With as many as 1 in 4 Americans stuck at home, it might feel as though the walls are closing in. If you’ve got kids at home your sanctuary might look like a war zone. As we all settle into this new normal, we will find a new rhythm to daily life. It might not seem like there’s much to do besides eat, watch TV and occasionally walk the dog, but there’s actually a whole world inside your laptop, tablet or phone.
We’ve gathered together a list of 100+ free online things to do while stuck at home. From learning a new language to starting your own blog, there’s a lesson, course, webinar or Youtube channel to help you get started. If you’ve got kids at home we’ve got links to online books, games and other educational websites that are free to use.
Most of these links offer free content, while others offer free trials so you can sample their content.
Stay safe, wash your hands, self-distance. We’re all in this together and if we do those things we’ll be able to flatten the curve.
Museums
You can’t tour any museums in person, but you can tour all the great museums of the world from your couch.
The Louvre (requires Flash)
Animal Cams
From panda cams to baby eagles, you can get up close and personal to nature with these animal cams from some of the best zoos in the country.
National Parks
The Hidden Worlds of the National Parks from Google – Includes digital tours of Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah, Carlsbad Caverns National Park in New Mexico, Dry Tortugas National Park in Florida, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and Kenai Fjords National Park in Alaska.
Cooking
Instructables – Choose from hundreds of great instructional videos and online course including everything you need to know about cooking. Bread baking, canning and preserving, the science behind cooking and even how to make pasta!
Cooking with the New York Times
America’s Test Kitchen – $1 for three months
Reading
Storyline Online – Storyline Online is another award-winning, interactive children’s literacy site that features famous actors like Kevin Costner, Betty White, James Earl Jones, Eva Longoria, and others reading children’s books alongside minor animation elements.
Storyberries – Free fairy tales, bedtime stories and poems for kids.
Oxford Owl – Discover expert advice, educational resources and free eBooks to support children’s learning at primary school and at home, from Oxford University Press.
Open Library – Open Library is an open, editable library catalog, building towards a web page for every book ever published.
ManyBooks – Great selection of modern and classic books waiting to be discovered. All free and available in most ereader formats.
Gutenberg – A library of over 60,000 free eBooks. Choose among free epub and Kindle eBooks, download them or read them online. You will find the world’s great literature here, with focus on older works for which U.S. copyright has expired. Thousands of volunteers digitized and diligently proofread the eBooks, for enjoyment and education.
Publishing
A Mighty Blaze – Due to travel restrictions many book tours have been postponed or cancelled, A Mighty Blaze was created to bring readers and authors together – a virtual book tour with new books released every Tuesday.
WordPress – Start your own blog for free on WordPress.com. Free hosting and themes as well as plenty of support for building your own blog.
Etsy – after spending weeks at home you may have produced enough crafts to open your own virtual store – you can do just that on Etsy.
