We’ve put together a list of online learning resources and programs that local museums, zoos, and other Seattle-area organizations have created in light of school and facility closures. Take a look!
Museums
Burke from Home. Download free lesson packets, each with a different weekly theme, or have them sent to your inbox by subscribing. Learn about Mesozoic dinosaurs, prehistoric whales, bats, and more, and solve scientific mysteries from home. The Burke also offers free coloring pages, instructions for dinosaur crafts, and a nature scavenger hunt.
Museum of Flight at Home. Travel through time and space on over 150 types of space and aircraft through virtual tours, go on a 3-D expedition, or choose from many fun and exciting STEM family activities. Also, visit the Museum’s Facebook page for weekly “Curator on the Loose” behind the scenes tours.
Job Carr Cabin Museum Learn at Home. Head here for a list of sweet, simple activities including a drawing contest, how to make homemade butter, and printable activity pages like word searches, crossword puzzles, mazes and more.
Seattle Children’s Museum at Home. The Children’s Museum YouTube page is a great source for fun, how-to video tutorials for interesting activities like cooking, painting with scissors, science projects, and more. Also learn about weekly Zoom meetings and other live events on our Virtual Calendar.
Living Computer Museum Online Education Resources. Access the museum’s list of tools and websites for learning to code, play retro video games like Oregon Trail, and connect to Living Computer’s vintage computers from your home. Also visit the museum’s YouTube channel for a wide range of videos from gallery talks to tutorials.
Imagine Children’s Museum. Just like the museum itself, Imagine’s YouTube channel offers a wide variety of activities for various interests. Participate in storytime, watch a doodle drawing tutorial, make lily pad art for preschoolers, build a catapult for science time, get your dance on, and much more.
MOHAI History at Home. Connect with MOHAI digitally, and examine the museum’s artifacts, watch historic films, do crafts and find story suggestions. This page will be updated weekly with new content.
Nordic Museum Crafts for Kids. Read books, make a hedgehog, create a paper bag puppet, and more! Nordic Museum is releasing these how-to tutorials on their Facebook and Instagram pages. They have crafts and creative challenges for adults, too!
Animals & Nature
Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium Nature at Home. Be a wildlife detective and go on a nature scavenger hunt, get up close and personal at the zoo and watch animal videos, or learn how to make a pollinator garden for your backyard bees. Also check out the Northwest Trek Wildlife Park partner page for more nature-inspired fun.
Seattle Aquarium “Experience the Aquarium Anywhere.” Watch live otter and seal feedings (check times on our Virtual Calendar), explore a different marine animal each week with weekly themes, check out animal facts sheets and infographics, and more.
Seward Park Audubon for Kids. Each week, download beautiful online content on a different bird-related theme, such as “All About Owls” or “Birds on the Move” and learn about the topic through vivid infographics and fun learning challenges like scavenger hunts.
Magnuson Children’s Garden. This wonderful organization is offering over one hundred free downloadable, nature-inspired activities on their website, ranging from topics like worm bins to wetlands to ocean creatures and more. Also check out their Facebook page, where you’ll find posts about nature-themed art, music, and science.
Art Galleries
Stay Home with SAM. Seattle Art Museum shares their “Object of the Week” with a corresponding art activity, behind the scenes videos of museum happenings, video commentary from artists, and more artful at-home-learning inspiration.
Schack Online Education Programs. Schack Center for the Arts in Everett, over the past couple of years, has put an emphasis on STEAM and Math + Art integration. Find awesome math-related art lessons, and many more (like Georgia O’Keefe watercolor landscape and Jackson Polluck collage). Plus, take a peek inside the studios of local artists with Home is Where the Art is.
Bellevue Arts Museum. Instead of regular Get Crafty Saturdays and Family Day programming at the museum, head to BAM’s website for video tutorials and easy instructions for fun home crafts like making silly sea turtles out of yarn and crafting jellyfish from streamers and paper bowls.
TAM at home. Try printmaking, learn how to be a scientist-artist, create a landscape collage, and more fun and artful ideas are featured on Tacoma Art Museum’s page, offering video tutorials as lessons. Also check out the Museum’s social media pages for deep dives into individual artworks from TAM’s collection.
Music, Theater, Science, Activism & More!
Washington State Fair At-Home Educational Activities. Interested in learning about agriculture? How about animals, food production, and farming? The Washington State Fair has compiled free activity books, coloring sheets, and a series of wonderful lessons for you to enjoy.
Discovery Center @ Home. The Gates Foundation has come through for us again, with home learning resources, lesson plans, and tools for inspiring students to take action and make a difference in the world on issues they are interested in. Download “take action” cards, create a brave space, and plan tasks to make positive change in your community.
Seattle Symphony free live broadcasts. Even though we are apart, Seattle Symphony brings the community together with music, sharing performances that aim to provide hope and strength during this challenging time. Enjoy delightful weekly family programming, based on the regular in-person “Tiny Tots” and “Meet the Instruments,” featuring different musicians and instruments each week. Follow our Virtual Calendar for specific dates and times.
Seattle Children’s Theater @ Home. STC @ Home brings imagination and innovation to home learning, with lessons based on classic stories like James and the Giant Peach, Robin Hood, Pinoccio, and more. Download free lesson plans that include drama activities, games, coloring pages, and more.
PacSci Curiosity at Home. Pacific Science Center is quickly becoming a go-to local resource for online learning. With fun, exciting YouTube (pre-recorded) science presentations on topics like combustion, daily Facebook live shows (on our Virtual Calendar), Tinker Tank at Home how-to videos, and an extensive list of lesson plans arranged by grade level, you’re all set.
The Creative Advantage Seattle. A collection of arts learning videos, created by local teaching artists who are missing their students. Visit their YouTube page to learn how to make paper puppets, sing with your diaphragm, practice creative drama, or watch a storytelling performance.
KCTS 9 Resource Guide. Distance learning resources for parents and educators, PBS learning media including access to PBS Kids programming, and dozens of other links and resources (from Sesame Street to learning Spanish) to support families during COVID-19.
