# data[].attributes.body
...All linking to recently opened-up and free websites!

# data[].attributes.body
1.       Virtual excursions – to places like zoos, The Louvre, The Great Wall of China, farms and some cute animals
a.       The San Diego Zoo has a website just for kids with amazing videos, activities and games.  Enjoy the tour https://kids.sandiegozoo.org/
b.       Tour Yellowstone National Park – https://www.nps.gov/yell/learn/photosmultimedia/virtualtours.htm
c.       Explore the surface of Mars on the Curiosity Rover – https://accessmars.withgoogle.com
d.       Visit the Louvre museum:   https://www.louvre.fr/en/visites-en-ligne#tabs
e.       Visit the world:   https://www.360cities.net/image/great-wall-of-china
f.        This Canadian site FarmFood 360 offers 11 virtual tours of farms from minks, pigs and cows, to apples and eggs: https://www.farmfood360.ca

2.       Indoor activities for busy toddlers
a.       https://busytoddler.com/2020/03/indoor-activities/?fbclid=lwAR3tYXAqw7tJRAzLExpPcJo4rApLsKtgL0AwghzxgnhwOajc4auX6o12_xw
b.       Play games and learn all about animals:   https://switchzoo.com
c.       Math and reading games:  https://www.funbrain.com
d.       This iconic museum located in the heart of London allows virtual visitors to tour the Great Court and discover the ancient Rosetta Stone and Egyptian mummies:   https://britishmuseum.withgoogle.com
e.       300,000 + FREE printable worksheets from toddlers to teens:  https://www.123homeschool4me.com/home-school-free-printables/
f.        Geography and animals:  https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/
g.       Favourite kids books read by famous people:  https://www.storylineonline.net/
h.       Crafts, activities, mazes, dot to dot etc:   https://www.allkidsnetwork.com
i.         Fun games, recipes, crafts, activities: https://www.highlightskids.com/
j.         Online history classes for all ages pre-teen through to adults:   https://school.bighistoryproject.com/bhplive
k.       Educational games K-12:   httsp://www.breakoutedu.com/funathome
l.         Digital archive of history:   https://www.bunkhistory.org/
m.     Daily free science or cooking experiment to do at home:  http://www.clubscikidzmd.com/blog/
n.       Free Weeks of Maker Stations to keep your children creating at home!  Each challenge includes simple instructions using materials around the house, QR code video resources, and a student recording sheet:   bit.ly/freemakerstations
o.       Interactive video earth science based curriculum supplement:  https://www.everyday-earth.com/
p.       Illustrated recipes designed to help kids age 2-12 cook with their grown-ups.  Recipes encourage culinary skills, literacy, maths and science. https://www.nomsterchef.com/nomster-recipe-library
q.       An interactive way to learn history:  https://www.mission-us.org/
r.        A human visualization platform that allows students to explore the human body in really cool ways.  https://human.biodigital.com/login?returnUrl=%2Fdashboard
s.        No need to travel to one of the Smithsonian’s zoos or museums – this website brings your child everything from live video fo the National Zoo to the Smithsonian Learning Lab right to their screen https://www.si.edu/kids
t.        Helps kids learn to appreciate the arts by providing them with the opportunity to play games, conduct investigations, and explore different forms of art.  https://artsology.com
u.       This NASA initiative covers a wide range of topics including weather, climate, atmosphere, water, energy, plants and animals. https://climatekids.nasa.gov/
v.       Innerbody explores the 11 bodily systems in depth.  With interactive models and detailed explanations, this website will help them learn more about the internal mechanics of the amazing human body.  https://www.innerbody.com/htm/body.html

3.       Mental health
a.       Movement and mindfulness videos created by child development experts.  https://www.gonoodle.com
b.       Kid-friendly workouts – choose from Strength for kids, Agility for Kids, Flexibility and Balance for kids, Warm-Ups for Kids, Cooldwon for Kids, Stand Up and Move for Kids, OR create your own custom kid workout.  https://app.workit.com/collections/kids-workouts
c.       At home OT, PT and ST resources designed to build skills in children through movement and play.  https://www.theottoolbox.com/

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
With kids at home and parents looking for educational activities, many of our favorite authors are offering online read-alouds and activities on social media. We've rounded up over 50 of the best virtual author activities below!

Read-Alouds for Elementary School Kids

These authors are offering read-alouds of their books and books by their favorite authors.

The author will be doing read-alouds on Instagram Live of her book Mae Among the Stars.

Reading one of her books each day on Facebook!

The author will be reading a book a day on Instagram Live. It does not appear that he will be adding the videos to his website at this time.

She is hosting DRAW ME MORE: a Read-Along/ Draw-Along activity on her website. She's already shared an 11 chapter, chapter book (reading level grades 2-4) called MASON & THE MEGA-NAUTS.

Author and illustrator of It Came in the Mail; Rot, the Cutest in the World; and upcoming Rot, the Bravest in the World. He has scheduled two read-aloud sessions on Facebook. March 18 (2 PM EST) and March 20 (5 PM EST).

Julia Cook, bestselling children's author, will be doing Monday and Friday readings on Facebook Live at 9:00 AM CST!

He is the grandson of famed sea explorer Jacques Cousteau, and a third-generation ocean explorer and filmmaker. He is the author of the Fabien Cousteau Expeditions, a series of graphic adventure novels for kids, the latest of which is JOURNEY UNDER THE ARCTIC. He will be doing a live Shark Story Time reading on March 23rd at 3:00 PM and will have a live Q&A on March 24th at 10:00 AM.

The author reads various Pete the Cat books daily at 12 PM EDT

Enjoy a reading of Falatko's book, Snappsy the Alligator (Did Not Ask to Be in This Book), by Stranger Things actor, David Harbour. This read-aloud comes with a teacher's guide.

Oprah Winfrey reads Godin's book, The Hula-Hoopin' Queen, which is accompanied by a handy teacher's guide.

The author has added a collection of videos of herself reading from her picture books on Instagram. You may also learn more about her books on her website.

Reads 3 chapters from "Miss Blake is a Flake" each day at 2:00 PM EDT, but you can also view archives!

Bruce has posted a series of writing tips videos on this page of his website and a read-aloud of my book, BIG BAD BABY, on YouTube, with more to come.

The author will be reading one book every day on Instagram Live. Can't make it? He'll also be posting the videos to his website.

Live every day at noon EDT on Instagram Live. Her stories stay up each day for 24 hours.

Activities and videos from the New York Times bestselling author of How I Became a Pirate and other amazing books.

Upcoming author Brittany Thurman reads aloud Medina's book, Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Black Boy.

A former classroom teacher, Messner has written more than three dozen books for kids. She's put together a library of distance learning resources for students, families, teachers, and librarians.

Author, illustrator, and founder of FableVision. Find Peter's weekday read-aloud events on Facebook at noon EDT, Monday through Friday.

Young kids will enjoy this great read-aloud of Where Are My Books? The author also provides a teacher's guide, drawing demos and shares a crowd-sourced music video based on the book.

Follow the story of A Bad Case of Stripes as read by Lord of the Rings actor, Sean Astin. Then, work through the helpful teacher's guide.

Learn the story of The House That Jane Built as read by The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina actress, Kiernan Shipka. You may access activity guides for teachers or for parents.

She is reading a chapter a day from her book Henry and the Chalk Dragon on Facebook live!

Virtual Author Activities for Middle School

Read-alouds and reading activities from favorite authors.

The author has put together reading activities around his Cogheart Adventures. He's even created Q&A videos on YouTube.

Sarah is adding readings, mini-lessons, and prompts to her page! Follow along and get inspired to get reading and writing.

Find Daily live drawing sessions on Facebook! Tony DiTerlizzi is a #1 New York Times bestselling author and illustrator who has been creating books for twenty years. He created The Spiderwick Chronicles with Holly Black, which has sold millions of copies around the world. His highly anticipated sequel to Kenny and the Dragon, KENNY & THE BOOK OF BEASTS, releases this fall.

Listen to a read-aloud of Henderson's The Magic in Changing Your Stars and then work through the writing challenge (with hints!) listed on author Kate Messner's site: Who is Ailey Benjamin Lane named after?

This official PDF teaching guide is a great learning resource for your middle schooler to think about and discuss the beloved Diary of a Wimpy Kid series!

Watch Knowles read the first chapter of her middle grade novel, Where the Heart Is, while giving students a fun writing exercise. She's also created guides for teachers and book groups on her website.

Author of the Lunch Lady graphic novel series, Krosoczka will be hosting a daily drawing webcast on YouTube at 2 PM EDT. You can also find videos on his website. Be sure to also check out his National Book Award Finalist, Hey Kiddo.

The author behind Enginerds has created some cool worksheets that will be updated every few days to keep kids entertained and engaged. These activities may be a good addition to your distance learning resources.

The author and illustrator has taken to YouTube to provide a glimpse into Chinese culture and a guide for drawing Chinese dragons.

Author of O ne for the Murphys, Fish in a Tree, and Shouting at the Rain, she has put together several videos for readers and teachers online.

He is reading a chapter a day from Book 1 of the Wingfeather Saga, On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness.

You may have to change the season or specific circumstances, but this collection of writing prompts is a great way to help your student build literacy skills, while giving them a chance to express themselves.

What better series for middle schoolers than the famous Harry Potter books? You probably loved them, and now you have the chance to introduce your children into the Wizarding World. Use this handy discussion guide that covers the first four books to bring an academic approach to your own little wizards' education.

Neal Shusterman is the New York Times bestselling author of more than thirty award-winning books for children, teens, and adults, including the Arc of a Scythe series. "With so many people working and learning from home due to the coronavirus (COVID-19), I wanted to give you all something special. Over the next few weeks, I'll be doing some readings from my short story collections: MINDQUAKES and MINDSTORMS." Available on Youtube.

The nonfiction science book author has created engaging video mini-lessons including a similes worksheet, researching skills, and more.

Mo Willems invites you into his studio every day for his lunch doodle! Grab some paper and pencils, pens, or crayons and join Mo to explore ways of writing and making together while he chats about his characters Pigeon, Piggie, and Elephant.

Virtual Author Activities for High School & Young Adults

Even more resources for tweens and teens.

The author of The Jumbies series has created videos of mini-lessons on comparative mythology and has added valuable distance learning resources, including downloadables for teachers and parents, to her website.

Due to public health concerns, these YA authors sadly had to cancel all in-person events for the release of BETWEEN BURNING WORLDS in March, and are connecting with readers through a virtual book tour.

Emily Dickenson

High school students may have discovered the timeless magic of Emily Dickinson. This teaching guide includes multimedia and discussion questions for The Essential Emily Dickinson collection.

Fans of the author of The Fault in Our Stars and Paper Towns? Here's a link to some discussion questions surrounding his works. Green has also co-created Crash Course, a website that provides high-quality educational videos for high school and college-level classes. Students, parents, and teachers alike could be entertained for hours without ever leaving the site!

Looking for writing prompts? This author has put together a list of prompts to get students thinking outside of the box.

To go along with his collection of youth novels, Hobbs has created resources and activities for teachers and librarians.

Check out the National Endowment for the Arts Big Read Learning Guide for Silver Sparrow by this NEA creative writing fellow.

Want to learn more about writing an etheree (a ten-line poem in which writers add an additional syllable with each line)? Scanlon has a video lesson all about them!

Ready to work on some poetry? It can be tough to know where to start, but Sidman has created a poem starters for teachers and students, and even has categories for Younger Writers or Older Writers.

Students or kids reading Thomas' The Hate U Give? You'll find some good distance learning resources for discussion questions and projects on this website.
Looking for more? We have over 130 online resources for learning at home here!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The Big List of Children's Authors Doing Online Read Alouds & Activities

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
With kids at home and parents looking for educational activities, many of our favorite authors are offering online read-alouds and activities on social media. We've rounded up over 50 of the best virtual author activities below! These authors are offering read-alouds of their books and books by their favorite authors.

# data[].attributes.body
Stories, stories and more stories. x

# data[].attributes.body
Click and write. Simples.  This is NOT Moderated, please be kind & thoughtful to children as an audience!

# data[].attributes.body
Make a fish anyone?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Easy Origami Fish DIY - Easy Origami for Kids (Very Easy) - Summer Paper Crafts