The following museums, zoos and science centers may be closed due to Ohio Governor Mike DeWine’s stay-at-home order, but their staffs are hard at work behind the scenes to make sure families in the region are still learning and having fun. Check out these virtual educational experiences to share with your children.
Akron Art Museum
Art activities and DIY projects are offered on the museum’s Facebook page, and you can explore the collection and find virtual tours on its website.
Akron Children’s Museum
Look for daily at-home activities posted to the museum’s Facebook page and website, divided by children’s age. Activities and lessons include S.T.E.A.M. Team, Little Monsters’ Prescriptions for Play, virtual bedtime stories and more.
Akron Zoo
Akron Zoo fans can stay connected via Lunch and Learns on Facebook at noon daily. The live videos feature animals and staff at the Akron Zoo, and people can ask questions during the live broadcast. Additional programming and short videos will be posted on the zoo’s Instagram page.
Canton Museum of Art
Every Wednesday at noon, staff posts “Museum To Go” videos on the museum’s Facebook page. The videos cover a range of art-related topics.
Children’s Museum of Cleveland
Online and on Facebook, find special at-home activities, movement lessons, storytimes and more, all created by CMC staff.
Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cavs Youth Sports At Home With… series includes dance routines from Cavs Entertainment Academy; basketball drills from Cavs Academy Coaching Staff and Cavaliers Team Coaching Staff; and wellness tips and healthy meals from Cavaliers Team dietician/nutritionist and team chef.
Cleveland Metroparks
Cleveland Metroparks and Cleveland Metroparks Zoo offer a Virtual Classroom on Facebook Live on Mondays and Wednesdays.
On Wednesdays at 11 a.m., go to the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo’s Facebook page and join biologists as they secure a future for wildlife at the zoo. Check in with your favorite zoo animals and learn about what it takes to care for some of the most endangered species in the world.
At 1 p.m. on Wednesdays, join naturalists on the Cleveland Metroparks Facebook page as they explore the Emerald Necklace and look for early signs of spring, learn about the forest floor, birds and more.
On Mondays at 3:30 p.m., head back to the Cleveland Metroparks Facebook page to hone your outdoor adventure skills with the metroparks’ experienced outdoor recreation team. Topics will include things like backpacking, watersports, cycling and park exploration.
After each live Virtual Classroom session, full videos can be viewed at clevelandmetroparks.com/virtualclassroom. To complement each live experience, additional video content will be available on the Cleveland Metroparks YouTube page.
Cleveland Museum of Art
CMA’s new video series, “Home Is Where the Art Is,” shares insights of the museum’s curators on current exhibitions and programs that had been scheduled during this time that the museum is temporarily closed. View the videos, as well as other deep dives into works of art, on CMA’s Facebook page.
Cleveland Museum of Natural History
The Wildlife Team continues to work on-site (while keeping a safe social distance) during the museum’s closure, resulting in entertaining and informative posts on the CMNH’s Facebook page. Launching March 30, a new digital series, CMNH@HOME, will provide stories about nature, science and health, and more — geared toward learners of all ages, with in-depth looks at wildlife, spotlights on CMNH scientists and specimens, and virtual science classes. The series will be released episodically at cmnh.org/home and on the museum’s social-media channels three times each week at noon.
COSI (Center of Science & Industry)
The museum offers COSI Connects — COSI’s Digital Doorway for fun, at-home science discovery and learning. Follow its Facebook page or visit cosi.org/cosiconnects for a daily science activity that you can try at home with your family.
DANCECleveland
DANCECleveland has partnered with dance companies from across the nation to release a weekly dance performance video that can be shared and enjoyed for all of its e-newsletter subscribers. DANCECleveland will share one video each Thursday. To receive the password protected link, email [email protected] to be added to the e-newsletter mailing list.
Great Lakes Science Center
Curiosity Corner Live is a daily show in which the Science Center’s STEM educators provide informative, interactive videos. Want to learn more about human spaceflight, or perhaps see how chemical reactions occur? Or, do you want a sneak peek at Body Worlds Rx, the newest exhibition coming to the Science Center? GLSC has you covered with all of these and more, every day at 10:30 a.m. and 3 p.m.
Greater Cleveland Aquarium
On its Facebook page, GCA shares behind-the-scenes information, as well as videos about different species and at-home activities for kids. See shark and stingray feeds, as well as a live shark cam, on the aquarium’s YouTube page.
Lake Erie Nature & Science Center
For videos of the animals, sing-alongs for preschoolers, tips for parents, science experiments and more, check the LENSC Facebook page.
Lake Metroparks Farmpark
Although the Farmpark is closed, its staff continues to share activities, information and updates on the baby animals of the season. Check the Farmpark Facebook page.
Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage
On its Facebook page, the museum offers relevant news, interesting stories and a historical perspective in this time of pandemic.
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
Register at no cost for Rock Hall EDU, a free digital learning platform that is full of resources and activities that use the power of rock & roll to engage students of all ages. Access lesson plans, artifact images and materials, videos, playlists and writing prompts all designed by the Rock Hall’s education staff.
Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens
Take in a virtual tour of the Manor House and grounds on Stan Hywet’s Facebook page.
Summit County Historical Society
Edie Steiner, a Society volunteer and shepherdess who is also a music therapist at Akron Public Schools, stars in “Artifacts with Edie” Monday through Friday at 11:30 a.m. on the historical society’s Facebook page. The program is fun, entertaining and features interesting facts and unique artifacts from the society’s collection.
Western Reserve Historical Society
Online exhibits, activities, stories, content, lessons, speakers and more are posting daily on WRHS’s website and social media platforms, including Facebook pages for the Cleveland History Center and Hale Farm & Village.
Soon, WRHS will be sharing “then and now” stories of innovation in Cleveland and Northeast Ohio. If you know of a story of innovation, or an act of extreme kindness, please share it with WRHS, as its staff is working to archive the stories of people making history every day during COVID-19.
