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Virtual Recreation
We’ve curated some virtual recreation ideas to help make this time of social distancing productive and interesting for the whole family.
Chalk Your Walk #PalmdaleCares
Draw or write encouraging messages on your driveway or sidewalk with chalk. Then take a walk and look for other prints and messages written by your neighbors. Don’t forget to follow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s guidelines: practice social distancing of at least 6 feet, stay home if you’re sick, cover your coughs and sneezes, and wash your hands often.
Wow! Children’s Museum
Visit the museum online for a treasure trove of activities and recipes just for kids: WOW! Bank @ Home, Clinic @ Home, Forest of Light @ Home, Market @ Home, and recipes for Slime, Bubbles and Playdough.
11 Amazing Virtual Museum Tours
- Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History
- Smithsonian American Art Museum, Renwick Gallery
- Natural History Museum London, Hintze Hall
- The Louvre
- California Missions Foundation
- The British Museum
- Metropolitan Museum of Art
- The Museum of Natural Sciences
- The National Museum of Computing
- The VR Museum of Fine Art
- The Frida Kahlo Museum - virtual tour of La Casa Azul.
Monterey Bay Aquarium
The aquarium has ten live cams to choose from so you can experience the wonder of the ocean no matter where you are!
- Aviary Cam – Peek into the aviary for an adventure in birdwatching.
- Coral Reef Cam – Follow busy tropical fishes in ¡Viva Baja!
- Jelly Cam – See breathtaking sea nettles drift and pulse.
- Kelp Forest Cam – see sardines swirl and leopard sharks glide through gently swaying kelp canopies.
- Monterey Bay Cam – Look for otters, birds and sailboats on Monterey Bay.
- Moon Jelly Cam – Be hypnotized by gorgeous flowing moon jellies.
- Open Sea Cam – view open-ocean animals, from tuna to turtles, sharks and sardines.
- Penguin Cam – see African penguins waddle and nest.
- Sea Otter Cam – Enjoy sea otters as they frolic and swim.
- Shark Cam – See sharks and fishes glide in the Monterey Bay Habitats exhibit.
- There are also lots of fun educational activities for kids, from coloring pages to critter cards and games, habitat posters, and much more!
Free Art Lessons for Kids and Adults
- The Art Sherpa offers over 1,000 different videos to follow along and create gorgeous acrylic artwork.
- PopArtDoodle featuring 3-minute videos for little artists.
- FaceDrawer helps kids create their own artwork using their favorite cartoon characters.
- Katie Jobling offers amazing art tutorials for grown-ups.
- Art for Kids Hub features quick and easy art lessons for kids.
- Angela Anderson features amazing art lessons for everything from kid paintings to farmhouse inspired artwork.
- Alfonso Dunn teaches how to create gorgeous works of art using pen and pencil.
- Circle Line Art School is best for seasoned artists or older kids who have the basics down.
- Drawing3DArt is for budding artists looking for a challenge.
- Rapid Fire Art – learn how to improve facial expressions, shadings and more.
- Art a la Carte – learn how to create calligraphy with crayons, make your own stickers, and so much more.
- MyHowToDraw’s quick and easy tutorials of how to draw everything from Justin Bieber to Peppa Pig.
Online story time for kids and adults
- MouseCircus.com – the official Neil Gaiman website where young readers can listen to his best-selling The Graveyard Book and Coraline on video, play free online games, and download fun activities.
- Storyline Online is SAG-AFTRA Foundation’s award-winning children’s literacy website featuring children’s favorite books narrated by the likes of Kevin Costner and Sarah Silverman.
- Free Childrens Stories is always free to read, offers a variety of stories by age, as well as stories in Spanish for kids.
- NeilGaiman.com – head over for intellectual stimulation for adults where you’ll find tons of cool stuff to download, read and listen to, including short stories such as the Hugo Award-nominated How to Talk to Girls at Parties.
Free space projects for kids and adults stuck at home
- Spot the Station is a tracking tool that allows you to look up your location from anywhere on earth, and find out when, where and how you can see the International Space Station pass over head.
- NASA Science Space Place features lots of hands-on activities for kids.
- NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory’s Teachable Moments for students.
Fitness Court®
Staying strong & fit is easy on the Fitness Court®, but when you’re stuck inside, what can you do? Starting today... you can do it all! We’ve partnered with @NatFitCampaign to bring you an indoor Fitness Court workout to help you move, stretch and stay positive in just 7 minutes a day. Download the free app at nfchq.com/app and get started now! #OptInside”
Catch a virtual concert
Billboard and NPR are keeping updated lists of online concerts, who’s playing, and where you can catch it.