Boredom Busters

Looking for inspiration? Want to learn something new, or explore something old? Look no further than these awesome sites!

Check out new ideas!

TED: Ideas worth spreading — “TED is a nonpartisan nonprofit devoted to spreading ideas, usually in the form of short, powerful talks” – from wesbite

Mental Floss — If you like random facts, quizzes, and lists of stuff, this site is for you!

Films & Performances

National Film Board — Stream hundreds of movies for free and families can now explore the online educational content for free as well!

Black and White Movies — Feeling nostalgic? Watch all sorts of black and white films from days gone by!

#CanadaPerforms — Check the schedule to find timings for live performance from Canadian musicians, actors, dancers and more!

Cool Creatures

Ripley’s Aquarium — Find live streams of the penguins and sharks, educational materials and live events that can all be enjoyed from home!

Explore.org — Watch animals in their habitats in Africa and around the world. Explore the oceans. Check in on dog and cat rescues. And much more!

Learn to Code

Canada Learning Code — Tons of free courses for people of all ages!

Code — A fun way to bring computer science into your home!

Fun for Kids of All Ages!

Center for Puppetry Arts @ Home — Puppet shows, workshops and more!

Scholastic — Read stories, search projects, have fun and keep kids learning!

Storytime Online — You can stream videos featuring celebrated actors reading children’s books alongside creatively produced illustrations. 

Exploratorium — Explore, play, discover

Harry Potter at Home — Bringing Hogwarts to you!

Storytime from Space — It can’t get much cooler than astronauts reading stories from space!!

Cat yawning in front of a tablet

Take a Virtual Tour

Road Trip from Home – Virtual Field Trips — Thanks to a recommendation, we have added this site to our list of places to explore!

Canadian Museum of Human Rights — Spend some quality time with powerful exhibits and inspiring stories.

Join a Museum guide on a virtual tour of exhibits and architecture. Or download our mobile app to check out the entire Museum, gallery by gallery. 

Canada’s Wonderland — Check out some exciting rides!

Virtual Museum of Canada — The largest digital source of stories and experiences shared by Canada’s museums and heritage organizations

Ten Museums You Can Visit Virtually — This article by Nadine Daher has links to amazing museums from the Guggenheim to the Louvre that you can explore without leaving the room.

Winchester Mystery House Virtual Tour — Explore the mysterious home constructed by Sarah Winchester, the widow of William Wirt Winchester and heiress to a large portion of the Winchester® Repeating Arms fortune.

Blarney Castle and Gardens, Cork Ireland — Virtually kiss the Blarney Stone and explore this amazing landmark.

Great Websites for Kids

International Children’s Digital Website

CBC Kids – games, videos, and more

TVO Kids – preschool and school age

PBS Kids – games and programming

Funbrain – games, reading, videos, math zone, more

KidLit TV – videos, podcasts, kid lit crafts, activities

DK FindOut! – kids free encyclopedia