There is an unbelievable wealth of amazing content being created right now and at times, it can seem overwhelming. We have compiled a list of resources and websites that we think is exciting. Authors, illustrators, children’s musicians, zoos, and museums have all teamed up to bring the fun directly into your homes. Credit goes to all the helpers in this pandemic who freely shared information. We see you.
As you engage in these explorations please tag us #RosenbergLibrary on social media and let us know which ones you found most valuable. What would other families find useful?
If you are unable to find content to enjoy from our highly selective list, please reach out and let Children’s Department staff do research to find resources for your family. Call (409) 763 – 8854 ext. 135 or email kstanley@rosenberg-library.org with requests.
The Big List of Children’s Authors Doing Online Read Alouds & Activities: explore an extensive list of children’s authors creating content right now.
Dan Gutman: My Weird School author Dan Gutman reads his books aloud in many videos on Youtube.
Dav Pilkey at Home: creator of Dog Man and Captain Underpants, favorite author/illustrator Dav Pilkey offers book-themed activities and shows kids how to draw their favorite characters with his Friday Fun videos.
Debbie Ridpath Ohi: Children’s picture book author Debbie Ridpath Ohi presents read alouds and how-to draw videos on YouTube.
Draw Everyday with JJK: New York Times best-selling author/illustrator of the Lunch Lady graphic novels, Jarrett J. Krosoczka offers free art, cartooning, and writing lessons on his YouTube channel.
Goodnight with Dolly: Dolly Parton, sponsored by her “Imagination Library,” reads bedtime stories to kids on her YouTube channel.
Harry Potter at Home #HarryPotteratHome: Expelliarmus boredom! Read or listen to the first Harry Potter book. No wait. Then welcome the Wizarding World of Harry Potter into your home! Fun articles, quizzes, challenging puzzles, craft videos and activity kits give you control of the magic.
Julie’s Library: Join Julie Andrews as she reads popular children’s books aloud.
Kate Messner’s Read, Wonder, & Learn: Children’s picture book and middle grade novel author, Kate Messner has compiled a thorough list of authors and illustrator resources sorted by grade levels from Pre-K through Grade 12.
KidLit TV: Explore the world of children’s literature with KitLit TV and their collection of author/illustrator shows, radio, book-themed crafts and activities, and book trailers.
Fun with Mo Willems: Favorite author/illustrator of the popular Pigeon books and the Elephant & Piggie series hosts a lunchtime illustration lesson for kids. Learning to draw has never been so much fun!
Mac’s Book Club Show: Children’s author/illustrator Mac Barnett reads his books aloud on Instagram TV.
#OperationStorytime: Follow #OperationStorytime on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to see children’s book authors & illustrators host live-readings of their own books.
Pete the Cat Club: Get creative with the Pete the Cat Club presented by author James Dean and the official Pete the Cat Instagram.
Peter Reynolds: author/illustrator of The Dot, Ish, and the Happy Dreamer, Peter Reynolds reads his own books on Facebook.
Read & Learn with Simon Kids: presenting YouTube videos featuring read-alouds, drawing tutorials, and more!
Read Together, Be Together & Penguin Kids: Parents Magazine and Penguin Random House have joined forces to showcase favorite authors and celebrities as they live-stream picture book readings on Penguin Kids’ Facebook.
#SaveWithStories: visit #Savewithstories on Instagram for children’s picture book readings by A-list celebrities supporting Save the Children & No Kid Hungry initiatives.
I Survived Book Club: Join the I Survived Book Club & hear the author Lauren Tarshis read aloud, go on a virtual field trip and play games related to the book series.
Snack & Read LIVE with Simon Kids: features read-alouds and activities live on Facebook every Wednesday at 2:00 pm EST / 1:00 pm CST.
Storyline Online: Visit the SAG-AFTRA Foundation’s award-winning children’s literacy website to view videos of actors reading children’s picture books. Readers include Viola Davis, Kevin Costner, James Earl Jones, Betty White plus more.
Storytime from Space: Astronauts on the Space Station read stories and conduct science experiments for the children of Earth as the world rotates below.
At Home with Emily Arrow: Sing along, hear stories & practice mindfulness with children’s musician Emily Arrow on her YouTube channel.
Go Noodle: Go Noodle is free and provides 100s of movement and mindfulness videos for kids!
Laurie Berkner Band: Sing, dance, & enjoy.
Lincoln Center at Home: Watch performing arts with Lincoln Center at home with pop-up classrooms and concerts for families. Also, follow #concertsforkids on social media to find other performing arts concerts for families.
Mr. Jon & Friends: Children’s musician Mr. Jon and Friends hosts a series of live videos archived on his Facebook page.
No-Nap Happy Hour: Find a series of free and fun live music videos for families on their Facebook page.
NPR Music: Find a music concert for your viewing pleasure from the assortment of musical choices NPR has compiled on their website.
P.E. with Joe: The “Nation’s P.E. Coach,” Joe Wicks offers free P.E. lessons on YouTube to get kids up and moving.
Peanut Butter & Jam Sessions: Visit Linton Music’s Peanut Butter and Jam Sessions for an entertaining and interactive musical experience.
Preschool Inspirations: Get up and get moving with Preschool Inspiration’s compilation of great children’s yoga videos (click on “Kids Yoga” and scroll to the bottom).
Brains On: Join Molly Bloom and a different kid co-host each week in the award-winning podcast for kids and families that encourage kids’ curiosity and wonder using science and history.
But Why? A Podcast for Curious Kids: Have you ever wondered if llamas are ticklish or how you fall asleep? Tune in to the podcast for kids by kids as they tackle topics large and small about nature, words, and more.
Circle Round by NPR: Listen to 10 – 20 minute episodes of carefully selected folktales from around the world as sound and music-rich radio plays for kids ages 4 – 10. Each episode ends with an activity to try at home.
The Imagine Neighborhood: is a podcast designed to help children & grown-ups grow their social-emotional skills through the award-winning SEL (Social-Emotional Learning) curriculum, Second Step.
Kids Ask Authors with Grace Lin: A weekly 5 – 10 minute podcast where kids ask the questions and host Grace Lin along with a guest author answer. The episodes are rounded out with a short story, joke, book review, or poem created by kids.
The Music Box by NPR: NPR is taking classical music out of the box and discovering what music is at its core through podcasts created by classrooms across the country.
The Past & the Curious: A History Podcast for kids and families.
Story Pirates: The #1 podcast for kids and families, Story Pirates celebrates the words and ideas of kids. They take stories created by kids and turn them into performance art. This one is definitely worth a listen!
Story Seeds Podcast: Each episode features the results of a collaboration between kids ages 6 – 12, their original stories and best-selling authors.
Wow in the World by NPR: Hosts Mindy Thomas and Guy Raz journey into the wonders of the world around them to explore the coolest new stories in science and technology for kids.
5 National Parks: Explore the beauty of 5 National Parks through their virtual tours.
12 Famous Museums: Visit these 12 famous museums such as the British Museum in London and the Guggenheim Museum in New York from the comfort of your home.
Atlanta Zoo: See what the pandas are up to at the Atlanta Zoo with the Panda Cam.
Children’s Museum of Houston: attend virtual workshops, story time, toddler time, and more at their website or follow them on Facebook for their daily Facebook live-streams.
Galveston Live Webcams: Enjoy live views of the island from locations on the Seawall, Strand, Pier 21, and Moody Gardens.
Explore.org: Hosts an impressive webcam assortment of animals in the wild in addition to live-streams of domesticated animals such as farm animals, kittens, and puppies.
Georgia Aquarium: Visit the Georgia Aquarium to spy webcams featuring Beluga whales, otters, African penguins, jellyfish, and more.
Great Wall of China: Learn about and view the Great Wall of China with this virtual tour.
Houston Museum of Natural Science: view behind the scene videos, science demos, storytimes with Dino Dave, a virtual dinosaur adventure, and more.
Houston Zoo: Pop into the Houston Zoo webcam page to watch the rhinos, gorillas, giraffes, elephants, leaf-cutter ants, chimpanzees, and flamingos.
Louvre: Go on a virtual tour to see art by Rembrandt, Egyptian Antiquities, and more with the world’s largest art museum in Paris, France.
Mars: Explore the surface of Mars with NASA’s Curiosity Rover in your browser.
Million Mile Secrets: has compiled a list of 13 virtual museums and galleries to tour from your home. Virtually visit art museums, science and history museums and a few “weird” museums. Also find a Virtual Field Trip Activity Log for your child’s next digital tour.
Monterey Bay Aquarium: features 10 live webcams for our entertainment highlighting habitats such as an aviary, a coral reef, kelp forest, and animals like sharks and moon jellies.
Moody Gardens: Visit local favorite Moody Gardens while at home with their 5 live-cams.
Nature Conservancy: The Nature Conservancy presents virtual tours for grades 5 – 8 to bring rain forests, coral reefs, deserts, and more to your home.
San Diego Zoo: Observe tigers, polar bears, baboons, koalas, and more at the San Diego Zoo with their live-stream cams.
Son Doong Cave: Take a virtual trip and fly 360° through the world’s largest cave: Son Doong in Vietnam.
Stellarium Web: Bring the planetarium to your home with the Stellarium Web.
Yellowstone National Park: Take a virtual tour of Yellowstone National Park and view hot springs, mud volcanoes, and more.
20 Screen-Free Things to do with Your Kids: There are fun things to do that can also limit screen time, here are a few ideas!
50+ Easy Indoor Activities for Kids: Discover how to create an obstacle course, a sensory walk, and more for your kids with objects you already have in your home!
Camp Play @ Home: Little Tikes features a virtual summer camp that hosts fun for the whole family with activities, songs, games, videos, and fun downloads for free.
Crayola: Color & get crafty with how-to videos by Crayola on Facebook.
Fun Activities for Kids: Smart Parent Advice offers a few different fun activities to do with your toddlers & school age children.
Messy Hands: Kids Cooking: Watch & learn how to make tasty easy recipes on Messy Hands: Kids Cooking on YouTube.
Plays.org offers free & fun online games played directly from your browser.
Poki.com features free online games available for your desktop, tablet or phone without a download.
ABCya: Educational games for kids of all ages makes learning fun.
CoolMath: CoolMath4Kids.com offers online math games that help with addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, decimals, and money for ages 3 – 12. Visit CoolMath-Games for preschooler appropriate math games.
FunBrain: Free educational games for Pre-K – Grade 8.
How Stuff Works: When your kids ask why the sky is blue or how a hurricane forms, check out How Stuff Works and read the articles that break down the how’s and why’s of the world on multiple subjects. Includes games, quizzes & videos.
Learning Games for Kids: Educational games on a variety subjects and presented in many formats.
Make Me Genius: jump start your child’s natural curiosity with a variety of videos covering topics such as physics for kids, nervous system, electricity, photosynthesis, and the solar system for kindergarteners through 7th graders.
NASA STEM @ Home: has games, activities and videos specialized for students grades K – 4 & grades 5 – 8.
National Geographic Kids: Play games, watch videos and explore with National Geographic Kids.
Nick Jr.: Kids can see their favorite Nick Jr. characters while playing games and watching videos.
PBS Kids: Find educational games and videos from your kid’s favorite PBS shows.
Scratch: Program your own interactive stories, games, and animations for free with scratch & then share your creations with others in the online community.
Sesame Street: Learn, watch & play with Sesame Street.
SprogTube: SprogTube is a safe alternative for your kids to watch YouTube videos, featuring games, sports, music, animation, and more.
Starfall: Games, videos and activities for math, language arts, music and more offered for Pre-K – Grade 3.
Annuity Financial Literacy: Annuity.org addresses how parents and caregivers should approach teaching kids about money. It is never too early to learn financial responsibility. Find lessons and activities by age and practical applications for teaching kids about money.
Galveston County Food Bank: If your family needs assistance during this time, please visit the Galveston County Food Bank.
GISD Resources Page: to find local, state and national resources, please visit Galveston Independent School District’s webpage to find an exhaustive list.
NPR Web-Comic: Explaining what is happening in the world right now to your kids can be daunting. Here is an NPR Web-Comic that succinctly explains the Coronavirus to kids.
PBS Video: PBS presents a video for parents explaining the “Do’s and Don’ts during the Corona Virus outbreak.”
Pigly’s Kids’ Guide to Emergency Savings teaches children how to budget and the importance of saving money through financial lesson plans geared towards kids from preschool – grade 12.
Texas Youth Helpline: The Texas Youth Helpline provides prevention services to youth, parents, siblings, and other family members who are in need of a caring voice and sympathetic ear. There are trained volunteers who are on call to help provide youth-related concerns, referral information, or to simply listen. Anyone can call (800) 989 – 6884, call or text (512) 872 – 5777, and you can also chat on their website.