{"id":30749,"date":"2020-04-06T22:28:14","date_gmt":"2020-04-06T22:28:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.expedia.com\/stories\/?p=30749"},"modified":"2021-10-28T17:29:52","modified_gmt":"2021-10-28T17:29:52","slug":"virtual-tours-activities-for-kids-at-home","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.expedia.com\/stories\/virtual-tours-activities-for-kids-at-home\/","title":{"rendered":"Virtual Tours and Activities for Kids at Home"},"content":{"rendered":"

Millions of families across the world are now spending a lot of time at home together, which means you have plenty of opportunities to travel the world\u2014virtually\u2014with your kids. If you\u2019re looking for ideas to keep your kiddos occupied and educated while you work from home or do chores, here are some of our favorite travel-inspired activities for kids at home. Facilitate active and engaged learning through kid-friendly virtual tours, hands-on activities, and crafty projects while exploring the world from your living room. Let\u2019s get the educational adventure started.<\/p>\n

Send Your Kids on Virtual Tours<\/h2>\n

\"Virtual<\/p>\n

With their doors closed for public safety, many museums around the world are offering virtual tours of their collections. Your kids can dive into world-class educational resources about science, art, and history right from your living room.<\/p>\n

Wander the vast collection of artwork and antiquities at the Louvre in Paris<\/a> or the Tokyo Fuji Art Museum. Tune in to guided hall tours of the American Museum of Natural History in New York<\/a> and take a close look at dinosaur fossils, animal dioramas, and glittering meteorites. Also, be sure to check out their collection of online educational resources for children.<\/p>\n

You can even take a virtual fieldtrip to the International Space Station! Have your kids\u2019 questions about what life is like in space answered by streaming educational videos from the Kennedy Space Center<\/a> on social media. For even more virtual tours for kids, check out our Things to Do From Home<\/a> page.<\/p>\n

Dance to Music from Other Countries<\/h2>\n

\"Musical<\/p>\n

Have your kids dance away their cabin-fever wiggles by playing music from around the world. Toddlers are sure to love making up dance moves, and older kids can look up YouTube videos on how to salsa, line dance, or hula.<\/p>\n

Build an international playlist on Spotify and see if your kids can guess which country the music is from. Or have them build the playlist and see if they can stump you. Now is a great time to expand your children\u2019s musical horizons by watching free streamed performances<\/a> by the London Symphony Orchestra and The Metropolitan Opera.<\/p>\n

Read About Other Cultures and Places<\/h2>\n

\"Mother<\/p>\n

If you want your kids to take a break from screen time, have them explore different parts of the world or different worlds entirely through books. Reading is a great way to learn about other cultures, improve literacy, and develop empathy for others. Listening to audio books is also an engaging activity for kids, especially if you\u2019re working from home. Some public libraries are even streaming story time for little ones.<\/p>\n

For young explorers ages 5\u201212, the City Trails series by Lonely Planet Kids focuses on major cities like Singapore, New York, and Paris. The illustrated pages take readers to different sites in the city\u2014both famous and obscure\u2014and include interesting facts and tidbits to whet your child\u2019s appetite for travel. The Adventurous Mailbox<\/a> series engages kids with humor and mystery while exploring different cultures, history, and mythology from around the world.<\/p>\n

You can also virtually send your little ones to Paris for a storytelling virtual tour for kids<\/a>. Connect with Christianne over video chat to begin a magical exploration of her home that includes stories, piano, and ballet.<\/p>\n

Get Crafty<\/h2>\n

\"Craft<\/p>\n

Challenge your kids to recreate famous buildings or monuments out of materials you have at home, such as clay, building blocks, cardboard, or paper m\u00e2ch\u00e9. If you need some inspiration, take a virtual tour of architectural wonders<\/a> like Stonehenge, Petra<\/a>, or the Vatican. Your kids can also browse Trover\u2019s<\/a> vast collection of travel photos to see places like the Great Pyramids of Giza, the Colosseum, and the Great Wall of China.<\/p>\n

You can also help inspire your child’s wanderlust with Expedia’s free Family Adventure Journal<\/a>. Filled with activities that encourage curiosity, reflection, and engagement, it is sure to keep your kids entertained as they learn about the world. You can print it at home or use it right on the screen. Additionally, you can share your kids’ creations on social media with the hashtag #ExpediaExplorers.<\/p>\n

Learn a New Language<\/h2>\n

\"Family<\/p>\n

Even if you can\u2019t travel anywhere right now, you can get your family prepped for your next big vacation. Learning a foreign language can inspire all sorts of fun activities for kids at home. Challenge your kids to learn how to count to 10 in as many different languages as possible. Look up useful phrases, such as \u201chello,\u201d \u201cthank you,\u201d and \u201cwhere is the bathroom\u201d and sprinkle them into everyday conversations. Download a free language-learning app like Duolingo or watch one of your kid\u2019s favorite movies in a different language.<\/p>\n

Travel through Food<\/h2>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

One of the best parts of traveling is trying the food from other countries and cultures. But even if you can\u2019t leave home right now, your family still needs to eat. So, why not bring your kids into the kitchen for some hands-on learning while trying recipes from around the world?<\/p>\n

Send your taste buds on a world tour<\/a> with German soft pretzels, beef empanadas from Spain, and easy Japanese sushi. Letting picky eaters choose the recipe can be a great way to motivate them to try new foods. For an even more authentic experience, sign up for a family-friendly live online cooking class<\/a> led by a local chef in places like Rome and Mumbai.<\/p>\n

Nature Activities for Kids at Home<\/h2>\n