"Off-Screen" Activities for Children
Tired of a looking at a screen? Here are some "off-screen" activities to try out in the library or at home.
- Future engineers may enjoy making their own subway map.
- Here are four drawing games from parent and children's author/illustrator Jarrett J. Krosoczka.
- Learn to draw Mo Willems' pigeon.
- The good folks at Good Housekeeping have compiled a list of 50 DIY activities for you and your family.
- The Hand Washing Song is a handy way to help you remember just how long to wash your hands.
- Read "A Pocketful of Poetry," a short document of poems in honor of Poem in Your Pocket Day.
- This brilliant, helpful comic from National Public Radio is an excellent introduction to COVID-19 for kids who might have questions about the virus. The comic can also be printed-out and made into a zine!
- The children's magazine Kazoo has made their December 2018 "Happy" issue available for free download.
- Children's publisher Barefoot Books has released a compendium of free resources for children to use while at home. Particularly notable are the printable "At-Home Activity Kits," which encourage children to explore both their imaginations and immediate surroundings.
- The New York Times' Deb Amlen, who is one of their crossword columnists, has some suggestions for child-friendly games to play at home.
- Do you have a pen? What about a piece of paper? Here are 5 Things You Can Do With a Piece of Paper and a Pen
- Bird watching can be a fun, relaxing hobby. Here is a worksheet, featured in Pete's 5/27/2020 virtual storytime, that can help you as begin your bird watching.
We have also collected a number of coloring pages that might be of interest to young (and old!) artists.
- Justcolor.net has printable, downloadable coloring pages available on essentially any topic -- even Gustav Klimt!
- Ever wanted to color inside a 500-year old book? The Society Library's "Color the Classics" Coloring Books give you that opportunity. There are two editions of the coloring book -- here is a link to Edition 1, and here is a link to Edition 2.
- For bird lovers: here are some coloring pages via the National Park Service featuring birds that live on the Lewis & Clark National Historic Trail.
- Color-in your favorite NYC landmarks on these New York City coloring pages from On the Loose.
- Crayola has a number of fun coloring pages available for print-out on its website.
- Author and illustrator Elise Gravel has created some free coloring pages, housed on her website.
- Interact with your favorite Nickelodeon characters away from the screen through these Nickelodeon coloring pages.
- Need bug coloring pages? Terminix, believe it or not, has you covered.
- The Field Museum has created a coloring book to go along with the story The Legend of the ParĂ¡kata.
- Each year many museums and cultural institutions create coloring books under the moniker "Color Our Collections." The movement was began by the New York Academy of Medicine, and links to the coloring books can be found on this website.
And remember! We have also compiled a number of online resources for kids and teens. Check these pages out for information about fun, educational websites!