Take a Virtual Family Vacation
For your kids, being quarantined can be isolating, scary and confusing. While they learn from home, Vermont organizations have put together ways for kids to enjoy the Green Mountain State until the whole family can come visit us again.
ACTIVITIES
- Check out King Arthur Flour's kids baking booklet, as well as baking videos geared toward smaller hands.
- Billings Farm & Museum is offering Billings Farm at Home, which includes daily crafts and videos.
- Shelburne Museum is offering daily activity ideas on their Facebook Page.
- The Vermont Tourism YouTube channel offers a way for kids to experience Vermont's towns and traditional activities (why not head to a virtual corn maze?)
- The North Branch Nature Center offers lots of digital options to connect with nature in your own backyard including a Forest Preschool Online program.
- Vermont’s Rock of Ages is the largest deep-hole dimension granite quarry in the world. Watch this video to learn about how granite was formed, how it’s extracted and how it’s turned into sculptures and other works of art.
VIRTUAL LEARNING
- Fairbanks Museum is holding daily online classes in a variety of topics – think “Where to Search for Insects” for kids up to third grade and “Lifespan of a Star” for students in grades 6 through 8.
- ECHO Lake Aquarium & Science Center has a YouTube page with science activities and stories as well as additional activities on their ECHO At Home page. You can also check out their Animal Ambassadors Cam to see the animals in the Aquarium.
- The Montshire Museum of Science has created Montshire at Home, uploading videos and sharing activity suggestions for a variety of topics.
- Audubon Vermont is doing home activities and nature lessons.
- Learn clowning with Circus Smirkus’ online clown training.
- KidsVT online resources offer perspectives from other parents and teachers.
- A rundown from KidsVT offers other resources for kids learning and spending time at home.
- The Vermont Institute of Natural Science has at-home educational resources on their site that includes an investigation on why seeds grow and exploring how pendulums work.
- Vermont Public Radio’s But Why: A Podcast for Curious Kids will broadcast live, interactive educational programs for elementary school students on Fridays at 1 p.m. May 8-June 19.
- Help your kids be good citizens by exploring the Good Citizen Challenge, with more than 40 civics-related activities to keep them learning and having fun.
VIRTUAL STORY TIME
- The Vermont Department of Libraries has a roundup of story times statewide.
- Vermont State Police have hosted several story times, and may host more. Check their Facebook page for information.
- To share stories with others that become part of the Vermont Folklore Center’s Sound Archives, tune into their Story Circles.
- Fletcher Free Library offers story time, book talks and educational lessons. Check their calendar to find a virtual event.
- The Colchester Library has author read-alouds, in addition to story times, available on their website.
- Check out family and farm storytelling videos from the Clemmons Family Farm.