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Homeschool and Free Educational Resources
Library staff have begun compiling this listing of free resources that have been made available in light of the COVID-19 health crisis. Some are library resources you can access anytime for free, some are always-free websites, and others have been made free for a limited time.
Be sure to check out our Homework Help page, as well as the Children’s Page and Teen Page for more!
All of the library-subscribed electronic resources can be found here.
mommypoppins.com - Easy science experiments for kids using household items.
Brittanica School - Learning for Elementary, Middle & HS levels.
STEM Activity Clearinghouse - STEM/STEAM activities for every age group from STARNet
OverDrive Kids - ebooks and audiobooks for all ages
Homeschool Co-op - Free online educational programs taught by volunteers professors, experts & enthusiasts.
Library of Congress Smart Fun for Kids - use LoC exhibits and activities to learn
Lunch Doodles with Mo Willems - fun for adults, too!
WGBH Distance Learning Center - MA DESE and PBS LearningMedia have teamed up to compile PreK-12 resources.
Internet Archive Kid-Friendly Resources - a directory of learning resources for kids, grouped by age range.
International Digital Children’s Library - a collection of free ebooks for kids in a variety of languages.
Digital Museum Exhibits - The next best thing to visiting a museum in person!
AudioBookCloud - Always available audiobooks to download for all ages - and adults, too!
MA Center for the Book - Links to online events and resources for all age groups.
Boston Children’s Museum - Play & Learning Resources, and Museum Virtual Tour
MassAudubon: Explore Nature at Home - Young Explorers activity sheets, scavenger hunts, coloring pages, and more
YMCA Health & Fitness Videos - Kids Fitness Activity videos, as well as fitness videos for adults
Kennedy Space Center - Downloadable activities for kids = visit them on Facebook for daily Live events as well.
What Do We Do All Day - Lots of ideas for activities (some educational, some just fun) for all ages.
Engage! from Library of Congress - Author interviews, learning inspiration for kids and teens, and lifelong learner opportunities.
Audubon Bird Cams - Live video feeds of bird species from all over the country.
Mechanics Hall - Brown Bag Concerts - free concerts on select Wednesdays.
PBSKids.org - Educational games and videos, includes Sesame Street, Caillou, Arthur, Berenstain Bears.
Sesame Street - Caring for Each Other - Content and resources you can use with your family to offer comfort and spark playful learning.
ActivityPad.com - Printable preschool activities, word search puzzles, mazes, etc.
Abdo Zoom - online learning database for grades Pre-K - 2
Abdo Digital Library - ebooks for grades Pre-K - 6
Scratch Jr - Free programming language where kids can learn to create their own interactive stories, games, and animations.
Brittanica Fundamentals - Activities, games, videos and more
AWE Early Learning Printables - Counting, shapes, letters and more
Footsteps2Brilliance - a comprehensive English/Spanish literacy app that will help your child excel at reading and be prepared for school. Available for children birth through 3rd grade in participating North Central MA school districts.
Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators - a directory of storytimes with authors, art classes with illustrators, and more.
Khan Academy Kids - A free educational program for ages 2-7.
Story Time from Space - Watch astronauts read stories, straight from the International Space Station.
MA Video Library - Storytimes, singalongs, crafts and STEM activities from libraries across MA.
Fun from the Farm - Learn about life on a farm, sit in on barnyard storytimes, learn crafts, and more.
Brainpop.com - Engaging learning games, animated movies, and activities. Designed with relevance, depth, and humor to encourage kids on their unique learning paths.
Gale In Context: Elementary - This library resource is available for free always! Learn about animals, plants, music, science, sports and more.
Mount Washington Observatory Virtual Classroom - View a weekly video on weather science, taught by the scientists from the Mt. Washington Observatory. For grades 3-8.
Tumblebooks K-6 - an eBook database with unlimited access. Read as many books as you want, when you want, where you want.
TumbleMath K-6 - Math books, quizzes, and lesson plans.
Abdo Digital Library - ebooks for grades Pre-K - 6
Footsteps2Brilliance - a comprehensive English/Spanish literacy app that will help your child excel at reading and be prepared for school. Available for children birth through 3rd grade in participating North Central MA school districts.
The Story Seeds Podcast - Inspires kids ages 6-12 to create original stories inspired by their favorite authors and books.
Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators - a directory of storytimes with authors, art classes with illustrators, and more.
Khan Academy Kids - A free educational program for ages 2-7.
Bedtime Math - Fun math activities that only take 5 minutes a day, to work into your routine.
Wonderopolis - Check out today’s Wonder of the Day, or explore the 2,000+ past wonders. Each Wonder inspires learning and thinking about a new topic.
Story Time from Space - Watch astronauts read stories, straight from the International Space Station.
NASA STEM @ Home - STEM learning and activities for K-4 students.
MA Video Library - Storytimes, singalongs, crafts and STEM activities from libraries across MA.
Fun Family History Activities for Kids - provided by AmericanAncestors.org, these free activities will teach kids to explore their family history and improve learning and research skills.
Fun from the Farm - Learn about life on a farm, sit in on barnyard storytimes, learn crafts, and more.
Brainpop.com - Engaging learning games, animated movies, and activities. Designed with relevance, depth, and humor to encourage kids on their unique learning paths.
Scratch.mit.edu - Free programming language where kids can learn to create their own interactive stories, games, and animations.
Howstuffworks.com - Find out how stuff works.
Middle School in Context - Browse and learn about a variety of topics
Mount Washington Observatory Virtual Classroom - View a weekly video on weather science, taught by the scientists from the Mt. Washington Observatory. For grades 3-8.
TeenBookCloud - Teen Fiction, NonFiction, graphic novels, and NatGeo videos.
Abdo Digital Bookshelf - ebooks for grades 5-12
Where on Google Earth is Carmen Sandiego? - this article has instructions for how to play on different devices. Play to learn geography and world culture.
The Story Seeds Podcast - Inspires kids ages 6-12 to create original stories inspired by their favorite authors and books.
Wonderopolis - Check out today’s Wonder of the Day, or explore the 2,000+ past wonders. Each Wonder inspires learning and thinking about a new topic.
EO Kids - NASA’s Earth Observatory posts learning and activities for ages 9-14.
Fun Family History Activities for Kids - provided by AmericanAncestors.org, these free activities will teach kids to explore their family history and improve learning and research skills.
Free Documentaries from Netflix - Netflix has made these documentaries and accompanying educational materials free to all on Youtube.
Scratch.mit.edu - Free programming language where kids can learn to create their own interactive stories, games, and animations.
Howstuffworks.com - Find out how stuff works.
Biography in Context - Biographical information on notable people throughout history and contemporary figures
TeenBookCloud - Teen Fiction, NonFiction, graphic novels, and NatGeo videos.
Abdo Digital Bookshelf - ebooks for grades 5-12
Where on Google Earth is Carmen Sandiego? - this article has instructions for how to play on different devices. Play to learn geography and world culture.
Fun Family History Activities for Kids - provided by AmericanAncestors.org, these free activities will teach students to explore their family history and improve learning and research skills.
Free Documentaries from Netflix - Netflix has made these documentaries and accompanying educational materials free to all on Youtube.