Live Virtual Storytimes, Plays, and Interactive Events for Kids Stuck at Home
Not sure how to entertain your kids for the next few weeks? Schedule the day around one or more of these live, virtual events for music, performances, art, animals and reading for an exciting way to stay at home while entertaining the kiddos.
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Performances
The Alliance Theatre is streaming their performance of “In My Granny’s Garden.”
With The Dad’s Garage Social Distancing Spectacular, see streamed live shows, podcasts, improv and more.
The Center for Puppetry arts is live streaming their shows on their Digital Learning platform.
Aurora Theatre’s Digital Series offers crafting, storytimes and activities on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays.
The Metropolitan Opera House offers a free streaming of one of their past performances each night through April 19.
The Wiener Staatsoper is broadcasting recordings of previous operas and ballets daily.
Start a free 7-day trial with BroadwayHD.
Watch live, online performances and shows with Stageit.
OntheBoards.tv is offering free unlimited performance rentals through April.
Watch concerts, ballets, operas and more with medici.tv.
Storytimes
Pajama Program is holding Virtual Reading Parties on Instagram.
Watch Disney storytimes, videos, art activities and more.
LeVar Burton, the former host of “Reading Rainbow,” is reading children’s stories on Monday at noon, young adult stories on Wednesdays at 6 p.m., and adult stories on Fridays at 9 p.m. on Twitter.
The National Center for Civil and Human Rights is hosting a virtual Spark Lit Club for Kids on April 23 at 10:30 a.m.
The Princess Party Co. shares live storytimes daily on Facebook and Instagram.
PJ Library Atlanta is sharing live concerts, storytimes, virtual scavenger hunts, cooking demos, magic shows and more on Facebook.
Josh Gad, Olaf from “Frozen,” is reading stories on his Twitter.
Enjoy storytimes and activities with YouTube channel, Authors Everywhere!
Author Karen Romano Young is reading a chapter a day of “A Girl, A Raccoon and the Midnight Moon” on YouTube.
Celebrities, like Jennifer Garner and Amy Adams, are reading children’s books with #SAVEWITHSTORIES.
Mac Barnett is reading his picture books with Instagram Live.
Author Laurie Halse Anderson is reading her novel “Fever 1793” on YouTube.
EduMatch Publishing is holding live readings on Facebook and Zoom.
Author Peter H. Reynolds is hosting read alongs at noon on Facebook.
Read to a Child is posting videos of authors and celebrities reading aloud on their Facebook.
Enjoy a virtual storytime with “Pete the Cat” creator James Dean on Instagram.
Susan Verde is reading her books live on Facebook at 1 p.m.
Children’s book author Dan Gutman is hosting “My Weird Read-A-Loud” on Facebook at 2 p.m.
Oliver Jeffers is reading a story on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday live on Instagram.
Author Kate Schatz of “Rad American Women A-Z” reads on her YouTube.
Search #OperationStorytime on social media to hear authors and celebrities read stories.
Author Tara Lazar is reading aloud on Instagram daily.
Children’s author Aaron Reynolds is hosting “The Aaron Reynolds Stay-At-Home Show” on YouTube.
Josh Funk has Saturday Storytimes on his Instagram and will be reading “It’s Not Jack and the Beanstalk” on April 18 at 11 a.m.
Read aloud live with Marcy Pusey on her YouTube.
Author Lauren Tarshis reads chapters of her books on YouTube.
On YouTube, listen to author Jerry Pallotta’s read alouds. Pallotta, along with Jack Gantos and Roland Smith, hold “Learning Live with Authors” on YouTube.
Author Amy Ludwig VanDerwater is holding daily writing talks and activities on her website.
Kennelly School in Connecticut is holding read alouds each day on Twitter.
Penguin Kids Books has live storytimes on Facebook.
Dav Pilkey at Home features how-to-draw demonstrations, read alouds, resources and more with the Library of Congress.
Each Thursday night at 7 p.m., Dolly Parton is reading Imagination Library stories on her Facebook.
Music
The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra is hosting live watch parties on Facebook.
Emily Arrow, a children’s songwriter, is hosting a sing-a-long on her YouTube channel every day.
Enjoy live concerts with Mr. Jon & Friends on Facebook every weekday morning.
Ben Gibbard of Death Cab for Cutie has live benefit concerts daily on Facebook or YouTube.
Jazz musician Fred Hersch is hosting daily concerts on Facebook.
Coy Bowles of Zac Brown Band will be hosting a Facebook sing-a-long and storytime every day.
Dance to electronic music from SOFI TUKKER on Facebook.
Johnny Gandelsman is playing Bach’s cello suites on Facebook.
Folk duo The Honey Badgers is holding social distancing concerts on Facebook, with the next concert a Pajama Party on April 14.
Children’s entertainer Alina Celeste has live bilingual concerts on YouTube.
With the Together At Home campaign, musicians, such as Chris Martin of Coldplay and Hozier, are performing live concerts.
Children’s musician and comedian Mr. Patrick is hosting live performances on Facebook.
Musician Alastair Moock is hosting family concerts on Facebook.
A variety of children’s entertainers are performing as part of No Nap Family Happy Hour on Facebook.
Justin Roberts hosts Stuck at Home concerts Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
Seattle Symphony is streaming live broadcasts on YouTube.
Cliburn Kids has educational and music videos for elementary school students on Mondays and Thursdays.
Art
Draw with TIME for Kids’ Drew Willis, creative director, and Rosie, the editor-in-chief’s daughter, for a fun sketch each Thursday.
The Spruill Center for the Arts offers tours, demonstrations, kids art project and more each day.
On Facebook, Booth Western Art Museum shares art lessons and a drawing activity starting at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesdays.
The Kennedy Center is offering Lunch Doodles with Mo Willems, author and illustrator, every day.
Author and illustrator, Jarrett J. Krosoczka is hosting a free art webcast every weekday at 2 p.m.
Draw along with Squiggles & Scribbles by Ben Clanton, author and illustrator, every Monday at 12:30 p.m.
Illustrator Wendy MacNaughton holds a Draw Together class each day from 1-1:30 p.m. on her Instagram, and she’s even assigning weekend homework.
Author and illustrator Deborah Freedman is hosting read alouds and art activities on her Instagram.
Grace Lin is reading and drawing with kids on her YouTube.
Debbie Ridpath Ohi has picture book read-alouds and creative activities on her YouTube.
Author and illustrator Remy Lai has daily sketch ideas on her Twitter.
Yaymaker has virtual “Paint Nites” on their site.
Teacher Cassie Stephens is combining art and science with themed weekly activities on Facebook.
Animals
Zoo Atlanta is posting animal facts and videos on their Facebook.
At 10 a.m. on Facebook, Atlantic White Shark Conservatory holds live lessons.
North Georgia Zoo holds live Wildlife Wonders at 1 p.m. on Facebook.
Salato Wildlife Education Center is holding live learning and animal education videos on Facebook.
Meigs Point Nature Center has live field trips on Facebook.
Mystic Aquarium has live Facebook videos daily around 11 a.m.
Denver Zoo is streaming live videos on Facebook, along with ideas for activities you can do at home.
Houston Zoo has live videos featuring their animals on Facebook.
Reef Relief is posting live videos on their YouTube, along with accompanying worksheets on their site.
Camps
MJCCA has daily camps for exercise, trivia, art, cooking and more.
Check out In the City’s free daily virtual camp on April 17 at 3:30 p.m.