In addition to stepping up to meet necessary physical and financial needs in the community, our partners are taking steps to help with homeschooling, distraction and mental health during this time. Here's a list of ways partners are promoting learning and fun throughout this unprecedented time. (While we’ll do our best to keep this list up to date, please note that the following schedules are subject to change.)
Boulder Parks and Recreation has on-demand fitness and fun. Check out their #OutsideEveryDay activities with the Thorne Nature Center and the PLAY Foundation’s recreation guide.
Butterfly Pavilion is offering virtual programs on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays at 11 a.m. Mountain Time. You can also find online field trips, educational resources and live events on their social media channels.
Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is bringing the zoo to you! Kids can follow along with animals’ feedings and movements in the habitats on the Giraffe Cam. Kids can also participate in daily animal crafts and bring their animal questions to social media where zoo experts will answer them.
The Children’s Museum of Denver at Marsico Campus is temporarily closed, but their Facebook group Museum Fun 101 will bring the Museum to you. Check out screen-free activities created by educators to engage your child in learning and fun from the comfort of your home.
Colorado Railroad Museum is open with a fun-to-explore outdoor railyard and socially distanced Saturday train rides through October. Day Out With Thomas is returning to the museum for three weekends in September, offering an outdoor birthday party with live entertainment and a train ride pulled by the #1 Engine himself! The museum also offers a series of virtual programs, including monthly story time and craft videos, featuring a children’s railroad book reading plus easy-to-do-at-home craft activities. Also featured are bigger-kid-oriented Big Train Tours and other online content.
Denver Botanic Gardens is sharing their flowers and gardens virtually through their YouTube channel. As spring brings new growth and blooms, you also can use their Gardens Navigator to discover the plants and trees in their collection. Or, visit the Gardens' Library Programs page to download and print multiple coloring sheets (like this year's #ColorOurCollections botanical illustration).
The Denver Broncos are sharing workouts, community resources and activities for families as part of their COVID-19 resources.
Denver Museum of Nature and Science has published educational programming for teachers, schools and kids at home. The Musem has things you can watch, do and teach. The museum is also inviting kids ages 3 to 18 to participate in a LEGO brick-building contest for their upcoming exhibition The Art of the Brick. (Submissions are due by April 24.) Follow the Museum on social at #dmnsscienceparty.
The Denver Public Library provides storytime, songs, rhymes and fun for children and their caregivers.
Denver Zoo hosts a live-stream program featuring different animals every day at 1 p.m. Mountain Time on the Denver Zoo Facebook page. They are also launching a virtual Zoo to You Safari.
Dinosaur Ridge's website has dinosaur-themed activities and coloring pages that are fun for the whole family.
Explora Children’s Museum has daily STEAM activities, ideas and inspiration on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Twitter. Check out their animal feedings, story times, science experiments and more.
Foothills Park and Recreation District, just southwest of metro Denver, has outdoor spaces that remain open for families and small groups that will obey all social distancing guidelines. Please note: Their policy may change or be impacted by local ordinances. Be sure to check their website for updated information. Foothills also has free fitness classes and workouts online.
Highlands Ranch Community Association has an online portal with virtual workouts, virtual preschools, online concerts, daily experiments and more.
Kidpower of Colorado is hosting Facebook Live events teaching Kidpower safety skills and accompanying activities.
Inside the Orchestra has activities for kids to do at home and weekly newsletters.
Littleton Museum is providing a free video series where you can watch farm animals on their living history farm or create recipes using ingredients that the pioneer settlers might have had in their pantry or root cellar.
Macaroni Kids of Highlands Ranch has a printable daily home schedule for kids. Or, use their editable Google Doc to customize and print your own schedule. Mac Kids is also offering virtual field trips, weekly at-home agendas with crafts and recipes, and more.
The Molly Brown House Museum's website for fun resources for families and teachers to use at home or in the classroom.
National Western Stock Show partnered with the Colorado Foundation for Agriculture to create a robust list of virtual field trip resources with environmental, biology and agricultural homeschooling content. The list also includes recommendations for Facebook live events, books, movies and documentaries.
Pikes Peak Library District is encouraging families to take advantage of their online CyberShelf, a resource that houses thousands of eBooks, eVideos and more online resources. The library is also regularly updating their kids and teens portals with activities, virtual tutoring and gaming opportunities. Visit their Facebook page every Thursday at 10:30 a.m. Mountain Time for “Cupboard Crafts & Experiments,” where kids can use fun items they have around their homes to do a fun activity. The District is also offering virtual storytime every Monday, Wednesday and Friday morning. A children's librarian will lead a sing-along and read a book each week. If you can't join live, all videos are available for viewing later.
Rocky Mountain PBS offers the PBS Kids Video App, an app with educational videos and games for children of all ages, to support families homeschooling kids at this time. No subscription required.
Wings Over the Rockies has space-themed crafts and activities. Learn how to fold a paper cobra airplane or boomerang plane, join a virtual storytime, or explore outer space experiments. For more, check out the Wings Over the Rockies YouTube channel.
WOW! Children’s Museum developed five programs that align with the museum’s top exhibits. Parents and kids can use their list of exhibit activities to create their own recipes, puzzles, games, crafts and more.
YMCA Northern Colorado is offering virtual videos of exercises to do at home and ideas for activities with kids.
YMCA of the Pikes Peak Region is offering free workout classes online.
Young Americans Center provides financial literacy resources for youth, families and educators to learn more about finance and business. They are providing virtual classes and online resources for kids, families and educators.
501st Legion is continuing to share their love for Star Wars and making children smile during the COVID-19 pandemic. The 501st has started a YouTube channel for things like #501stStoryTime videos.