Coronacation! Online Activities for Kids During COVID-19

COVID-19, also known as the novel corona virus, is keeping kids and their parents, at home. As with any out-of-school time, kids require lots of activities to engage them and keep them entertained. Online activities fit the bill by providing indoor, accessible entertainment to keep kids calm and happy during these troubling times. Here are some of the best, free, online activities for you and your children to enjoy during this enforced “coronacation” (or at any other time):

Storybooks

The Screen Actors Guild (SAG-AFTRA Foundation) has an award-winning children’s literacy initiative, a collection of videos of famous actors reading storybooks, called Storyline Online. Children can choose selections from the extensive library, such as Harry the Dirty Dog, read by Betty White, or Rita Moreno reading I Need My Monster.

Museums

Many museums are closed for the duration, but your children can still get their fill of culture with an online museum tour. Here are some museums that offer virtual tours:

Zoos and Animal Cams

Children love to visit the zoo. Many zoos offer virtual tours, and some of them have animal cams. Note that the animals may not always be visible on screen, as volunteers and staff may be on limited work schedules, which means they may not be around to change the camera’s angle.

Field Trips

Kids may be stuck at home, but they can still take a virtual field trip. Here are some popular online destinations offering online tours.

coronacation virtual tour on phone
The coronacation can’t stop this young man from taking an amazing virtual tour by phone!

Cultural Sites

Has your child always wanted to see the Oval Office? A palace? What better way to travel the world than from the comfort of your home (with snacks, of course)? Here are some of our favorites:

Concerts and Ballets

Music soothes the savage breast, including that of your restive child during the extended coronacation. Check out The Royal Opera House’s (London) youtube channel where your child can watch an opera or a ballet and see the colorful costumes of The Caterpillar from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, or The Dance of the Knights from Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet.

Dance and Exercise

One of the key issues to being cooped up inside, especially for kids, is the need to burn off some of the energy that kids seem to have in abundance. We know that exercise is important for both physical and mental health. Our suggestion: check out the wide range of content offered at Go Noodle Good Energy at Home for working off some of that extra coronacation energy.

Mom and daughter dance hour in the living room
If you maintain a decent social distance, it’s fine to work off some energy with some indoor dance time.

Health and Fitness

Kids who balk at exercise and dance, on the other hand, may benefit from learning more about how such activities keep them healthy. Health and the Human Body is a comprehensive resource guide of fun, free, online games and activities that kids can play to learn all about their bodies, and how they can take better care of their health. Learning more about staying healthy and fit would seem to be just what children need while staying home to stay safe in a time of pandemic.

Found what you just read useful? Why not consider sending a donation to our Kars4Kids youth and educational programs. Or help us just by sharing!

Found what you just read useful? Why not consider sending a donation to our Kars4Kids youth and educational programs. Or help us just by sharing!

Subscribe via email

About Varda Epstein

Varda Meyers Epstein serves as editor in chief of Kars4Kids Parenting. A native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Varda is the mother of 12 children and is also a grandmother of 12. Her work has been published in The Washington Post, The Huffington Post, The Learning Site, The eLearning Site, and Internet4Classrooms.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. renee says

    well were all suppose to be staying home, why would you encourage to go out?????

    • Varda Epstein says

      “Online” not “outside.” There is nothing in this article that encourages anyone to go out.

  2. Alma says

    Thank you I was so lost and hate looking up anything online, it’s scary

  3. Jacqueline Gomez says

    Love, love this – thank you for caring & sharing.
    I am a Family Advocate at a pre-K school and is will help with my 90 families.
    Really would appreciate it going forward if you continue to have a link for my & other families.
    (I am also a past customer 😉 )

  4. JJ says

    “Coronacation?” Really?! People are dying from this. It’s great to offer free ideas for home entertainment, but equating this in ANY way with a vacation is thoughtless at best.

    • Varda Epstein says

      Kids are on vacation from school because of the coronavirus global pandemic. Vacation comes from the word “vacate.” Schools have been vacated for the duration.

  5. VRTC says

    I thought the “cation” was coupling EDUcation with the virus name. perspectives…

    • Varda Epstein says

      Ha ha. Well, watching a zoo cam could certainly be considered educational. To a point!

  6. Meka says

    Thank you! This is very helpful for so many families. Do you know if any of these virtue tours charge a fee? I wanted to know what to tell the parents as I share these fun activities for the children. This is very good to help the children from being bored, and to remain calm; especially when they can’t play outside with their friends or can’t go to school. This is the perfect time for a lot of the parents to Home-School their children.

  7. Jason says

    “Music soothes the savage breast,” Looks like a typo. Thought I would point it out to be corrected.