From studying space travel to watching a live musical performance, these activities can be enjoyed by the entire family in the comfort of your home.
Fall is around the corner, and we still find ourselves surrounded by uncertainty. While we can expect frequent changes and cancellations of in-person events for the unforeseeable future, the following virtual activities are ones you can count on. Feel confident adding these to your calendar!
Local Virtual Activities
Keep up-to-date with local activities on our virtual calendar!Β
AAPS Community Education and Recreation
They are offering a range of online courses for all ages. Prices vary. See their website for a list of courses.
1515 S Seventh St, Ann Arbor. 734-994-2300. aarecedonline.com
Ann Arbor Art Center
You can check out a variety of live, online art classes are offered for all ages. Prices vary. See their website for a list of courses.
117 W. Liberty St., Ann Arbor. 734-994-8004. annarborartcenter.org
Ann Arbor Hands-on Museum
Free STEM at Home workshops on specific days: Tuesdays for members, Friday for everyone. Classes vary by week.
200 E. Ann St, Ann Arbor. 734-995-5439. aahom.org
The Ark
The Ark Family Room series brings live, evening performances to your home. Donations are accepted. See their calendar for a full list of performers.Β
316 S. Main Street, Ann Arbor. 734-761-1818. theark.org/ark-family-room-series
Detroit Zoo
The Detroit Zooβs Facebook page offers periodic educational posts on the animals that live there.
8450 W 10 Mile Rd, Royal Oak. 248-541-5717. facebook.com/detroitzoo
Frontière Farm House
Their Facebook page teaches kids and grown-ups about the inner workings of a farm.
11211 22 Mile Rd, Marshall. 269-830-6508. facebook.com/FrontiereFarmHouse
Leslie Science and Nature Center
Camp-at-Home through the end of August with the Leslie Science Center! Themes vary by week: $35 for members, $40 for nonmembers.
1831 Traver Road, Ann Arbor. 734-997-1553. lesliesnc.org/camp-home
Museum of Natural History
Their free Museum@Home program allows you to see some exhibits and behind-the-scenes images.Β
1105 North University Avenue, Ann Arbor. 734-764-0478. lsa.umich.edu/ummnh
Wild Swan Theater
This local theater offers a series of free theater activities, both performance and playwriting, that can be done from home.
4800 E. Huron River Dr., Ann Arbor. 734-995-0530. wildswantheater.org
Yankee Air Museum
The Creativity Hangar is a free online center with games, videos, and activities all about air and space travel.
47884 D St, Belleville. 734-483-4030. yankeeairmuseum.org/creativity_hangar
YMCA Camp CopneconicΒ
Their Camp at Home program has videos with activities, character development, and weekly challenges.
10407 N. Fenton Rd, Fenton. 810-629-9622. Campcopneconic.org
Washtenaw County Public LibrariesΒ
Support your local libraries by attending virtual activities, such as live storytime, arts and crafts lessons, and trivia nights. See each libraryβs website for specific offerings.Β
Ann Arbor District Library
343 South Fifth Avenue, Ann Arbor. 734-327-4200. aadl.org
Chelsea District Library
221 South Main Street, Chelsea. 734.475.8732. chelseadistrictlibrary.org
Dexter District Library
3255 Alpine Street, Dexter. dexter.lib.mi.us
Manchester District Library
912 City Road (M-52), Manchester. 734-428-8045. manchesterlibrary.info
Northfield Township Area Library
125 Barker Road, Whitmore Lake. 734-449-0066. ntal.org
Salem-South Lyon District Library
9800 Pontiac Trail, South Lyon. 248-437-6431. ssldl.info
Saline District Library
555 North Maple Road, Saline. 734-429-5450. salinelibrary.org
Ypsilanti District Library
5577 Whittaker Road, Ypsilanti. 734-482-4110. Ypsilibrary.org
National Virtual Activities
Explore the country virtually with these engaging and interactive tours!
Aquariums and Zoos with Virtual Tours
Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden
Cincinnati, Ohio. facebook.com/cincinnatizoo
Georgia Aquarium
Atlanta, Georgia. georgiaaquarium.org
Houston ZooΒ
Houston, Texas. houstonzoo.org/bringing-the-zoo-to-you
Monterey Bay AquariumΒ
Monterey, California. montereybayaquarium.org
National AquariumΒ
Baltimore, Maryland. aqua.org
New England AquariumΒ
Boston, Massachusetts. neaq.org
San Diego ZooΒ
San Diego, California. kids.sandiegozoo.org
Smithsonianβs National ZooΒ
Washington, D.C. nationalzoo.si.edu/webcams
Zoo Atlanta
Atlanta, Georgia. zooatlanta.org/learn/at-home
Famous Landmark with Virtual Tours
The AlamoΒ
San Antonio, Texas. youvisit.com/tour/thealamo
Boston Public Garden
Boston, Massachusetts. youvisit.com/tour/bostonpublic
Empire State BuildingΒ
New York, New York. iloveny360.com/panorama/empire-state-building-102th-floor
Grand Central TerminalΒ
New York, New York. youvisit.com/tour/grandcentral
Hoover DamΒ
Arizona, Nevada. youvisit.com/tour/hooverdam
The Liberty BellΒ
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. historyview.org/library/liberty-bell
Mount RushmoreΒ
Keystone, South Dakota. youvisit.com/tour/mountrushmore
Statue of Liberty
New York, New York. nps.gov/featurecontent/stli/eTour.htm
The White HouseΒ
Washington, D.C. artsandculture.google.com/partner/the-white-house
Sports Stadiums with Virtual Tours
Hard Rock Stadium During Miami OpenΒ
Miami Gardens, Florida. youvisit.com/tour/miamiopenstadium
Oracle Park (Formerly AT&T Park).Β
San Francisco, California. jrgiantsathome.org
Yankee StadiumΒ
New York Yankees: Bronx, New York. mlb.com/yankees/fans/kids
Virtual Rollercoasters
Busch GardensΒ
Tampa Bay, Florida. Busch Gardens YouTube Channel
Cedar PointΒ
Sandusky, Ohio. Cedar Point YouTube Channel
DisneylandΒ
Anaheim, California. Star Wars Millenium Falcon Ride
HersheyparkΒ
Hershey, Pennsylvania. 15 Coasters at HersheyparkΒ
Knottβs Berry FarmΒ
Buena Park, California. Knotβs Berry Farm YouTube Channel
Global Virtual Activities
Why stop at exploring the country when you can explore the entire world, even outer space? These virtual offerings will take you to places that are currently unavailable to explore.
Aquariums with Virtual Tours
OceanogrΓ fic de ValenciaΒ
Valencia, Spain. oceanografic.org/visita-virtual
S.E.A. AquariumΒ
Sentosa Island, Singapore. youtube.com/watch?v=T1of_pfa77c
Famous Landmarks with Virtual Tours
Buckingham PalaceΒ
London, England. royal.uk/virtual-tours-buckingham-palace
Cliffs of MoherΒ
County Clare, Ireland. cliffsofmoher.ie/google-360-inside-tour
Forbidden CityΒ
Beijing, China. youvisit.com/tour/chinatour
The Grand PalaceΒ
Bangkok, Thailand. youvisit.com/tour/grandpalace
Great Barrier ReefΒ
Coral Sea, Queensland. Australia.Β attenboroughsreef.com
The Great Wall of ChinaΒ
Huairou District, China. youvisit.com/tour/doilan
Mount EverestΒ
Nepal and China. solfar.com/everest-vr
Niagara FallsΒ
Ontario, Canada. niagarafallstourism.com/vr/journey-behind-the-falls
Sports Stadiums with Virtual Tours
Anfield Stadium
Liverpool FC: Merseyside, England. liverpoolfc.com/kopkids
Camp Nou: Barcelona Stadium
Barcelona, Spain.
Emirates Stadium
Arsenal FC: London, England.
footballstadiums360.com/stadiums/arsenal-emirates-stadium-360/
Virtual Rollercoasters
Peppa Pig World
Hampshire, England. YouTube Video
Shanghai DisneylandΒ
Shanghai, China. YouTube Video
Warner Bros. WorldΒ
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. YouTube Video
WetβnβWild Gold CoastΒ
Queensland, Australia. YouTube Video
Virtual Space Tours
International Space StationΒ
Low Earth Orbit, Space.
esamultimedia.esa.int/multimedia/virtual-tour-iss
Mars
Fourth Planet From the Sun, Solar System. accessmars.withgoogle.com
NASA Glenn Research CenterΒ
Cleveland, Ohio. nasa.gov/glennvirtualtours
Academic Classes, Camps, and Programs
Keep your kidsβ reading, writing, and math skills fresh with these fun, online enrichment options!Β Β
Activity Hero
Live interactive online classes & camps for Kids. Some classes are free. See site for offerings.
activityhero.com/online-classes
Khan Academy
Great for ages 2 to 7, this free interactive site helps kids develop reading, math, and social-emotional skills.Β
Learn with Homer
For ages 2 to 8, this site is free for 30 days and helps kids develop writing skills through writing their own stories.
My StoryBook
Best for elementary-age kids, this program allows kids to create stories with drawings they share online for free or have printed for a fee.
NaNoWriMo Young Writers Program
During the month of November, tweens and teens can participate in a free 30-day experience writing their own novel with support from fellow and professional writers.
Storyline Online
This is a digital archive of celebrities reading books for elementary-age children.
Story Time From Space
This is storytelling with a twist: astronauts read to kids from outer space!Β
Outschool
Live online classes and camps for kids, ages 3-18, starting at $10 a class.
See a local virtual activity not listed that should be? Please let us know! Email us at annarboreditor@adamsstreetpublishing.com so we can update our list!
