Whether or not you have a degree in education, if you have kids, you’re now a teacher. Fortunately there are many online resources to keep them entertained. Some have always been free; others are now gratis thanks to companies dropping paywalls while schools are closed. You can take your kids on a virtual museum visit, secretly teach them chemistry with cooking, and get some phys ed into their days with digital dance-offs. Best of all, a lot of these are self-directed, so you can get work done or take some time for yourself while your kids are having fun and getting educated.
Khan Academy Kids
Kids might not have friends around them during the day but they will love learning and playing along with Cody, Ollo, Reya, Sandy, and Peck in Khan Academy Kids(Opens in a new window). The five animal friends promote social and emotional development while kids learn language skills and math. They can also hear stories, play games, color, and draw.
Fit in some phys ed time with GoNoodle(Opens in a new window). The site has short videos that feature different styles of music with easy dances kids can follow. Videos are organized by channel and can get kids hyped up (House Party(Opens in a new window)) or calm them down (Flow(Opens in a new window)). Aside from the routines, there are plenty of projects to keep kids entertained and occupied. Everything on GoNoodle is the work of child-development specialists, educators, and researchers. Find videos on Roku(Opens in a new window), Apple TV, and mobile devices (Amazon(Opens in a new window), iOS(Opens in a new window), Android(Opens in a new window)).
America's Test Kitchen - Kitchen Classroom
Are you serving as full-time chef for your household? Get your kids to help out without them even realizing it. America’s Test Kitchen has put together Kitchen Classroom(Opens in a new window), which has fun videos about food, activities, and, yes, easy-to-follow recipes. Kids can get into making their own bread(Opens in a new window), start their day with homemade granola(Opens in a new window), and cook up their favorite chicken tenders(Opens in a new window).
Audible has made lots of titles available for free(Opens in a new window) until schools reopen. There’s something for every age and you don’t have to log in to stream on a laptop, desktop, phone, or tablet. With literary classics (and Harry Potter) included, adults might want to listen too. Audiobooks aren’t limited to English-language versions either. You can find French, German, Spanish, Italian, and Japanese editions.
Google Arts & Culture
You don’t have to pay admission fees for kids to walk through museums or burn through your airline miles for them to see the wonders of the world. Google Arts & Culture is filled with a seemingly infinite number of places to “bring” them. Some places to start: meet a Jurassic giant face to face(Opens in a new window), project famous artworks right where you stand(Opens in a new window), or choreograph a dance with AI(Opens in a new window). Google Arts & Culture can be used on your computer(Opens in a new window) or on a phone or tablet (iOS(Opens in a new window), Android(Opens in a new window)).
Tubi for Kids
Tubi, one of PCMag's top picks for free streaming services, has a nice selection for kids(Opens in a new window), too. Though much of it might be more familiar to parents than kids (Inspector Gadget!), they can also watch cartoon versions of books that have been turned into cartoons; Madeline(Opens in a new window), Eloise(Opens in a new window), and Babar(Opens in a new window) are all delightful.
Radiolab for Kids
Radio show/podcast Radiolab is never short on stories or science, but it's sometimes not suited for a younger audience. So the team put together a collection of family-friendly shows with Radiolab for Kids(Opens in a new window). What kid (or adult) does not want to learn about animals that laugh(Opens in a new window)?
Learn With Smithsonian
Learn With Smithsonian(Opens in a new window) has an exhaustive collection of art, history, and science learning experiences and projects. There are virtual zoo visits(Opens in a new window), STEM-friendly activities(Opens in a new window), and explorations into Ancient Egypt(Opens in a new window).
Caribu(Opens in a new window) is a video-calling and activity app that lets kids connect with faraway friends and family members, so they can read books, play games, and color together. It’s a great way for kids to still feel connected to those who are closest to them. The unlimited version of the app requires a subscription but the free version gives you access to 15 activities and books per month.
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