Education Matters: Summer Learning in the Age of COVID-19: National edition!

By Ryan G. Van Cleave

In the last issue, I compiled a list of some of the best local resources available to help keep your kids—and yourself!—going strong during these summer months where the heat + virus combo has us all spending a LOT of time inside.

Without further ado, here are some of best national opportunities and resources I’ve found, with a premium on things that are extremely affordable (or free!). Enjoy, and share the good news as you see fit!

Just Plain Fun

Because fun is just plain fun.

Crayola at Home—“Beat the heat with fun things to do at home each week. Check out summer activities for kids and adults.”

Dance, Dance, Dance—Learn some moves from the best!

Harry Potter at Home—Bring Hogwarts to you via magical craft videos, fun articles, quizzes, puzzles, and plenty more.

Virtual Theme Park rides—“BigFatPanda.com delivers the best Theme Park entertainment until you can visit it yourself.”

Learning Opportunities for Kids

There’s always time for a little summer learning. 

30-Day LEGO Challenge—Download a printable calendar and let their imaginations run wild.

“Imagineering in a Box”—Does your kid dream of being a Disney Imagineer? Discover what it takes to make that happen.

Lincoln Center Pop-Up Classroom—“School may be closed but Lincoln Center Pop-Up classroom is open.” Learn from some of the world’s best artists and educators.

NASA—They’ve made their entire collection of images, sounds, and video available.

Self-Improvement

If you’d like to level up your life, here are some ways to start!

The KonMari Method—“Tidy your space, transform your life. “ Follow Marie Kondo’s 6 basic rules of tidying, which help you be mindful, introspective, and forward-looking.

Learn a Language—Enjoy hundreds of free language-learning lessons, games, and activities.

New York Times’ 7-minute workout—All you need are things you have, like a chair and a wall (or for the advanced version, which adds in dumbbell use.)

Virtual Cooking Classes—Save yourself time and money by learning how to cook at home.

Virtual Aquarium Experiences

Whether it’s through virtual tours or webcams, you can easily enjoy exhibits from the comfort of your own home. 

Georgia Aquarium—Be sure to check out the Beluga Whale and Underwater Puffin webcams!

Monterey Bay Aquarium—Ten live webcams to choose from.

Seattle Aquarium—Lots of live cams here (check out the harbor seals).
» Visit the “Seattle Aquarium” YouTube channel

Virtual Museum Tours

I’ve been meaning to visit all of these places, so let’s go see some art together!

The Louvre—Don’t miss the virtual tour “Founding Myths: From Hercules to Darth Vader.”

Metropolitan Museum of Art—The Met’s got 20+ online exhibits going now. I’ve been enjoying the “Coco Chanel: Modernism,” “A New Look at Vermeer,” and “The Art of Music through Time” ones a lot.

National Gallery of Art (Washington, DC)—Try out the virtual tours of current exhibitions, in-depth looks at highlights of the collection, online learning opportunities, audio and video recordings of lectures by artists and curators, and more.

Uffizi Gallery (Florence, Italy)—The “Creative Process Behind Federico Barocci’s Drawings” online exhibit is amazing.

Van Gogh Museum (Amsterdam)—Try out the “Which Books Did Vincent van Gogh Read?” exhibit.

Virtual Trips to World Landmarks

It’s easier than ever to travel the world without leaving home. 

Acropolis (Greece)—Check out this ancient citadel near Athens.

Colonial Williamsburg (Virginia)—This 300-acre living museum captures the historic period of the 18th century.

Ellis Island (New York City)—From 1892 to 1954, more than 12 million immigrants came through here to become US citizens.

Giant’s Causeway (Ireland)—If you’re a Game of Thrones fan, this part of the rugged Northern Irish coast is where much of it was filmed.

Yellowstone National Park (Wyoming/Montana/Idaho)—The first US national park, this is the site of Old Faithful, among other geologic and geothermal treasures.

Virtual Zoo Visits

While I’ve got an annual pass for Zoo Tampa at Lowry Park, I’m not getting up there these days. I miss seeing the animals. If you’re like me, you’ll get a kick out of these offerings.

Australia Zoo—Some of the videos are hosted by Robert Irwin, son of the late Steve Irwin (The Crocodile Hunter).

Atlanta Zoo—Home to more than 1,000 animals (and yes, they’ve got a Panda Cam)

Ouwehand Park (Rhenen, Netherlands) —The polar bear cub cams are a can’t-miss.

San Diego Zoo—Enjoy the hippo, koala, and penguin cams.

YouTube Travel Channels

Each of these channels takes you to a ton of places.

Island Holler TV—Focuses on travel and adventure throughout the world

Let’s Go Somewhere—Follow a filmmaker/travel vlogger/photographer on adventures

Tom’s Road Trippin—From roadside attractions to theme parks to zoos and more!

And happy learning!