Landmarks of Toronto with the CN Tower, white stadium dome of the Rogers Centre, and the skyscrapers ... [+]
Millions of children around the world are out of school and relying on parents or family members to homeschool due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Social distancing, self-isolating, quarantine, and lockdown are all phrases we are now using daily while scrambling to find a balance between our work life and childcare. I have started creating daily online lessons for my son (Aboriginal Studies, Climate Change, Nutrition, Healthy Cooking, Animals) until our Toronto school board starts their official online learning program next week.
To help break up the day, here are five kid-friendly virtual museum exhibits in Toronto. If you are reading this from around the world you can still check them out, and then when it’s safe to travel again come to our wonderful city and visit your favourite museums in person.
Royal Ontario Museum
ROM---03/28/02--A curator gently lifts a mask that were placed over mummies faces in their coffins ... [+]
To keep kids busy for a while and for endless learning opportunities, Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) has over 45,000 objects online where they can take a virtual tour from home and explore by topic. Their Greatest Hits Tour is suitable for grades one to 12 and features unique objects and specimens in art, culture and nature collections. Families can search the ROM’s five floors of galleries and exhibition spaces and transport to another world from the ancient past to far out space. As local Toronto residents, my son and I have visited the ROM in person many, many times and we always love the mummy exhibits from ancient Egypt. Currently listed on their website is an activity called Make A Mummy Case with step by step directions on how to do it at home. If you don’t have all the supplies perhaps you can order them online, or choose another activity based on the art supplies you currently do have.
Hockey Hall Of Fame
TORONTO, ON - MARCH 10: Pierre Engvall #47, William Nylander #88 and Rasmus Sandin #38 of the ... [+]
There were many disappointed hockey lovers this season, my son included who missed the rest of his playoffs season. Not to mention the Toronto Maple Leafs were on track to make the NHL playoffs. (You never know, we could have won the Stanley Cup!) For everything hockey related head over to Hockey Hall Of Fame for a 3-D virtual walking tour that kids can take sitting at their desk. This educational tour of the Great Hall allows viewers to click on the Stanley Cup to read details and change points of view. They can also take 18 online exhibit tours including the TSN Theatre with a video preview of Stanley’s game seven; the Hometown Hockey displays; photos from the Montreal Canadiens dressing room; and the foyer displays that include the honour members columns of famous hockey players. Play the hockey song in the background to get everyone at home in the full hockey spirit.
Bata Shoe Museum
Illustration of a Japanese shoes and straw sandals
There are several online components where out of school students can satisfy their shoe cravings at Bata Shoe Museum. Their website features a virtual museum with educational exhibits including Canadian Aboriginal cultures, Footwear of Canada’s Multi-cultural groups, Fashion Footwear and Special Purpose Footwear. Once you select a story you can learn all about the footwear from that time. For example, students can learn about Japanese Footgear and the archaeological evidence that suggests the earliest form of footwear in Japan was rice straw sandals created approximately two thousand years ago. The website includes teachers resources that you can plan at home.
Art Gallery Of Ontario
Girls hands drawing
The Art Gallery Of Ontario (AGO) has tons of artwork on their website that art loving students can view from home. Learn about Toronto artist Margaret Priest and her Construction Series that engages with ornamental patterns of building materials. The museum also launched AGO From Home with a video on their website that explains how viewers can engage with their art team through unique stories, videos, exploring artwork and some fun How-To videos. The AGO is attempting to bring people together through art during this challenging time in the world. If you have art supplies at home kids can create their own masterpieces after the virtual tour is over.
The National Ballet of Canada
Female ballerina practicing in studio
The National Ballet of Canada, a top international company, has a Virtual Museum where students can learn about some of their most notable productions. Explore online exhibits such as the history of ballet, set and costume sketches, footwear, photos, videos, costumes and original artifacts. Their website is user friendly so kids can simply click on the production they want to learn about such as Cinderella, The Nutcracker and Romeo and Juliet. There are also several videos on their website where families can watch Ballet Moments of their favourite performances until the talented and graceful ballerinas return to the famous Toronto stage stronger than ever before.
