Here is a list of free services and resources that are available while we all stay home and try to flatten the Coronavirus curve. It is important to take care of ourselves while we also take care of each other.
Check back often for updates and reach out to us at info@thelchomegroup.com if you find any broken links or have any other links to add.
EDUCATION
- Time for Kids – Time Magazine is offering free digital subscriptions for the duration of the school year for Elementary and Middle School students. This is the first time that the magazine is fully accessible at home.
- Caribu – Connect the kids on a virtual playdate with Caribu. Think FaceTime but with on screen activities like drawing pictures, playing games or reading a book together.
- Kinedu – If your little one is under 4, this app can help you fill your day with activities. Just answer a few questions about your little one and they will generate a daily schedule complete with activities aimed at developing crucial early skills. The service is free through April 15.
- PBS Kids
- Oxford Owl – Free e-books and math games and activities for ages 3-11
- BrainPop Junior – Learning tools for STEM, social studies, reading/writing, health and arts for grades K-3
- The Space Foundation Discovery Center – STEM lesson plans for ages PreK-20
- Mystery Science – Science lessons for grades K-5
- Children’s Museum Houston – Weather and Science videos and activities for grades PreK-5
- Carnegie Mellon University Computer Science Academy – Interactive middle and high school computer science curriculum
- ABCYa – Reading and math games and activities for grades PreK-6
- Zearn.org – Math lessons for grades K-5
- Disneynature – Movies and complimentary educational materials for grades 2-6
- Scratch – Interactive story, game and animation design from the MIT Media Lab, designed for ages 8 to 16 but available for anyone
- STMath – Math lessons for grades PreK-8
- Prodigy Math – Math programs for grades 1-8
- Curriculum Associates – Math and reading activity packs for grades K-8
- DK Find Out! – Lessons in subjects such as history, science and coding
- Listenwise – Non-fiction audio stories covering ELA, social studies and science for grades 2-12
- CommonLit – Reading and writing lessons for grades 3-12
- National Geographic Kids Science Lab – Science experiments, videos and articles
- National Ocean Service (NOAA) Kids – Science activities and resources for kids and educators
- Lunch Doodles with Mo Willems! – Kennedy Center Education Artist-in-Residence Mo Willems explore ways of writing and making with kids of all ages
- Scholastic Learn-At-Home Resources – Learning experiences for K-9
- Greg Tang Math – Math games and resources for all ages
- SciShow Kids – Videos explaining scientific concepts for young, curious minds
- Frontiers for Young Minds – Science articles written by scientists and reviewed by kids
- The Kid Should See This – STEAM, history, and culture-focused videos for kids of all ages
- Imagineering in a Box – Lessons on theme park design and engineering via Walt Disney Imagineering, Pixar and Khan Academy
- BBC Bitesize – Lessons covering math, English, science and more for ages 3-16+
- BrainPop – Learning tools covering a variety of subjects
- BreakoutEDU – Immersive learning games for grades K-12
- Wonderopolis – Educational articles for grades K-12
- XtraMath – Math programs for students, parents and teachers
- How Stuff Works – Educational videos exploring the world around us
- Code.org – Computer science lessons for grades K-12
- Typing.com – Keyboarding, digital literacy, and coding lessons for all ages
- IXL – Lessons in math, language arts, science, social studies and Spanish for grades PreK-12
- Greatminds.org – Math, ELA and science for grades K-12
- KCET At-Home Learning – Educational resources from PBS SoCal | KCET, in partnership with LAUSD and in collaboration with California PBS stations for grades PreK-12
- California Academy of Sciences – Apps, immersive interactives, and engaging videos covering a variety of science topics
- Bill Nye the Science Guy – Educational videos covering life, physical and planetary sciences
- NASA STEM @ Home for Students – STEM articles and activities for grades K-12+
- Gizmos – Simulations exploring concepts in math and science for grades 3-12
- PhET Interactive Simulations – Interactive simulations for science and math
- Khan Academy – Lessons on grammar, science, history and math for grades K-12
- Professor Egghead Science Academy – Interactive lessons on science and engineering
- Quill.org – Writing and grammar activities for grades K-12
- Quizlet – Flash cards, quizzes and games for languages, arts and humanities, social science, computer skills, science and math
- Duolingo – Language education for 35 languages
- OnlineFreeSpanish – Spanish learning games, coloring pages and interactive activities for all levels
- Virtual field trips – you can take tours of hundreds of museums around the world at Google’s Arts & Culture Collections.
- NASA’s Kennedy Space Center – share daily Facebook Live videos that pair with hands-on activities (instructions are available as free downloads) using materials that can be found at home.
- Want to have a family Q&A with a scientist? Sign up at Skype a Scientist and get matched with an expert, for a live Skype chat with your family about real scientific research.
ENTERTAINMENT
- Audible for Kids – free streams on a select number of children’s stories across six languages and will be available for as long as schools are closed. It’s worth checking out even if you aren’t a kid because these classic books can be enjoyed by all ages.
- Amazon has made a library of kids’ TV shows free for all users. These shows are usually reserved for Amazon Prime customers, but now anyone can watch them at no cost.
- Story Time from Space sends children’s books to the International Space Station (ISS), where the books are read on video by astronauts as they orbit hundreds of miles above Earth.
- The Metropolitan Opera – Opera fans can have access to stream performances every night via the Met’s website. Carmen, La Boheme, Tristan and Isolde, and many more have been on the schedule.
- NBA League Pass – The NBA had to cut short their 2019 – 20 season, but they’re keeping fans engaged by offering a free preview of the NBA League Pass premium subscription through April 22.
- Netflix Party – this is the new way to watch Netflix with your friends online. Netflix Party synchronizes video playback and adds group chat to your favorite Netflix shows.
- NFL Game Pass – you will have the ability to watch full broadcast replays, condensed games (around 45 minutes), audio broadcasts, and coaches’ films. Free until May 31.
- PBS video app – Free public TV can be downloaded to any device. From hit PBS Kids shows to a library of award-winning Ken Burns documentaries, there’s plenty of valuable free content to consume here.
- Sling TV – Sling TV is encouraging folks to “Stay in and Sling” with totally free programming, including thousands of movies and shows for kids and families. The best part: there’s zero sign up or login! Just go to the website to start streaming.
FITNESS
- GOLD’s AMP – 600 audio and video workouts free until May 31
- GoNoodle: Good Energy at Home – GoNoodle is the kid friendly entertainment company your kids know from school. The content includes learning materials used at elementary school like movement and mindfulness videos. There are also downloadable and printable activity sheets that supplement what they see on screen. The best part: your little ones can do many of the suggested activities on their own, which means more time for parents to concentrate on working from home.
- Nike has made all of its Nike Training Club Premium workouts free until further notice.
- Peloton – Stay fit even if you don’t have one of Peloton’s fancy bikes at home. They’re offering an extended 90 day trial to their app, which offers workout classes in a variety of categories, not just cycling.
- Planet Fitness is encouraging people to remain active at home during the coronavirus pandemic through a series of live workouts. The classes will be streamed live on Facebook every day 7 p.m. and they’ll be free for everyone.
- Yoga – Core Power Yoga and Down Dog
MENTAL WELLNESS
- Headspace – Right now, they’re offering free access to all K-12 teachers, school administrators, and supporting staff in the U.S. as well as health care professionals. A collection of content called Weathering the Storm is also available free to everyone.
- Simple Habit – a mindfulness app with nearly 4.5 million members, is offering free premium memberships to “all people who are financially impacted by this difficult time and can no longer afford to pay.”
- Color Our Collections – Find solace in the quiet practice of coloring inside of the lines. Put your artistic spin on free PDF downloads of coloring pages created from art in the collections of 117 institutions
