BOONE COUNTY EVENTS
- Visit the Sugar Creek Art Center’s Stage 2 Gallery Opening of “Keeping Up With the Joneses” on Thursday, May 21 from 5 – 8 p.m. The JC Cocina food truck will be open for business with a special menu from 4 – 8 p.m.
Looking for something fun to do while social distancing? Check out these online activities and adventures!
VIRTUAL TOURS
- Watch this brief report on “What the World Looks Like When Humans Stay Home” from PBS News Hour.
- Take a virtual field trip with Teton Science Schools on this Google Expedition.
- Take a tour of La Maison du Beurre in Brittany, France and learn how they make traditional French butter.
- Join the Countess of Carnarvon every Friday for At Home at Highclere Castle.
- Experience the floating markets along the Mekong Delta and master the culinary art of rolling your very own Vietnamese Spring Rolls.
- Explore Monet’s Gardens in Giverny and visit the Japanese bridge, gardens and water lilies that inspired one of history’s great painters, founder of impressionism Claude Monet.
- Join the National Geographic Awesome Planet team for a tour of the Galapagos Islands.
- Discover ancient places within the Grand Canyon where people lived long ago.
- Virtually explore the beauty of the Sistine Chapel.
- Take a virtual tour of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History.
- See some of America’s most glorious landscapes. Powered by Google Earth, a whole bunch of national parks offer free virtual tours.
- Virtually tour 10 historic homes, including Buckingham Palace, Mt. Vernon and Monticello.
- Explore the surface of Mars on the Curiosity Rover.
- Immerse yourself in Canadian Farm and Food Tours.
- Connect with history at The British Museum located in the heart of London. Virtual visitors can tour the Great Court and discover the ancient Rosetta Stone and Egyptian mummies.
- Travel the world through the eyes of storytellers from Project Explorers.
THE ARTS
- Learn how Third Coast Percussion set up their instruments prior to their “Paddle to the Sea” concert at DePauw University.
- Relax and calm your mind as Patrick Stewart reads a Sonnet A Day.
- Enjoy “at home” performances by Musicians of the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra.
- Set a weekly reminder to watch the Globe Theatre’s rotation of Shakespearean plays.
- Join a community of learners in the free MOMA (Museum of Modern Art) online courses.
- Watch Andrea Bocelli’s Music for Hope concert, including “Amazing Grace” recorded live from Duomo Di Milano in Italy on Easter morning.
- Listen to the beloved musician Yo-Yo Ma as he offers musical messages of hope and comfort.
- Paint happy little trees and enjoy some art therapy with Bob Ross’ The Joy of Painting.
- Experience the Blue Stars Drum & Bugle Corps 2019 show entitled “The Call of the Wild.”
- During this extraordinary and difficult time, the Metropolitan Opera hopes to brighten the lives of our audience members even while our stage is dark. Each day, a different encore presentation from the company’s Live in HD series is being made available for free streaming on the Met website.
- The Show Must Go On! Andrew Lloyd Webber will stream his musicals weekly beginning April 3rd beginning with Joseph and The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.
- Enjoy home performances from Detroit Symphony Orchestra musicians.
- The Getty Museum in Los Angeles has challenged art fans to post photos of themselves recreating their favorite works of art from the safety of their homes
- We love a good drawing lesson (check out this list of the best how to draw tutorials), and Rob Biddulph’s animal designs are a super fun example.
- Grab some paper and pencils, pens, or crayons and Doodle with Mo Willems everyday at 1 p.m. Mo is an author/illustrator of the “The Pigeon” and “Knuffle Bunney” series and more!
- Join the Take 5 Arts for Learning Facebook Live video series that engages and uplifts youth through 5-minute musical and visual art programs.
- Travel to Paris, France to see amazing works of art at The Louvre with this virtual field trip.
- Raise your spirits by watching these 11 Musical TV Shows.
- Check out ways to watch these Broadway Shows in the comfort of your home.
- Explore the expansive collection at the Art Institute of Chicago.
- The Center for Puppetry Arts is hosting online performances and Facebook Live events.
KID STUFF
- Play a board or card game. Put together a puzzle. Color or create your own piece of art! Go “old school” and write a letter to a family member or friend.
- Join Indy Car Driver, Zach Veach, as he reads “Racing Through the Alphabet.”
- Check out this drinking water maze that shows how water makes it from lakes and rivers to our homes and back to the rivers again!
- Create your own paper city using these templates from Foster + Partners.
- Calling all history enthusiasts! The Gilder Lehrman Pop-Up History School is a series of live interactive lessons by Master Teachers starting the week of April 27 and ending the week of May 25. There are sessions for upper elementary through high school.
- Enjoy story time with James Marsden as he reads “Where the Wild Things Are”.
- Watch Rosita, a beloved Sesame Street character, show you how to use Belly Breathing to catch your breath and calm down.
- The Hamilton Education Program invites you to participate in EduHam at Home, a free digital program for students and families to explore the Founding Era.
- “Gato callejero y Gato hogareño” parte del libro “Cuentos de perros y gatos para pasar el rato” escrito por Begoña Oro y Marina Martin (“Stray Cat and Home Cat” part of the book “Stories of Cats and Dogs to Pass the Time” written by Begoña Oro and Marina Martin (published by Penguin Random House) – read by Adal Ramones)
- Enjoy Story Time with Samson Historical as they read Crankee Doodle.
- Take part of a Scavenger Hunt with Thorntown Public Libraries Raider Raccoon.
- Play the new Wild Kratts Amazin’ Amazon Adventure game and more at PBS Kids.
- Keep the kids busy with these fun I Spy printables.
- Find out how much you have in common with architect Frank Lloyd Wright at “How Much Like Wright Are You?.” Brought to you by the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation.
- Play these fun and educational digital games from BreakoutEDU.
- Enjoy some virtual pixie dust courtesy of Disney Magic Moments.
- Let NASA at Home bring the universe into your home with these great activities.
- Draw a picture and send it to a local Nursing Home or Assisted Living center.
- Document history by creating a COVID-19 Time Capsule.
- Join At Home with Emily and learn a new morning song.
- Playing outside with chalk is a great way to alleviate the indoor boredom right now. We’ve seen awesome ideas, from chalk your walk happy messages to obstacle courses for people walking by.
- Connect with your favorite Sesame Street friends and learn how to Care For Each Other
- “Goodnight With Dolly” features Dolly Parton reading a series of Imagination Library books all carefully chosen for their appropriate content at this moment in time.
- Join the Boone County Sheriff’s Department for online Story Time. Times will be posted on their Facebook page.
- Check out these boredom busters.
- Play a game of “Would You Rather……”
- Follow the Indianapolis Children’s Museum’s Facebook page for all kinds of fun online learning!
- Watch and listen as Grover reads “There’s a Monster at the End of this Book.“
- Take a ride on one of 30 Virtual Amusement Park Rides. Wheeeeeee!
- Create your own indoor scavenger hunt!
- Go “old school” with these online Mad Libs!
- The Indianapolis Public Library has collected over 100 free video read alouds ready to watch online! When a Dragon Moves In, Pete the Cat, Owl Babies and Strega Nona — there’s a story for everyone!
- Check out the 15 of the best educational videos for kids.
- Cozy up with astronauts on the Space Station for Story Time From Space!
- Imagineering in a Box is a free online program that brings together the diverse talents of Disney Imagineers around the world for a one-of-a-kind learning experience
- Read, play games, and hang out with Dr. Seuss.
- Find fun games, recipes, crafts, activities at Highlights Kids.
- Add movement and mindfulness to your kiddos day! Check out these videos created by child development experts.
- Explore these complementary yoga sessions for kids from Little Twisters Yoga.
- Get into cooking with your kids with Nomster Chef Recipes for Kids.
- Make music with Virtual Musical Instruments.
- Check out the Smithsonian’s Fun Stuff for Kids.
- Explore this big list of children’s authors doing online reading and activities.
- Take part in these simple and fun non-screen activities.
NATURE
- Join Zionsville Urban Farms for Tower Garden Zoom Classes beginning May 4th. Email lisa@zionsvilleurbanfarms.com to register.
- Learn how to build a rain barrel from our Boone County Extension Agent, Curt Emmanuel.
- Participate in the Earth Week Challenge from Boone County Solid Waste District.
- Check out the Indianapolis Zoo Bringing the Zoo to You virtual field trips.
- Dive into questions about your favorite animals at the Shedd Aquarium.
- Join Dull’s Tree Farm for a Planting Trees Virtual Field Trip.
- Meet a two-toed sloth named Xena, hear dolphin sounds and more at the Texas State Aquarium.
- Explore Biscayne National Park in Florida.
- Check out Let Hope Bloom a message of hope made entirely of flowers.
- Live stream the National Aquarium’s Blacktip Reef, Pacific Coral Reef and Jellies Invasion.
- View the Northern Lights from this live cam in Manitoba, Canada.
- Look through this virtual window of the Cornell Lab Bird Cams into the natural world of birds.
- Learn to identify birds by the sounds they make at
- Check out the Zion Nature Center’s Facebook page for virtual programs.
- Visit the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden for a home safari.
- Learn about your favorite animals with a little help from the San Diego Zoo.
- Play games and learn about animals with SwitchZoo Animal Games.
- Visit Alaska’s Virtual Wildlife trailcams and webcams.
FITNESS & FUN
- Keep Calm, Stay Wise & Be Kind with this Meangingful May calendar.
- Join in the virtual Opening Celebration at Holiday World on Saturday, May 2. Videos will be shared each hour ending with a Fireworks Grand Finale!
- Watch as the castle you know so well becomes a canvas for the heart-tugging story of the importance of chasing your dreams, no matter what, and finding your Happily Ever After.
- Take part in Ujjayi Breathing with Rachel from the Witham Family YMCA.
- Experience one of five virtual roller coaster rides at Holiday World in Santa Claus, Indiana.
- Watch this special performance of “Rainbow Connection” by your favorite frog, Kermit.
- Enjoy Steve Hartman’s Kindness 101 Lessons Learned “On the Road” videos.
- Sing along with local musician John Stevens on Facebook or YouTube.
- Check out Some Good News with John Krasinski.
- Find favorite Disney Park recipes at Cooking Up the Magic.
- What did the Hubble telescope see on your birthday? Find out here!
- Peruse a variety of free online classes offered by Harvard University.
- Enjoy actor and Lebanon native, Drew Powell’s #CoronaBathroomSessions sing-a-longs with his son.
- Participate in online courses, earn House Points and so much more at Hogwarts is Here, an online, fully functioning Hogwarts.
- Stay fit with P.E. with Joe who offers free virtual at-home P.E. classes and over 200 other workouts.
- Explore over 25 fitness studios and gyms offering free live streaming during the Coronovirus outbreak.
- Who needs a gym, when you can Work Out using household items.
- Try these mindfulness exercises to become more present in your daily life.
- Experience this Bollywood Laughter Yoga Dance class.
- Check out 17 of the best online activities to keep you connected while you’re away from family and friends.
- Staying connected while apart is so important for all of our mental health right now. Here are 12 things to do with friends and family over video chat.