If you’re after educational, yet fun ways to entertain your kids at home then look no further, there’s a whole bunch of online activities that’ll keep them engaged. From fun videos to homeschooling activities, virtual scuba diving to interactive art programs, the internet really does have a lot to offer.
YouTube Kids
The great thing about Youtube Kids is that not only is it slick and fun to use but you can have separate profiles. You can create a user for each of your children and set age-appropriate content accordingly. This means your children can enjoy the programs that they love and without having to endure the ones of their other siblings for example.
It’s also possible to set a screen time limit so you can control how long they watch the videos. You can decide whether you want to let the kids search for themselves, or only watch the content approved by yourselves. Youtube itself also vets certain channels so you know you can trust what they are watching. In any case, you have a lot of content to choose from and complete control.
There are also homeschooling options in place. Crash Course, for example, is a Youtube channel for high school students. Students can even share links to activities with their school peers and study together. If you’re concerned about anything they might be exposed to online or on their phone you can monitor text messages on iPhone.
Science and Museums
The Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum has a multitude of activities to offer, from science podcasts to virtual tours. They can visit space from the living room, see views from satellites, and many more awesome and educational online activities.
Nation Marine Sanctuaries are offering virtual dives, how cool is that? If your children are interested in marine biology, let them explore the world under the sea, without even getting wet! They can dive with sea lions using only a wifi connection and smartphone or tablet. State-of-the-art 360 degrees imaging gives amazing special effects.
The American Museum of Natural History has plenty of cool interactive activities to offer, as well as exhibits. It’s great fun for all the family and there are many different types of games and educational features. The museum also boasts its own Youtube channel, as does the New York History Society, full of audio recordings from famous historians and other scholars.
International museums are doing the same, so why not go on a virtual holiday. The Louvre, Paris, has great options for online tours, for all its extensive range of exhibits. Due to this enormous museum being closed until further notice, there are now plenty of guided tours set up online, so you can view whichever part of the museum you are most interested in.
Another really cool option for all the family is Skype a scientist. If the worrying events of the current crisis are confusing and upsetting to your children, why not have them talk to an expert? Or otherwise, ask them anything they want about science, nature, and life on this planet!
If you wanna let them decide, Google Arts and Culture is a fantastic little app they can download with collections of hundreds of museums and art galleries worldwide, all with street views and virtual tours. You will literally be able to visit all these museums without leaving your living room. There are plenty of fascinating exhibitions to choose from.
Art Online
If you want your kids to be inspired by real artists, while having fun, Tate Kids has loads of fun interactive options online. You can make pop art like Andy Warhol, learn about street art, or even make a painting out of chocolate. There are also online workshops and lessons suitable for different ages, and older children can take more advanced art classes.
If you want to test their future career skills and technical abilities, check out these 4 websites where kids can create digital art, again, there really is no age restriction. Kids use digital tools to create art and they tend to get absorbed in this pretty quickly.
The artist Louise Lawler in collaboration with MoMa New York is offering a fun interactive program where she recreates tracings of famous pieces of artwork, and you can color them in. This will keep them busy for hours, it’s for both adults and children alike. You can frame your creations once you’ve finished the project, or share them online with your family and friends.
