Resource Round-Up
Here is just a handful of the amazing activities created by people from around the world to keep us learning and exploring while we stay safe at home. Please note that start times for live events may be for other time zones and will need to be adjusted to Central Standard Time.
May 14, 2020
ALL AGES
- Virtual Yoga at MAM – Join the Milwaukee Art Museum for virtual yoga on May 16 and June 13
- MOWA Virtual Tours – Take a virtual trip to the Wisconsin Museum of Art and enjoy its art
- Online Board Games – Play games with friends and family even if they live elsewhere
- Harry Potter Escape Room – Get the family together to figure out how to escape from the Chamber of Secrets
- Virtual School Activities – Access a collection of sites to live webcams, virtual tours/trips, and other miscellaneous fun educational sites
KIDS
- Studio Saturday at Home – Create your own unique artwork using common materials you likely have around the house with inspiration and step-by-step instructions from the Museum of Wisconsin Art
- Mini Masters at Home – Join Miss Jordan at the Museum of Wisconsin Art for an art discussion, storytime, and art project
- Kid Corner Learning Activities – Scroll down the webpage to find videos of a STEAM and language activities for kids and conversation starters for the whole family
- American Girl Library – Download free American Girl books each week
- Melissa & Doug Activity Pages – Print off these activity pages from Melissa & Doug for under-the-sea fun
TEENS
- PrepAccelerator's Free ACT Crash Course – Register to attend a free ACT class on Saturday, May 23, brought to us by Ohio’s Grandview Heights Public Library
- Email Ms. Caitlin (cschaffer@oconomowoclibrary.org) to receive emails about additional teen events and offerings.
ADULTS
- Museum of Wisconsin Art Online Exhibition Catalogs – Enjoy MOWA’s ongoing series of beautiful exhibition catalogues that are offered as free downloads
- Question, Persuade, Refer Suicide Prevention Gatekeeper Training – Organized by Save Others for Archie (SOFA) and National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Waukesha, this training will be on May 15 in lieu of Jump for Archie
- PrepAccelerator's Free ACT and SAT: Parent Edition – Register to attend a free meeting about these tests on Saturday, May 23, brought to us by Ohio’s Grandview Heights Public Library
May 7, 2020
ALL AGES
- Stop, Breath, & Think – Check in with how you’re feeling and try short activities tuned to your emotions using this app
- Virtual Yoga at MAM – Join the Milwaukee Art Museum for virtual yoga on May 16 and June 13
- Best Podcasts for Students – Find a great podcast, whether you are in elementary, middle, or high school
KIDS
- Dav Pilkey at Home – Get creative and have fun with some of your favorite characters from Dog Man and Captain Underpants
- App Picks for Kids – Check out apps for kids recommended by Madison Public Library
- Storytime with Dr. Jane – Join Jane Goodall for a storytime
- NASA Earth Observatory Kids – Read and do activities about the environment, Earth systems, and climate data gathered by NASA
- Melissa & Doug Activity Pages – Print off these activity pages all about food from Melissa & Doug
TEENS
- PrepAccelerator's Free ACT Crash Course – Register to attend a free ACT class on Saturday, May 23, brought to us by Ohio’s Grandview Heights Public Library
- Email Ms. Caitlin (cschaffer@oconomowoclibrary.org) to receive emails about additional teen events and offerings.
ADULTS
- Question, Persuade, Refer Suicide Prevention Gatekeeper Training – Organized by Save Others for Archie (SOFA) and National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Waukesha, this training will be on May 15 in lieu of Jump for Archie
- PrepAccelerator's Free ACT and SAT: Parent Edition – Register to attend a free meeting about these tests on Saturday, May 23, brought to us by Ohio’s Grandview Heights Public Library
April 30, 2020
ALL AGES
- YMCA at Home – Explore fitness, wellness, and activity videos for the whole family
- Literary Scavenger Hunt – Get ideas from this Book Riot post about creating a virtual literary scavenger with your friends using your own book collection
- Virtual Milwaukee Museum Tours – Visit seven museums in Milwaukee without leaving home
- Doorstep Cleanup – Let’s keep Earth Day going by cleaning up litter in our neighborhoods
- The Morton Arboretum – Take a trip to the Morton Arboretum in Lisle, Illinois and learn about trees and plants
- Your Safe at Home Card – Our library system, Bridges, has a great page full of activity ideas and resources for all ages
KIDS
- Stay at Home with Candlewick – Check out activities from some of your favorite storybook and chapter book characters
- Ideas for Kids – Here’s a list a lot like this list full of great ideas for activities from the Association for Library Service to Children
- Julie’s Library – A new podcast featuring stories read by Julie Andrews
- Free eBooks about Coronavirus – View a list of eBooks about Coronavirus compiled by the New York City School Library System
- Mims eBooks and eAudiobooks – Check out free eBooks and eAudiobooks from Mims House Books
- Chronicle Books Activity Pages – Print off activity pages from Chronicle Books
- Magic Tree House Home Adventures – Each week get feature videos from Mary Pope Osborne, activities, craft ideas, themed recipes, reading challenges, cross-curricular lessons, Family Trivia Night game ideas, fun surprises, and much more
- Everywhere Book Fest – Attend this book festival for two free full days of live and pre-recorded sessions with your favorite picture book, middle grade, and young adult authors on May 1 and 2
- Playful Learning Ideas for School at Home – Try a few play activity ideas from Melissa & Doug
- Melissa & Doug Coloring Pages – Print off these coloring pages from Melissa & Doug
TEENS
- Girls Who Code Talk: College During COVID-19 – Hear advice and best practices for college students (or soon-to-be!) during this time and join others grappling with the same challenges in this webinar series
- #QuaranTeens – Find activity ideas and resources to help you get through quarantine, including readings by authors
- Take Me to the World – Celebrate Stephen Sondheim’s 90th birthday with amazing performances of his music by Broadway stars and other performers
- Everywhere Book Fest – Attend this book festival for two free full days of live and pre-recorded sessions with your favorite picture book, middle grade, and young adult authors on May 1 and 2
- PrepAccelerator's Free ACT Crash Course – Register to attend a free ACT class on Saturday, May 2 or Saturday, May 23, brought to us by Ohio’s Grandview Heights Public Library
- Email Ms. Caitlin (cschaffer@oconomowoclibrary.org) to receive emails about additional teen events and offerings.
ADULTS
- Take Me to the World – Celebrate Stephen Sondheim’s 90th birthday with amazing performances of his music by Broadway stars and other performers
- Milwaukee Symphony Musical Journeys – Join your host, Music Director Ken-David Masur, for interviews with Milwaukee Symphony musicians and recordings from the orchestra’s extensive audio archive
- Jerry Apps Facebook Film Festival – Airing on PBS Wisconsin’s and the Wisconsin Historical Society’s Facebook pages, watch four films based on Jerry Apps’ books on May 2 and 3, at 10 am and 3 pm both days
- PrepAccelerator's Free ACT and SAT: Parent Edition – Register to attend a free meeting about these tests on Saturday, May 2 or Saturday, May 23, brought to us by Ohio’s Grandview Heights Public Library
April 23, 2020
ALL AGES
- Backyard Birding Blitz – Go birding as a family in your backyard or neighborhood with Urban Ecology Center on May 9
- Great Lakes Bioblitz – Record your observations of nature with iNaturalist April 22-May 20
- H.O.M.E.S. at Home – Learn all about our Great Lakes right from home
KIDS
- Urban Ecology Center in My Backyard – Enjoy your nearby nature and get ideas for how to learn from nature, fun activities to share, and more
- Read-Along with PBS KIDS – Read along with fan-favorites on YouTube
- The Lion King Experience (Ages 8-11) – Build your theatrical skills with The Lion King
- Owl Babies Storytime with Owl Babies – Join the World Bird Sanctuary for a hoot of a story
- Melissa & Doug Activity Pages – Print off these pages from Melissa & Doug for dot-to-dot, ABCs, and coloring activities
TEENS
- The Lion King Experience (Ages 12-15) – Build your theatrical skills with The Lion King
- Audiobook Sync – The free summer audiobook program for teens begins on April 30
- Email Ms. Caitlin (cschaffer@oconomowoclibrary.org) to receive emails about additional teen events and offerings.
ADULTS
- Genealogy Resources – Check out these free genealogy resources compiled by Family History Daily
- This is the Author – Tune in with this podcast to celebrate National Library Week with favorite authors
- Library Memory Project – Keeping Busy at Home – Care partners for people living with dementia can access activities to do together
- Library Memory Project Facebook Page – Get notifications for recorded events that care partners and their loved ones can watch together
April 17, 2020
ALL AGES
- Build Your Kids’ Money Skills – Use free activities from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to help children build the important skills they will need to manage money into adulthood
- 5 Art Projects to Keep You Busy at Home – All ages and levels of artistic skill can get creative with these ideas from NPR
- Mandalorian Escape Room – An old bounty hunter friend needs your help in this escape room created by the Manchester Community College Library in Manchester, NH
- Digital Escape Rooms – Check out this list of online escape rooms compiled by Sun Prairie Public Library
- Virtual Yoga at MAM – Join the Milwaukee Art Museum for virtual yoga on May 16 and June 13
- Internet Archive – Watch old movies in the public domain
- Shepherd Express – Get a list of upcoming virtual events, concerts, and classes for all ages
KIDS
- Barefoot Books – Sing kids’ songs and listen to stories from publisher Barefoot Books
- Kids Yoga, Music, & Mindfulness – Learn yoga and mindfulness with musician Bari Koral
- Poetry for Kids – Get a list of poetry resources from Book Riot
- Lakeshore Free Resources – Get free lesson ideas, printable worksheets, and craft ideas from Lakeshore Learning
- Melissa & Doug Activity Pages – Print off these pages from Melissa & Doug to practice spelling, reading, and writing
TEENS
- Hey YA – Get your fill of YA books with this podcast
- YA Authors are Keeping Us Together – See what your favorite YA authors are up to in the post from Epic Reads, including teen writing classes, book readings, giveaways, and more
- Free Reads – Read eBooks for free on Riveted by Simon Teen
- BTS Online Concert Weekend – Travel back in time and stream past BTS concerts along with Ms. Jennie and ARMY
ADULTS
- Virtual Memory Cafés – If you are (or know) a care partner for someone living with dementia, join a memory café for activities and socializing
April 11, 2020
ALL AGES
- P.E. with Joe – Get your body moving at home, especially on cold and rainy days
- Milwaukee County Zoo – Get (virtually) up close and personal with the animals on Facebook or watch live webcams
- How to Toon – Learn how to draw cartoon animals from syndicated cartoon artist Joe Wos
- PBS Wisconsin At-Home Learning – Watch educational programs for all ages online or on The Wisconsin Channel or PBS Wisconsin-2, and access curriculum-aligned digital resources
- Harry Potter at Home – Enter the Wizarding World and find activities, videos, puzzles, illustrations, quizzes, creative ideas, articles and more
- Harry Potter: A History of Magic – View art from the Wizarding World, brought to us by the British Library
- Escape from Star Killer Base! – Travel to a galaxy far, far away and help the Rebel Alliance with this Star Wars digital escape room created by Richmond Hill Public Library
KIDS
- Berkner Break – Sing along with children’s musician Laurie Berkner on Facebook
- LeVar Burton Reads – Listen to a midday story on Mondays from the Reading Rainbow legend on Twitter
- Shelf Stuff – Learn more about your favorite books and authors from HarperCollins Publishers
- Milwaukee With Kids – Get ideas for lots of activities to do at home
- Lake Country Family Fun – Keep up with virtual happenings in Lake Country
- Coronavirus: A Book for Children – Learn about why we are staying home right now and what we can do to help, from British publisher Nosy Crow
- Discount School Supply Crafts – Create art with craft ideas from Discount School Supply
- Coloring and Activity Pages – Print off these pages from Melissa & Doug for a day of coloring and games
TEENS
- LeVar Burton Reads – Listen to a Wednesday night story from the Reading Rainbow legend on Twitter
- Interactive Constitution – Learn about your constitutional rights and chat with guest speakers
- We Are YA Podcast – Listen to your favorite YA authors talk about their books, writing process, and more
- PrepAccelerator's Free ACT Crash Course – Register to attend a free ACT class on Saturday, April 18, brought to us by Ohio’s Grandview Heights Public Library
ADULTS
- A Sonnet a Day – Listen to classically-trained Sir Patrick Stewart read a Shakespeare sonnet each day on Instagram
- Lincoln Center at Home – Listen to chamber music, take a dance class, watch an opera, and learn so much more
- LeVar Burton Reads – Listen to a Friday night story from the Reading Rainbow legend on Twitter
- Poem-a-Day – Sign up to receive a poem each day from Knopf Poetry throughout April
- PrepAccelerator's Free ACT and SAT: Parent Edition – Register to attend a free meeting about these tests on Saturday, April 18, brought to us by Ohio’s Grandview Heights Public Library