We have a range of online resources for families. These include:
- Homework guides
- eBooks, newspapers and magazines
- Wellness advice.
Our entertainment and leisure resources
Take a look at some of our entertainment and leisure resources below:
Reading for children
Jeanne Willis wrote the title: Chicken Clicking. It helps you keep children safe online.
You can access children’s eBooks and audiobooks as well as a range of digital comics on:
Reading for young adults
We have a range of fiction and non-fiction, young people’s issues and self-help books.
Try them out at:
Resources for family and children
The BookTrust has fun activities and quizzes. It updates them daily.
A range of titles to read online or watch while singing. Storytime videos and a range of fun kid’s games.
Discover your next great read. The National Shelf Service is a new daily YouTube broadcast. It features book recommendations from professional librarians. CILIP and the Youth Libraries Group launched it.
The daily videos will help kids and families find new, diverse books. The broadcasts run Monday to Friday at 11.00am each day.
Creative activities for children. Staring into Space is a collection of six resources by Lauren Child and Josey Scullard. It's inspired by some of their favourite children's books.
These are storycraft videos. Authors give writing advice. They also provide quizzes and other resources.
This is a US based website with a large selection of storytime videos.
Join Scott Magoon for a weekly storytime. You can also download craft materials.
Every day at 11.00 you can listen to one of David Walliams’ World's Worst Children stories.
Michael Rosen has a website where he reads his poems, plus more resources.
The Shakespeare Week website has many themed activities in its Kidszone. It also has a booklet to track what children have been doing.
This is a story writing competition. Write your own with tips, but also read the past winners' stories.
Authors and Illustrators Online
A website where authors and illustrators share their work online.
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Words For Life offer a range of activities and recommended reads for:
Below are some publishers who provide access to books online. Also included are some websites and resources for kids:
Things to do with the family
London Zoo are bringing the zoo to your home.
The British Museum has many online galleries. It has a virtual tour of Prints and Drawings and Oceana. It also has school resources for children and young adults aged 3 to 18.
The Science Museum has games and apps. They also have activities to do from home. Or, you can explore their collection.
The gardens at Kew are blooming. Roam the gardens from the comfort of your own home.
Learn how to create wildlife and flowers from paper! With origami there is something for everyone.
Culture and activities
Theatres are making their work available online to watch. The Stage provide up-to-date lists of what is currently available.
The Royal Opera House has launched a free programme of operas, ballets and more.
The English National Ballet has many videos. You can find them on their YouTube channel.
Watch live streamed performances of William Shakespeare.
The Wind In The Willows is available to stream for free. It is the Julian Fellowes 2017 production.
View 12 museums around the world that offer virtual tours.
David Hockney has shared a collection of new works from his garden in Normandy.
If you need to escape and long for open spaces, spend time on some virtual garden visits. Join Alan Titchmarsh in his Hampshire garden. Visit Hever Castle.
Or see the tulip displays in Dunsborough Park. Also you can get garden tips and tutorials.
Health and wellbeing
Advice from the NHS to help you make the best choices about your health and wellbeing.
Join Joe Wicks for PE sessions on his YouTube channel.
Yoga and Pilates
Many companies now offer streamed online yoga. They also offer Pilates sessions.
US based yoga chain broadcasting on YouTube at 2pm and 7pm GMT.
Suitable for all fitness levels.
An easy to follow 30 day program.
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10 minute morning yoga with Sara Beth Yoga. Other sessions also include:
- Stretches for neck and shoulder tension
- 20 minute full body stretch
- Online Pilates – free sessions
- Pilates for beginners – fitness studio exercise videos
- Chair-based Pilates
- Back pain Pilates
- Arthritis Pilates
Advice on eating a healthy balanced diet from the NHS.
Make a start with the NHS weight loss plan.
Offers a wealth of advice on maintaining a healthy diet.
Advice from ChildLine.
Young adult mental health
During hard times, we all need some help. We need it to cope with stress and mental health.
- Mental wellbeing audio guides. The NHS provides helpful resources. They cover low mood, sadness, and depression. They also cover anxiety control training. How to overcome sleep problems and low confidence.
- Breathing exercises for stress.
- Reading Well For Mental Health: a wide range of resources for all ages.
- Moodzone: audio podcasts.
- Beditation: is a 30-minute video for bedtime meditation. It helps with getting a better night’s sleep.
- Cosmic kids: a range of activities to develop motor skills in under 5s.
Keeping your mind occupied
- Puzzles from The Evening Standard.
- Daily Crossword from The Mail Online.
- Simply Daily Puzzles: updated daily.
- Crosswords, sudoku and more from The Guardian.
- Mind games: huge range of games, be aware the site does use advertising.
- Jigidi: online jigsaw puzzles.
Helplines and support
- NHS guidelines: a list of helplines and advice websites.
- Alzheimer's Society: information on dementia. Phone: 0300 222 1122 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm and 10am to 4pm on weekends).
- Anxiety UK: charity providing support with anxiety. Phone: 03444 775 774 (Monday to Friday, 9.30am to 5.30pm).
- Age UK: dedicated to helping everyone make the most of later life. Age UK Advice Line. 0800 055 6112, Free to call 8am – 7pm 365 days a year.
- Age UK telephone befriending services.
- CALM is the Campaign Against Living Miserably, for men aged 15 to 35. Phone: 0800 58 58 58 (daily, 5pm to midnight).
- ChildLine: help for anyone under the age of 19 in the UK with any issue you are going through. Call 0800 1111.
- Young Minds: a charity for children and young people’s mental health issues. Parents' helpline 0808 802 5544 (Monday to Friday, 9.30am to 4pm)
- Citizens Advice: for any issues relating to money or debt.
- Family Lives: advice on all aspects of parenting. It also includes help dealing with bullying. Phone: 0808 800 2222 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 9pm and Saturday to Sunday, 10am to 3pm).
- Mind: promotes the views of people with mental health problems. Phone: 0300 123 3393 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm).
- Relate: the UK's largest provider of relationship support.
- Samaritans: confidential support for people in distress. Phone: 116 123 (free 24-hour helpline).