6 Ways to Get Out of the House … Virtually

I don’t know about you, but after four weeks of stay-at-home with the kids, I have really pushed myself to figure out ways to help us pass the time and (just maybe) educate the kids a little bit. Here are my top 6 ideas to share:

1. Explore our National Parks: Become a Junior Ranger online with interactive and printable activities from a variety of U.S. National Parks. My son likes to watch wildlife, geysers, and other special landmarks from National Parks across the country – all in real time. If that’s not enough, you can take a virtual tour of these five U.S. National Parks, experience the breath-taking views of Yosemite National Park, or the view the naturally unique geysers and pools of Yellowstone. Note: Here’s another, even more robust list of 62 U.S. National Park virtual tours.
2. Travel the World: Looking for something a little more exotic in your virtual travels? Take a virtual tour of:
   • Machu Pichu, Peru
   • Iguazu Falls, South America
   • The Vatican, Italy
   • La Sagrada Familia, Barcelona, Spain
   •  3-minute tour of Tokyo (complete with Pikachu!), or
   • The Acropolis, Athens, Greece
3. Underwater Exploration: Learn about the deep blue sea, and all the creatures that live in it with the Georgia Aquarium’s at-home learning site. Their assortment of live-stream events and webcam updates, fun lesson plans and resources, and spotlights on various animals feels more like fun than learning!
4. Get Curious: Get a drone’s eye view of City Museum in St. Louis. This fly-through video shows all the museum has to offer!
5. Visit the Library:  The Kansas City Public Library is now offering a huge assortment of virtually accessible items, including books, audio books, videos, TV shows, movies and more. You can even get an eCard if you don’t yet have a membership! Even better, most of our KC-area libraries are expanding their virtual offerings as well. Find your local library here.
6. Learn a new skill: Learn a new instrument, learn to draw, practice yoga, learn to juggle. Whatever it is that you and the kids have been wanting to learn, you can probably find it on YouTube!

One more great virtual resource

So now we’re up to 7 resources, with this newest addition: a fantastic virtual field trips site that has tons of learning options. Really, you can find something for even the pickiest person in the house to enjoy. My kids’ favorites so far are the Africam and Explore animal videos. If you’re looking for a moment of zen, I highly suggest watching the Houston Zoo’s flamingo cam!