Free Tools to Enjoy While Social Distancing
Life is looking very different for many of us. From closed schools to people working from home for an indefinite amount of time, we are all trying to adapt to these new ways of life as quickly and with as much grace as possible.
One thing we’ve noticed is the vast amount of free things that are suddenly becoming available online. Especially free things to help parents who have kids of all ages home for the rest of the quarter or semester. We’ve gathered some of our favorites below so you don’t have to dig. And we hope this resource, which we will keep adding to, can save a little time and maybe lower stress levels for just a little bit.
Do you have favorite tools or resources you’re now using? Please share in the comments! Or find us on Facebook and share with everyone there. Together, we can all help each other.
Free Museum Tours
Museums all over the world are sharing exhibits through live streams and virtual tours. These are great tools to add to any teaching happening at home. Even if you don’t have children at home, it’s a wonderful way to feel like you’re traveling for a moment and see incredible works of art.
British Museum — have you always wanted to see the Rosetta Stone? Or maybe you were lucky enough to visit but couldn’t get anywhere close to the stone? Then check out the tour available virtually.
National Gallery of Art — there are two online exhibits right now, featuring items from American history. A perfect way to talk about the history of our country.
Many museums are partnering with Google to offer virtual tours and the list grows every day. Check out this article for 12 museums you can access right now, including the two above.
Free Workout Classes
Many people have received news that their favorite yoga studio or gym is now closed until it’s safe for everyone to return. But during stressful times such as these, exercise is so important! Whether you just need a class for yourself or you want to fold in some exercise as a PE element for your kids, there are lots of options.
Local studios — if you haven’t checked with your local yoga or pilates studio, we recommend starting there. Most are offering either free or inexpensive classes. Not only do you get great instruction, but you’re also supporting a small business in your community. Some studios are even using Zoom so that they can see participants pose form!
Other options include free access to Peloton classes on their app and a 30-day free pass with The Daily Burn. This article gathers a variety of options for everyone’s workout needs.
Animal Live Cams
Who doesn’t want to look at animals when they are feeling stressed? Not only are they a great stress reliever, some of the animal cams available are also wonderful teaching tools for kids.
San Diego Zoo — this famous zoo has a variety of animal web cams available. Condors, elephants, pandas, polar bears, and so much more.
National Zoo — with four web cams, the National Zoo is still providing some good distraction. Just know that the animals might not always be visible on the camera!
If you need more animals, The Verge has you covered.
And we will keep gathering some of our favorite things to help you have a handy resource. Of course, when it comes to game time after dinner we always recommend a fun round of How Do You See The World? With all the change happening around us, you just might be surprised how you answer some questions now.