes National Park. It may not be the best known of our national parks, but Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park on the Big Island is certainly one of the most unforgettable, as you'll experience on this ranger-led tour. You’ll see stunning images of the rippling black rock formations and the still-fiery lava flows that feed them. You’ll also stand inside a rainforest, go underground to tour a lava tube and take a helicopter flight over an active volcano—a vantage you’d be hard pressed to find on an actual visit. FREE. https://artsandculture.withgoogle.com/en-us/national-parks-service/hawaii-volcanoes/nahuku-lava-tube-tour
The British Museum. Home to no fewer than 8,000,000 works, this is one of the world's largest collectiosn. Even the tiniest objects hold their own on this virtual tour - you can view individual pieces, play audio to learn more, and search for related works. There's also a scrolling capability that lets you go back thousands of years. FREE. https://britishmuseum.withgoogle.com/
Tour the Taj Mahal. Built by a 17th-century Mughal emperor in memory of his favorite wife, who died during childbirth, the Taj Mahal is one of the most lavish architectural tributes on earth. For perspective on how the marble exterior shade-shifts throughout the day, from early-morning pinks to dusky blues, check out this video. The persistent thrum of tour groups makes the scene that much more realistic. FREE. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=665AHTNpf2o
Virtual Deep Dives. Immerse yourself in the deep blue sea. NOAA is willing to take you there gear and cost free: You can do a series of virtual dives through National Marine Sanctuaries, whether you want to peace out to the waters around American Samoa (don’t miss Big Momma), the Florida Keys (have a look at the Aquarius Reef Base research center) or any of several spots in between. FREE. https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/vr/
Street Art Tours. If you’ve ever turned a city corner to be stopped in your tracks by the Technicolor explosion of a mural, you know the impact of street art. You can explore the world’s best graffiti, from Buenos Aires to Bombay, in Google’s impressive Street Art collection. See dozens of collections of the world's street art including giant abstractions that transform no-nonsense industrial buildings in Moscow, portraits in the arrondissements of Paris, and in Berlin, relive the fall of the wall through its iconic graffiti. FREE. https://streetart.withgoogle.com/en/online-exhibitions
Northern Lights. The traditional version of Northern Lights chasing includes piling on layers of clothing, waddling into a gorgeous but bone chilling expanse, waiting, running inside to warm up and repeating this dance hoping that you don't miss your chance. One advantage of watching from home, which you can do thanks to Manitoba’s Churchill Northern Studies Center, is that you cut straight to nature’s most amazing light show. As luck would have it, late winter into early spring (i.e., now) happens to be among the best times to tune in. FREE. https://explore.org/livecams/aurora-borealis-northern-lights/northern-lights-cam
The Great Wall of China. Of the Great Wall's 4,000 total miles, 3,000 or so are walkable. Visit this New Wonder of the World virtually and start doing reconnaissance for your own trek without wearing out the tread on your gym shoes. FREE. https://www.thechinaguide.com/destination/great-wall-of-china
Zoos and Aquariums
Smithsonian National Zoo Webcams. Aquariums and zoos across the country are live streaming their animals, so you can see what they're up to. Smithsonian's National Zoo has webcams of naked mole-rats, lions, giant pandas, and elephants. While the webcams will remain online, the animals might not be visible because volunteers won't be operating the webcams. FREE. https://nationalzoo.si.edu/webcams
Cincinnati Zoo's Home Safari Facebook Live. These live videos highlight an animal everyday at 3PM. If you don't have social media, you can access the videos on the zoo's website. FREE. https://www.facebook.com/events/2915534028492292/?event_time_id=2915534041825624 or http://cincinnatizoo.org/home-safari-resources/
Houston Zoo Webcams. Tune in to the Houston Zoo webcams to see giraffes, gorillas, elephants, chimps, rhinos, and and leafcutter ants. FREE. https://www.houstonzoo.org/explore/webcams/
The Monterey Bay Aquarium Webcams. Through 10 webcams, you can virtually visit sea otters, moon jellies, sharks, penguins and other see creatures. FREE. https://www.montereybayaquarium.org/animals/live-cams
The National Aquarium Webcam. Tune into the National Aquarium's Blacktip Reef, Jellies Invasion and Pacific Coral Reef livestreams and enjoy a piece of the Aquarium from home. Cameras are only live streaming during business hours. After hours you can enjoy a previously recorded live stream segment. FREE. https://www.aqua.org/Experience/live#pcr
San Diego Zoo Webcams. The country’s most-visited zoo, with more than 3,500 animals in residence, was a pioneer in the world of open-air habitats and remains a leader in conservation science. You can catch a number of the most beloved inhabitants on live streams. Your virtual visit even has an edge over real life: Though mega-celebs Bai Yun Xiao Liwu were repatriated last year, you'll still find great archival footage of them on the Panda Cam. FREE. https://animals.sandiegozoo.org/live-cams
Safari Live. SafariLive comes very close to the experience and thrill of going on a safari. Track lions, leopards and hyenas as you make your way around herds of wildebeest and elephants, all while expert rangers school you on what you're seeing. Great inspiration to book your next safari, when we are all out of our social isolation, of course. https://www.facebook.com/WildEarthLIVE/ or https://www.facebook.com/WildEarthLIVE/videos/904091053345547/
Musical Performances
The Metropolitan Opera. The Metropolitan Opera is streaming encore performances from the past 14 years on its website until the end of their closure. All of the “Nightly Met Opera Streams” will begin at 7:30 PM. Each performance is available for a period of 23 hours, from 7:30 p.m. EDT until 6:30 p.m. the following day. Access the performance by clicking on the link on the homepage, or through the Met Opera on Demand apps. FREE. https://www.metopera.org/
BroadwayHD. BroadwayHD, a streaming service for theater fans started in 2015, has long been bringing Broadway performances to people’s living rooms. On the platform, subscribers will find a combination of acquired performances including performances of Cats, The King and I, and Sound of Music, along with originals the platform filmed including performances of Kinky Boots and 42nd Street, from Broadway, The West End, and other elite venues around the world. The platform is currently offering a free seven-day trial, along with a wildly affordable $8.99 monthly plan. So go ahead and watch as many times as you want. You can even sing along if you please because you’re in your own house, who’s going to complain? $8.99/month or $99.99/year after the 7 day FREE trial. https://www.broadwayhd.com/
Digital Stage from The Kennedy Center. Watch extraordinary performances from the Kennedy Center's stages and beyond. They'll feature original works, new clips, and the best of their vast archive which you can also explore on your own. FREE. https://www.kennedy-center.org/digitalstage/
Berlin Philharmonic. The legendary Berlin Philharmonic is essentially playing house concerts with no door charge. Redeem the voucher code BERLINPHIL and receive free access to all concerts and films. FREE. https://www.digitalconcerthall.com/en/live
Vienna State Opera. One of the world's great opera houses, the Wiener Staatsoper, is now streaming not only operas, but also ballets. They're previously recorded, of course, but to keep the experience as authentic as possible, the lineup even mimics the original 2020 schedule. After registration on their website, the subscription can be booked free of charge until further notice. FREE. https://www.staatsoperlive.com/. Additional information found here: https://www.wiener-staatsoper.at/en/staatsoper/news/detail/news/the-wiener-staatsoper-is-closed-but-continues-to-play-daily-online/
Sydney Opera House. Now is your chance to take a peek inside the Sydney Opera House. Accompanied by the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, cellist Benjamin Schwartz and soprano Nicole Car, you'll wander through a day in the life of the site, from early morning, before the performers arrive, to stolen moments between acts. FREE. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_hunddVoMjo
Educational Resources and Entertainment for Kids
Scholastic Education Courses. To help millions of students whose schools have closed continue to learn, Scholastic is offering free day-by-day projects. According to its website, “Every day includes four separate learning experiences, each built around a thrilling, meaningful story or video. Kids can do them on their own, with their families, or with their teachers.” The educational projects are categorized by grade levels, which range from pre-k and kindergarten to grades 6 plus. FREE. https://classroommagazines.scholastic.com/support/learnathome.html
Coloring Pages. Baltimore artist Landry Randriamandroso has announced that he will be posting coloring pages for kids and adults on his Facebook page. FREE. https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100012200018757
Science at Home. These science experiments, brought to you by the Maryland Science Center, will keep kids' minds learning and engaged. FREE. https://www.mdsci.org/learn/resources/science-at-home/
American Visionary Arts Museum Educational Resources. AVAM offers art workshops at the museum year-round that complement their collection and exhibitions. With these videos, they are coming to YOU with how to's of art projects you can do right at home with everyday household items. Enjoy, and have fun! FREE. http://www.avam.org/for-educators-and-educatees/educational-resources.shtml
Baltmore Museum of Industry. Museums offer a rich learning experience which doesn’t have to stop when you’re at home. Keep kids of all ages engaged during this break from school with these FREE activities designed and collected by the education staff at the Baltimore Museum of Industry. Check back regularly for new activities that explore local industry which we hope will inspire the inventors and innovators of tomorrow. FREE. https://www.thebmi.org/visit/visit-from-home/
Mother Goose on the Loose. This exciting fun-filled story time uses rhymes, songs, puppets, musical instruments and more to stimulate the learning process of babies and toddlers. Mr. Cork is presenting his interactive story time via his Facebook page. He goes live every day at 10:30AM with a new story and at 4:30PM with a dance party! FREE (tips accepted via Venmo and Paypal). https://www.facebook.com/sprocketlearning/
Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum. The Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum is dedicated to teaching students about the history and culture of the Chesapeake Bay’s communities and environment. Scroll down this home page to the Classroom Resources section for links to lessons and videos that you can introduce to children who are home from school. FREE. http://cbmm.org/learn/school-programs/
The Museum, Arts and Culture Access Consortium. The Museum, Arts and Culture Access Consortium has created a webpage to provide access to many at home learning resources from some of New York City's cultural institutions. Check back often. More content connections are being added everyday! FREE. https://macaccess.org/home-new/at-home-activities/
Wilkening Consulting. A Seattle based parent and museum consultant has compiled a list of museums with online lesson plans and learning. Check back often for updates and additional links. FREE. http://www.wilkeningconsulting.com/parental-resources.html
Neil Gaiman Reads. English author, Neil Gaiman, is known for writing a vast array of books from graphic novels to children’s books, from short stories to collaborations with the late-great Terry Pratchett. Readers may also know Neil Gaiman for his soothing voice when he reads the likes of Lewis Carroll’s The Jabberwocky in no other than a tulgey wood for a charitable cause. Gaiman has shared free online readings of his works The Graveyard Book and Coraline. Head to his Mouse Circus website for younger readers to listen. FREE. http://www.mousecircus.com/videos/
Goodnight with Dolly. Beginning April 2nd, everyone’s favorite Book Lady, Dolly Parton, is bringing children and families everywhere just what they need during a time of unrest. Goodnight with Dolly is a 10-week special series of weekly videos featuring Dolly reading select Imagination Library books. It is the hope that this gift will further inspire a love of books and shared storytime during this important period. Dolly hopes this series of stories will provide comfort and reassurance to coping kids and families during the shelter-in-place mandates. There are also links for activity sheets on the site. FREE. https://imaginationlibrary.com/goodnight-with-dolly/
Exercise Classes and Videos
Barry's Bootcamp. Can't get to the gym? Barry's, a gym in NYC, will be streaming a band workout at least once a day on its Instagram. FREE. https://www.instagram.com/barrys/channel/
Planet Fitness. For the next two weeks, Planet Fitness will stream at-home workouts on its Facebook Live every day starting at 7PM. The classes will be led by Planet Fitness trainers and special guests like 'The Biggest Loser' coach Erica Lugo and Jerry O'Connell. The workouts are available to everyone, including non-members. FREE. https://www.facebook.com/planetfitness/
YMCA Exercise Videos. During this time of uncertainty, the Y is here for you. The Y continues to be your support for health and wellbeing, wherever you are. Regular exercise is one component of a healthy lifestyle that can help reduce stress and prevent illness. The Y is offering a variety of at-home exercise options called YMCA 360. You can take group exercise classes for all ages right in your own home at no charge for a limited time! Find some of your favorite classes by browsing videos. https://ymca360.org/
Virtual Marine Biology Camp. During the school shutdowns, Oceans Initiative decided to launch this (very) informal, impromptu, Virtual Marine Biology Camp. They thought it would be fun to be able to hang out online and talk about whales and dolphins and other marine life. They are streaming live on Mondays and Thursdays at 11AM PDT, which is 2PM Eastern, on both Facebook and Instagram. If you miss an episode, you can watch the videos at the link provided. FREE. Mondays & Thursdays at 2PM. Live streaming here: https://www.facebook.com/OceansInitiative/
or https://www.instagram.com/oceansinitiative/?hl=en. Watch videos later here: http://oceansinitiative.org/virtual-marine-biology-camp/
Kore Bootcamps. Virtual Bootcamp! Keep fit while social distancing. $50, first month only. https://korebootcamps.com/
Live Online Yoga Classes. FREE classes provided by some of your favorite LOVE Evolution Studio teachers! LOVE Evolution, in support of the #flattenthecurve mission, is providing yoga to the people - ALL the people. Join the Facebook group and create an account with Love Evolution to access the online classes. Classes are offered at various times through the day. Everyone in the group must have a signed waiver to participate. Create an account and accept/acknowledge our waiver at https://clients.mindbodyonline.com/LoginLaunch?studioid=771375 before requesting access to the Facebook group. Be sure to use the website NOT the app. FREE. Facebook Private Group page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/LESclasses/. Love Evolution's Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/loveevolutionstudio/
Cooking Classes and Videos
Baltimore Chef Shop. The “recipes and tips” section of Baltimore Chef Shop has instructions and videos for some fun and kid friendly recipes. FREE. https://www.baltimorechefshop.com/recipes
Great Italian Cooking Lessons With Massimo Bottura. On MasterClass, the subscription site that taps into the expertise of top names in a variety of fields, from the arts to business, you can learn the secrets of contemporary Italian cuisine with the maestro himself, Massimo Bottura, whose three-Michelin-star Osteria Francescana twice took top place at the World's 50 Best Restaurants Awards. The course, called Massimo Bottura Teaches Modern Italian Cooking, covers a lot of ground, from learning how to make Mediterranean-style sole to a “better than panettone” souffle. $90. https://www.masterclass.com/ You can also find Bottura cooking lessons for free with the recently launched “Kitchen Quarantine” series on his Instagram site, where the famous chef shows what he’s cooking at home during the pandemic. https://www.instagram.com/massimobottura/channel/?hl=en
How To Make Carbonara With Michael White. Chef Michael White of Marea, Morini, and Ai Fiori knows carbonara. He talks through what al dente means, how to cook spaghetti perfectly al dente, whether you should use guanciale, bacon, or pancetta, and whether it’s ever appropriate to throw your spaghetti against the wall. The real secret, though, is copious amounts of pecorino and parmesan cheese. FREE. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-IDUHH0_ow