At Home Activities

PBS KIDS’ new weekday newsletter offers activities and tips you can use to help kids play and learn at home.

Looking for ways to keep your comics-loving kids and teens occupied? These free webcomics promise to eat up hours of time.

Art from around the world has never been closer to home.

Storyline Online streams videos featuring celebrated actors reading children’s books alongside creatively produced illustrations. Readers include Viola Davis, Chris Pine, Lily Tomlin, Kevin Costner, Annette Bening, James Earl Jones, Betty White and dozens more.

Storyline Online receives over 100 million views annually from children all over the world.

Reading aloud to children has been shown to improve reading, writing and communication skills, logical thinking and concentration, and general academic aptitude, as well as inspire a lifelong love of reading. Teachers use Storyline Online in their classrooms, and doctors and nurses play Storyline Online in children’s hospitals.

Storyline Online is available 24 hours a day for children, parents, caregivers and educators worldwide. Each book includes supplemental curriculum developed by a credentialed elementary educator, aiming to strengthen comprehension and verbal and written skills for English-language learners.

(THIS IS A PERSONAL RECOMMENDATION! I LOVE IT!)

Audible Stories is offering FREE audiobooks for kids during COVID-19 Pandemic.

Common Sense Media rates movies, TV shows, books, and more so parents can feel good about the entertainment choices they make for their kids. We offer the largest, most trusted library of independent age-based ratings and reviews. Our timely parenting advice supports families as they navigate the challenges and possibilities of raising kids in the digital age. Learn how we rate and review and see our founding editors' 10 Beliefs. Our vision: Families taking charge of their digital choices.

The libraries are always open at librarieshawaii.org with many amazing online resources available to access from home 24/7. Our online collection includes:

• Temporary free access (with a library card) to thousands of films through Kanopy

• eBooks and e-audiobooks

• Digital subscriptions to newspapers and magazines

• Online classes

• Online language learning

• Many online resources for homework, recreation and research

Access these resources and more for free using your library card.

Free “take a book” and “leave/return a book” tiny community libraries can be found on Hawaiʻi, Maui, Oʻahu, and Kauaʻi. While State libraries must remain closed, a tiny library may be near you. Please exercise caution in disinfecting books that you might share or acquire at this time.

This link takes you to a site that allows you to locate Hawaiʻi tiny libraries. The site also provides guidelines for being a part of the generous community of folks stewarding and using these community tiny libraries.