Boredom Busters Resource List!

Cabin fever getting you down? We're pleased to present our list of Boredom Buster resources that we've gathered from across the internet - from downloadable books, to virtual tours, to escape rooms, we've got it all here for you! A special thank you to all the sites on this list and if you come across anything that we missed, share it in the comments below! You may also want to bookmark this page, because we'll be keeping it updated with anything new we find!

E-LIBRARIES
HOOPLA FROM THE NORTH MANCHESTER PUBLIC LIBRARY
​NMPL is thrilled to offer an incredible streaming service, available for FREE to all patrons with a library card! Hoopla Digital is a database of digital videos (movies and TV shows), music, audiobooks, ebooks and comics that can all be checked out for free by any library patron.

JUNIOR LIBRARY GUILD @ HOME
Looking for activities and resources to keep students engaged during this new-normal of school closures and social distancing? As the collection-development partner for school and public libraries across the nation, it's JLG's honor to offer you these free resources to help keep students' brains busy and blossoming.  In the true spirit of beloved libraries, these resources are available to ALL!

NATIONAL EMERGENCY LIBRARY
A collection of books that supports emergency remote teaching, research activities, independent scholarship, and intellectual stimulation while universities, schools, training centers, and libraries are closed.

OVERDRIVE FROM THE NORTH MANCHESTER PUBLIC LIBRARY
NMPL partners with eight libraries in Northeast Indiana to provide all of our patrons with exceptional access to digital books.  Overdrive offers books, audiobooks, and magazines in a digital format.  NMPL patrons currently have access to over 12,000 copies of digital content.

ROMANCE BOOK CLOUD
More than 1700 romance eBooks, always available. Includes popular authors like Beverly Lewis, Jeannie Watt, Steena Holmes and more!

TEEN BOOK CLOUD
Find a robust selection of Graphic Novels, Enhanced Novels, eBooks, classic literature, National Geographic videos, educator resources, and audiobooks.

TUMBLEBOOKS
Tumblebooks a collection of animated talking picture books, read-alongs, books, quizzes, lesson plans, and educational games which is used by thousands of schools and public libraries in over 100 countries across the world.

EXERCISE
YOGA CLASS SAMPLES FROM NOMA YOGA
Enjoy the option of using a virtual yoga studio and practice at your convenience, in the privacy of your own home and as often as you would like.

VIRTUAL YOGA FROM LAWRENCEBURG PUBLIC LIBRARY
At the library, LPL realize that staying physically active is one of the most important things our bodies need. That's why LPL is hosting virtual yoga classes everyday this week via Facebook Live!

FUN & ENTERTAINMENT
ANCESTRY LIBRARY EDITION - NOW AVAILABLE AT HOME!
The texture of a handmade quilt, the taste of a special birthday dish, the sound of your grandfather's voice: the details of your family history are important! We are absolutely thrilled to be able to offer you Ancestry Library Edition, accessible to all patrons remotely. This service is typically only available in house at the North Manchester Public Library, but will be available remotely until the end of April.

ESCAPE FROM WONDERLAND DIGITAL ESCAPE ROOM
Welcome to a Wonderland-themed Digital Escape Room! It is based on the story of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, by Lewis Carroll. This escape room is intended for all ages, and you can complete it by yourself or with a group. Have fun!

HOGWARTS DIGITAL ESCAPE ROOM FROM MOULTRIE-COLQUITT COUNTY LIBRARY
Welcome to the Harry Potter themed Digital Escape Room! You can complete this escape room as a family or individual, you can compete against friends and try it multiple times. Just make sure you have fun!

LUNCH DOODLES WITH MO WILLEMS
Need a fun activity for the kids today? Children's book author Mo Willems is hosting Lunch Doodles daily! Join Mo in his studio and follow along to "explore ways of writing and making."

OLAF FROM 'FROZEN' WILL READ BOOKS TO YOUR KIDS ON TWITTER
We know a lot of kids are bored right now. Thankfully, many folks are filling in the role of teacher and providing entertainment for our kids, virtually, of course, because social distancing is essential. And now, Josh Gad, the voice behind the Frozen franchise character Olaf, is doing his part to keep our kids engaged by reading books to our kids.

ONLINE PROGRAMMING  FROM THE NORTH MANCHESTER PUBLIC LIBRARY
From live Storytimes, to Kid's & Canvas to Paint Like Bob Ross classes, join us online for our special online programming events. All events will stream online and most will then be archived on our Online Programming Archive Page!

VIRTUALLY VISIT 8 WORLD CLASS LIBRARIES!
For some stuck at home, with travel and everyday library visits alike on indefinite hiatus as society works to flatten the curve of COVID-19 infections, virtual tourism has become a lifeline. It offers beauty, expanse, culture, and a momentary escape from anxiety. These eight of the world’s most beautiful—as well as a few of the most out-there—libraries are a click away for now and a bucket list destination for the future.

RESOURCES
CALENDAR OF VIRTUAL FIELD TRIPS FOR FAMILIES
Space Centers, National Parks, National Galleries, Orchards and more... explore the world from the comfort of your own home! Use this calendar to not miss any exciting events.

SCHOOL ACTIVITIES
CAPSTONE INTERACTIVE E-BOOKS
Keep your students engaged from home on any device with these three resources from Capstone.  If you find your school or district in a situation where you will need to rely on remote technology to continue teaching and learning, Capstone is here to help!

EXPERIMENT LIBRARY
Hundreds of free at hime experiements you can do at home! "Magnetic Slime", "Mysterious Water Suspension", "Homemade Ice Cream", "Balancing Nails" and more!

EVA: A-7063 FILM
“Eva: A-7063,” is about Eva Kor, a Holocaust survivor turned global ambassador for forgiveness and healing. The film aired on PBS stations across the country, and it won seven regional Emmys and the national Gabriel Award for Human Dignity. You can now stream it for free. Eva’s life-affirming messages of empathy, resilience, moral courage and more — is a message sorely needed in these difficult times. People—especially young people--just seem to "get" Eva.

FREE DISTANCE LEARNING FROM ABDO
To help stop the spread of COVID-19, schools and libraries are closing across the country. ABDO wants to ensure that readers everywhere continue to have the opportunity to learn and grow during this unprecedented event. Our digital products are available for free now through June 2020.

HANDS ON ACTIVITIES FOR KINDERGARTEN FROM LIFE OVER C'S
Make Kindergarten fun again! There are no worksheets here! Only exciting, hands-on activities for kindergarten! You’ll find STEM, reading, math, sensory activities and more to make learning fun!

HANDS ON ACTIVITIES FOR PRESCHOOL FROM LIFE OVER C'S
Preschool is a child’s introduction to learning and there it is the perfect opportunity to build a love for learning. There are no boring worksheets here! Only exciting, hands-on activities for preschool! You’ll find alphabet, math, sensory activities, crafts, STEM investigations and more to make learning fun!

HISTORICAL CHILDREN'S BOOKS
Free access to thousands of digital archives of historical children's book from various libraries.

LEARN A LANGUAGE FOR FREE WITH ROSETTA STONE & INSPIRE
Have you always wanted to learn a new language but didn't have the time or means? Now you can through INSPIRE! INSPIRE is a collection of online academic databases and other information resources that can be accessed by by all Indiana residents who have Internet access. In addition to archived newspapers, news, digital collections, and genealogy information, INSPIRE offers FREE access to Rosetta Stone, an award winning language learning program! Refresh your Spanish, tackle learning French, or delve into the German language FOR FREE!

NASA MAKES THEIR ENTIRE MEDIA LIBRARY PUBLICLY ACCESSIBLE
No matter if you enjoy taking or just watching images of space, NASA has a treat for you. They have made their entire collection of images, sounds, and video available and publicly searchable online. It’s 140,000 photos and other resources available for you to see, or even download and use it any way you like.

PHONE-A-STORY
The Denver Public Library is happy to announce that now you can call 720-865-8500 and listen to stories, songs and rhymes in English, Spanish, Amharic and Vietnamese. And you can access this fun service 24/7!

STEM ACTIVITY CLEARINGHOUSE
Find high quality, vetted STEM activities (STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) for all ages.  You can search by audience, content level, and difficulty, among others. You can also browse collections that we've curated just for you! Almost all the activities in the Clearinghouse have pictures or videos of real libraries doing these activities.

TIME FOR KIDS
TIME for Kids, the school-based publication that has provided quality, trusted journalism to millions of students in elementary classrooms for 25 years, has brought TIME for Kids to homes for the first time!

TUMBLEMATH
TumbleMath is the most comprehensive collection of math picture books you will find anywhere. All in the amazing TumbleBook format complete with animation and narration. The books are accompanied by supplementary materials such as lesson plans and quizzes.

VIRTUAL ZOO VISITS
The Indianapolis Zoo is bringing the Zoo to you with an insider's look each day at their animals & care staff.