Grafton Public Library

Learning Resources

Check out the full list of online resources and databases offered by the Grafton Public Library. Items marked with a * may require a Grafton Public Library card to access.

COVID-19 Information

Town of Grafton

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GRAFTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Resources for Adults

Art

Books & More

Civics

Computers & Coding

Games

Geography and Travel

History

Home Ec

Language

Learning Resources for Preschool & School Aged Kids

Math

Movies

Museums, Zoos & More

Music

Podcasts

Science

Self-care

Special Education & Special Needs Students

Physical Education

Teens

Theatre

Virtual Storytimes

Writing

 

GRAFTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Learning Opportunities During Covid19 Closure (by grade level)
please note all skill-building is optional due to statewide equity for online learning.

Art

#StoryMarch
Greater Boston Illustrators’ Group art prompts.

A Girl and a Glue Gun: Kids Craft Camp

Jarrett Lerner Comic Prompts

Learn to Draw… Disney series

McHarper Manor
DIY art

Sketching with Tony DiTerlizzi

 

Books & More

*Bookflix
Pairs classic video storybooks with nonfiction books from Scholastic. Sign in with your Grafton Public Library Card!

*Overdrive
Digital eBook, eAudio, eMagazines

ABDO eBooks

Audible Stories
free, kids audiobooks – including Harry Potter, Winnie the Pooh, classics and more

AudioBookCloud
all ages audio book database

Harry Potter at Home

Junior Library Guild Digital
Unlimited access to read books online from any device, no login needed, for elementary, middle and high school students

Raz-Kids
Books for K-5 (your Grafton student may have an account!)

Scribd 
Free 30-day account

Time Magazine for Kids (digital library)

A Young People’s History of the United States (free eBook download)

Author Neil Gaiman Free stuff to read and listen to

Author Lauren Tarshis reads first 2 chapters of I Survived the Sinking of Titanic

Elementary Resources from Random House Publishers

Middle School Resources from Random House Publishers

High School Resources from Random House Publishers

Unite for Literacy storybooks

Book Resources compiled by Librarian Bookends

Manga Read online for free

 

Civics

Citizenship in your Community
How can you be a good citizen at your home or school?

Kids in the House
Educational and entertaining information about the legislative branch of the United States Government to students of all ages.

National Constitution Center: We the Civics
Learn about the election process and encourages students to be active citizens in their classroom, school, home, and community

Rights and Responsibilities
A family activity from CommonSense Media.

Statistics in Schools
US Census data and resources

Street Law: Materials for at-Home Learning
Street Law is global, nonpartisan, nonprofit organization with more than 40 years of experience developing classroom and community programs that educate young people about law and government

Computers and Coding

Dance Mat Typing
Keyboarding skills for children

Digital Citizenship
A family activity from CommonSense Media

Hour of Code Activities
A variety of activities and tutorials based on coding.

Scratch
Video game design and logic theory

 

Games

CBC Kids Games

Chess Kids

Harry Potter Digital Escape Room

Hunger Games Escape Room

Indoor Scavenger Hunt

30 Day LEGO Challenge

Minecraft Education Collection

Outdoor Scavenger Hunt

National Geographic Games

Hour of Code Activities

BreakoutEDU Games

Dungeons & Dragons

D&D Adventure: “Explorer’s Guide to Wildemount”

Free Explorer’s Guide to Wildemount Module on Roll 20 (see this in-house guide for more information to get started)

Roll 20 – a virtual gaming option for D&D

Virtual Dice Rolling for those of you without your own set of game dice

Watch D&D Play on Critical Role‘s Youtube Channel

Basic Rules for those of you who need a refresher or for anyone just getting started

D&D Beyond – rules, tools, and D&D community

5th Edition SRD – online index of rules, characters, monsters, spells, and more

D&D 5th Edition Community Wiki – crows-sourced online index of  rules, characters, monsters, spells, and more

Article from Polygon with more ideas on how to tabletop at home during the current crisis

 

General Learning Resources for Preschool and School Age Kids

*Bookflix
Pairs classic video storybooks with nonfiction books from Scholastic. Sign in with your Grafton Public Library card.

*Kids Infobits
Learn about animals, plants, music, science, sports and more

*Tutor.com
Access knowledgeable, vetted K-12 tutors in a variety of academic subjects 2-9pm daily, for free

*Overdrive
Digital eBook, eAudio, eMagazines

ABCYa.com
Free educational games related to math, sight words, and more.

At Home Activities for Parents and Young Children
24 ideas to build academic skills, communication skills, motor skills, and social-emotional skills.

BrainPop
Science, Social Studies, English, Math, Arts & Music, Health and ESL, Engineering & Tech topics, currently FREE.
Grafton students may be able to log in with their Google Drive accounts.

Cafe Menu
The CAFE Literacy System ensures that students master reading skills through a set of strategies you teach them to apply while they complete daily reading and writing activities.

DK Books At Home Activities

Early Childhood Education Resources from Mass.gov

Free Printable Worksheets
For grades PreK-8, arranged by subject.

FunBrain
Math and reading skills.

FUNdations
Fundations is Grafton Public Schools K – 2 phonics curriculum. At-home resources provided by Wilson.

GoPeer
Tutoring by qualified college students.

Highlights for Kids
Read, play games, and conduct cool science experiments.

Imagineering in a Box
Explore different aspects of theme park design, from characters to ride development, as you design a theme park of your very own.

Imagine Learning
Educational animated music videos on a variety of topics: math, science, telling time, opposites, plurals, vowels and more.

Into the Book
Go “into the book” to play games that practice reading strategies.

IXL
Comprehensive K-12 curriculum, individualized guidance, and real-time analytics.

Khan Academy
Covers math K-12 through early college, grammar, science, history, AP®, SAT®, and more.

The Kid Should See This
4,300 kid-safe, smart videos for curious minds of all ages, arranged by topic.

Learn in Color
Homeschooling resources.

Lexia
Provides differentiated literacy instruction for students of all abilities in grades pre-K–5. Please contact the Grafton Public Schools tech team for login information at techsupport@grafton.k12.ma.us.

Miss Humblebee’s Academy
Learning Resources for ages 3-6

National Geographic Kids

National Geographic Animals

National Geographic Kids Videos

PBS Kids
Educational games and videos from Curious George, Wild Kratts and other PBS KIDS shows.

ReadTheory
Personalized reading comprehension exercises for K-12 and ESL students.

Scholastic Learn at Home
Day-by-day projects to keep kids reading, thinking, and growing.

Seussville
Read, play games, and hang out with Dr. Seuss and his friends.

Starfall
Phonics skills.

Storyline
Children’s literacy resource featuring the world’s best storytellers reading books aloud. Each video includes an activity guide with lessons for K-5 students to do at home.

Wonderopolis
Explore over 2,300 intriguing questions posed as Wonders of the Day, explored in a variety of ways.

World Book Online Learning Resources

Knowbuddy Resources from Amicus Publishing

username: info@amicuspublishing.us

password: AMICUS

 

Geography & Travel

Rick Steve’s Europe

Google Earth: National Parks

 

History

*Ancestry.com
on site only – Genealogical and historical records and sources, look up your family history

*Tutor.com
Access knowledgeable, vetted K-12 tutors in a variety of academic subjects 2-9pm daily, for free

National Geographic Countries

History Comics and Comics in Education

Primary Source document transcription for Library of Congress

 

Home Ec

America’s Test Kitchen: Kitchen Classroom

Julia Child’s French Chef

Nomster Chef
Illustrated recipes

 

Language

*Pronunciator
Personalized language learning via website or app – over 100 languages available

*Tutor.com
Access knowledgeable, vetted K-12 tutors in a variety of academic subjects 2-9pm daily, for free

Spanish children’s stories (The Spanish Experiment) Well-known children’s stories translated into Spanish and spoken by a native Spanish speaker. Read along in Spanish or English. Free Spanish lessons as well. Scroll to the bottom to find similar sites for French, German, and Italian.

 

Math

Addition Blocks
Use online cuisinaire rods for math, logic, word problems,

Alien Addition
Practice addition facts to 12 as invading spaceships with addition problems move down from the top of the screen toward a laser cannon on a platform at the bottom.

Bedtime Math
Uses game and other resources to help kids love numbers so they can handle the math in real life.

Greg Tang Math
Games and resources

NRich Math

Numeracy Games with Cards and Dice 

Place Value

Polygon Practice

Prodigy Game
Math for grades 1-8

TopMarks Math
games and exercises by age range.

Two-Digit Addition Tutorial
Use a scrap piece of paper to create and solve four 2 digit addition problems using any strategy you’d like.

Zillion
Math Instructional videos.

 

Movies & TV Shows

Open Culture Free Movies online
Includes classics, indies, film noir, documentaries and other films.

Family Shows free from Amazon Titles include: Pete the Cat, If You Give a Mouse a Cookie and more.

Museums, Zoos & More

Aquariums

Beluga Cam
Georgia Aquarium.

Monterey Bay Aquarium Live Cams
Live cam feeds of the Aviary, Kelp Forest, Moon Jellies, Coral Reef, Sea Nettles, Penguins, Sea Otters, Sharks, Open Sea, and Monterey Bay.

National Aquarium of Australia
The Blacktip Reef, Jellies Invasion, and Pacific Coral Reef.

New England Aquarium At Home Events and Activities
Recorded presentations and lectures, and daily live presentations via Facebook and Instagram.

Art Museums

12 Famous Museums

British Museum Virtual Tour

The Louvre Virtual Field Trip

Interactive Frida Kahlo Exhibition from Google

Harry Potter: A History of Magic Exhibit

Botanical Gardens

Chicago Botanic Garden

Hawaiian Tropical Botanical Gardens Tour Spring 2021

Kew Royal Botanic Gardens

Monet’s Garden virtual tour

Waddeson, A Rothschild House and Garden

Children’s Museums

Boston Children’s Museum

Disney World Virtual Rides

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad

Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin

Frozen Ever After

It’s a Small World

The Little Mermaid: Ariel’s Undersea Adventure

Mayday Falls at Typhoon Lagoon

Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway

Peter Pan’s Flight

Pirates of the Carribean

Seven Dwarves Mine Train

Slinky Dog Dash

Space Mountain

Storm Slides at Typhoon Lagoon

Toboggan Racers at Blizzard Bay

Magic Happens Parade

Historical Sites

Winchester Mystery House Tour

Petra, The Ancient Rose City Virtual Tour

The Catacombs of Paris Virtual Tour

Historic Homes Virtual Tours including Buckingham Palace

Great Wall of China Virtual Tour

Libraries

Tour stunning libraries

Parks

Tour Yellowstone National Park

FarmFood 260
Virtual tours of farms

Science Museums

Ask a Scientist
Watch videos of Ask A Scientist at the Museum of Science in Boston

Ecotarium At Home Resources

Zoos

Houston Zoo Animal Cams

Panda Cam
Atlanta Zoo

The San Diego Zoo
Videos, activities and games for kids

10 Animal Webcams

Roger Williams Park Zoo Keeper Talks & More

 

Music

At Home with Emily Arrow, awarding-winning children’s songwriter

Sing-Along with Lindsay local musician

Broadway Shows & Musicals to watch from home

Classical Music Performances

Homemade Musical Instruments

Live Streamed Virtual Concerts

Pass the Ball 
Music game

 

Physical Education

Above the Bar
Free Movement class for kids on Wednesdays at 3:30pm

Beatz Dance Studio

Cosmic Kids Yoga (YouTube)

The Body Coach: 68 Kids Workouts to do at Home

Jumping Jax Gym
25 minute workout

Monthly PE Calender for Phys Ed at Home

Ninja Warrior Obstacle Course

Star Wars: Sith Workout

YMCA360 
Online exercise, fitness, wellbeing, and youth sports classes.

YMCA of Central MA

 

Podcasts

Kids Ask Authors Podcast with Grace Lin

The Story Seeds Podcast

5 Podcasts on Kids and Tech

 

Science

McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center: Science Experiments You Can Do at Home

Melissa Stewart Science Resources

Mystery Science
Offers open-and-go lessons that inspire kids to love science. The hook, visuals, and activity have all been prepared for you.

Skype a Scientist – This organization offers children and families opportunities to interact with scientists from around the world. Click the “Events” tab to view pre-planned live group sessions or click “For Families” and you will be matched with your very own scientist to chat with about science!

Astronomy

Explore Mars on the Curiosity Rover

Kennedy Space Center on Facebook Live

NASA Image and Video Library

Marine Biology
Virtual Marine Biology Camp

Meteorology

Online Weather Class
Free live and prerecorded weather presentations for students ages K-12

Paleontology
Paleo Joe
Videos of Paleo Joe’s adventures

Self-care

Calm: Take a Deep Breath
(meditations and more, including Sleep Stories for kids)

In the Room: Online Meetings for Those in Recovery
(for parents and caregivers)

Care for your Coronavirus Anxiety
Resources for anxiety and your mental health in a global climate of uncertainty (for parents and caregivers)

 

Special Education and Special Needs Students

Chrome Extensions for Struggling and Special Needs Students

Learning Ally

 

For Teens

*Teen Resource Center
Provides introductory information on the full range of topics that may be interesting or important to teens, including health and wellness, finances, education, voting, driving, substance use/abuse, sex and sexuality and more

*MA Driving Tests
Access car practice tests and FAQ section with detailed answers to over 100 questions

*Tutor.com
Access knowledgeable, vetted K-12 tutors in a variety of academic subjects 2-9pm daily, for free

*Overdrive
Digital eBook, eAudio, eMagazines

Class Central & Ivy League MOOCs

Free Online Courses

The Great Courses

High School Resources from Random House Publishers

Junior Library Guild Digital unlimited access to read books online from any device, no login needed, for elementary, middle and high school students

Hour of Code Activities

Manga Read online for free

YA Author Jacqueline West reads excerpts from her books

 

Theatre

Actor’s Fund: Broadway stars sing, daily at 2pm EST

Globe-TV
Shakespeare’s plays from the Globe Theatre, London

High school theatre performances from canceled spring shows

The Met: (Opera) Live in HD, daily, at 7:30pm EST

National Theatre Live Thursdays at 7pm UK time

 

Virtual Storytimes

Library Babies Storytime with Miss Jen

*BookFlix
Pairs classic video storybooks with nonfiction books from Scholastic. Use your library card to log in.

HarperKids Storytime Read Alouds

KidLit TV Read Out Loud
Explore and enjoy a collection of children’s authors and illustrators reading out loud.

Josh Gad Reads

Storyline Online

GHS Senior reads to kids online

Story Time from Space Astronauts read from space

Shark Story Hour from the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy, archived

Read by the Author (General)

Authors Everywhere
Youtube channel created and run by children’s book writers and illustrators

Ben Clanton’s Squiggles and Scribbles archived

Big List of Children’s Authors Doing Online Read-Alouds & Activities

Dav Pilkey at Home 
New episodes each Friday from the author of Dog Man and Captain Underpants series

Draw Every Day with Jarrett J. Krosoczka
YouTube channel for New York Times best-selling author and illustrator Jarrett J. Krosoczka. Everything from the Punk Farm picture books to the Lunch Lady graphic novels.

Irene Latham Read-a-Louds

Read, Wonder, and Learn!
Favorite authors and illustrators shares resources for learning anywhere selected by author Kate Messner

Read by the Author (Links to specific book titles)

The Book with No Pictures by BJ Novak

The Monster at the End of This Book by Grover

The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle

We’re Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen

Where Are My Books? by Author Debbie Ohi

Wonder by R.J. Palacio

Storytime Favorites

A Bad Case of Stripes by David Shannon

The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt

Hey, That’s My Monster! by Amanda Noll and Howard McWilliam

The Hula-Hoopin’ Queen by Thelma Lynne Godin, read by Oprah Winfrey

 

Writing

Keeping a Notebook by Amy Ludwig VanDerwater

Writing Prompts from The New York Times

Writing Workshops with author Kate DiCamillo

Writing Workshops with YA author Kelly Yang