Summer Enrichment & Learning
Free resources for use while hanging out and learning at home this Summer.
Technical Help (How-to for Distance Learning)
Discovery Education – Information on structuring and conducting virtual learning experiences
Harvard Graduate School of Education – Shifting to Online Teaching for K-12 teachers article
Teq – Professional Development helps educators successfully integrate technology into instruction. When teachers sign-up for basic and they will be automatically upgraded to a full subscription for free
Zoom – New to Working from Home? Here Are Some Tips to Help You Meet Like a Pro article
Zoom – Joining and Participating in a Zoom Webinar
Websites & Online Activities
Arcademics – Arcade game activities for grades 1-6 to improve knowledge in math, geography, typing, spelling, and language arts
Boardmaker Activities-to-go – Designed for little kids who are visual learners, Boardmaker offers free printable activities that are especially beneficial for children with special needs, such as those with Down syndrome or autism.
Cox Campus – Video-based learning experiences and activities for K-3 grade students to support reading skills and emotional growth; 4-week exploration in English and Spanish
English Media Lab – Free English Exercises for English language learners at all levels, including older learners; Games, puzzles, English TV, animated videos, vocabulary, listening, pronunciation, spelling, and SAT practice activities
Entertain Kids on a Dime – 100 Activities to do at home using household items or dollar store finds
Epic! – Digital Library for children 12 and younger of 40,000 books, learning videos and more
Hand2Mind – PreK-5th grade learning activities and manipulatives for math, science, and literacy
Hippocampus – 7,000 videos across 13 subjects for middle school to college-age students
Izzit – Educational videos for K-12+ children in 9 subject areas
Minecraft – STEM educational video games that teach problem-solving, collaboration, and creativity
NASA Kids Club – Games that support national education standards in STEM for children PreK-4
- National Geographic Kids – Games, videos and explorations that center on wildlife and preservation for children of all ages
Nature Lab at Home – Week-long thematic family teaching guides to explore nature at home
Rockalingua – Music-based Spanish learning games
Storypark Blog – Video library of creative activities to do at home
Time for Kids – Time magazine for children grades K-6 in English and Spanish
Touchable Earth – Designed for children ages 8-11 to let kids teach each other about the world using short videos; Promotes tolerance for gender, culture, and identity
Educational Apps
NSF Science Zone – (Android/iOS) National Science Foundation app available at App Store for iPhone or iPad; Hundreds of exciting videos and photos about science discoveries
Science Journal – (Most Chromebooks, Android & iOS) More than 70 hands-on science activities from education experts and documenting science tools
SkyView – (Android/iOS) Stargazing experience to aid in identifying planets and constellations
WWF Free Rivers – (Android & iOS) Virtual world interactive storytelling experience that teaches how people, wildlife, and landscapes depend on healthy flowing rivers
Vroom – Brain building activities for children 6 and younger in real-world settings
Hands-on & Off-screen Learning Activities
America’s Test Kitchen – Kids’ recipes, activities, and quizzes
Crayola Crafts – Video demonstrations of craft ideas for preschool to elementary age students
Fender Play – 3-month offer for free guitar, bass and ukulele lessons
Go Noodle – Movement exercises for elementary and younger children to stay active and mindful in English and Spanish
Mystery Science – K-5 video lessons with hands-on activities to develop scientific knowledge
Museum of Science + Industry Chicago Science at Home – Hands-on science activities, videos, and games
Osmo Kaleidoscope – Hands-on STEAM collaborative and creative learning tools for PreK-4th grade children
Scratch – Learn coding to create stories, games, and animations
Take Lessons – Online classes for children and adults in world languages, music, fitness, and cooking
Virtual Field Trips
Discovery Education Conservation Station – 26-minute video and series of 5 short videos that explores how the internet can be used to conserve natural resources, protect ecosystems, and create safer, more sustainable communities.
Discovery Education Innovation Generation – 25- minute video of student project to create crash test cars with mechanical engineers and the two teams test it!
Discovery Education Girls Get STEM – 25- minute video (in English or Spanish) exploration of engineering through robotics with Girl Scouts
Discovery Education Navigating Nuclear Energizing Our World – Journey inside a nuclear reactor to see what future holds for advances in nuclear capabilities and exploration of careers in nuclear science
Discovery Education Eggs in School – K-5 and 6-8 grade 30-minute videos that teach about conserving and protecting natural resources to produce eggs and explore the ecosystem and food webs of an egg
Florida Aquarium – 16-minute video tour with African penguins
Stingray – 14-minute video of stingray feeding
Great Lakes Now – 5-minute videos targeted towards grades 6-8 students on Coastal Wetlands, Algae, and Lake Sturgeon
LG (Life’s Good) Experience Happiness – 27-minute video that explores the science of happiness; Six Sustainable Happiness Skills
Mission Census – 16-minute video that explores what the census is, how information is collected, and how it informs the future alongside students in grades 4-12
National Constitution Center – 6-minute video about the center devoted to the Constitution
Nickelodeon Slime in Space – 15-minute video that explores sending slime into space experiment
Scholastic Trip to Ellis Island – 31-minute video teaching the story of immigrants perspective of coming to America via Ellis Island
Seattle Aquarium – 30-minute video tour
Educational Videos & Television
PBS Parents – Guide to free resources for learning with PBS KIDS programming themed activities
Seeker Learning – Exploring the universe, planet, and new innovations
Sesame Street – Videos, games, and art for young children with fun muppet characters
The LEGO Story – 17-minute animated story of how LEGO was created
The Weather Channel – Science -based videos that cover weather related explorations
Social-Emotional Support
Crisis Text Line – Crisis counselor support 24/7
American Academy of Pediatrics Talking to Children about Tragedies & Events – Articles and videos to guide families on talking about events, communication, discipline, childcare, healthy living, etc. (English and Spanish)
Guide for Parents and Educators for Talking with Children and Youth After Traumatic Events – Tips for how to talk to children when they experience trauma or are exposed to trauma from television or adult conversations that they hear
At-Home Independent Learning
English Media Lab – Free English Exercises for English language learners at all levels, including older learners; Games, puzzles, English TV, animated videos, vocabulary, listening, pronunciation, spelling, and SAT practice activities
Entertain Kids on a Dime – 100 Activities to do at home using household items or dollar store finds
History at Home – A collection of HISTORY’s educational shows for middle and high school students with study and discuss guides
International Children’s Digital Library – Digital picture and chapter books in multiple languages
Imagineering in a Box – Exploration of different aspects of theme park design with Disney’s Imagineers
Ivy League Free Online – Free online courses from Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, Penn, Princeton, and Yale
Khan Academy – Free lessons in math, science, and humanities for kindergarten through early college
Khan Academy Kids App – Free, no ads app for ages 2-7 to learn reading, writing, math, social-emotional, problem-solving, and motor skills through activities, games, drawing, and coloring
Make Beliefs Comix – Create comic strips, books, or greeting cards with 13 languages available
Microsoft Education – Home and family resources that can help families connect, work, learn, and play at home; Staying in touch, enjoying cultural activities, and create social activities
Microsoft Family Learning Center – Simple, family-led learning experiences for ages 3 to 12
Museum of Science + Industry Chicago Science at Home – Hands-on science activities, videos, and games
Out of Eden Special Learning Journey – Creating and Sharing Neighborhood Maps- Create a local area map, share a related a story with a family
Out of Eden Special Learning Journey – Looking Closely at Objects with other Generations- Learning from someone of a different generation project with resources links
Smithsonian Education Guides for Spanish – Spanish language educational resources for arts & culture, history & social studies, and science & nature
Starfall – Activities to help students in grades K-3 learn how to read and do math better; Especially helpful for English Language Learners and students with Special Needs
Storyline Online – Videos featuring actors reading children’s books
TEDEd – Video-based lessons organized by age, subject, and themes