A list of free, online, boredom-busting resources! by ChatterPack

Click on any of the underlined headings/links below to find out more. (last updated - 04/05/2020)

Hello everyone.

I just wanted to say THANK YOU for all of your messages, emails, and comments. It means the world to me to know how many people from all over the world are benefitting from this resource list.

I work for the NHS and run ChatterPack on a voluntary basis in my *spare* (!) time to help share information and resources to those who need it. I won't be around to update this much over the next few weeks, but I promise to do my best as I can see from your messages how much this means. Have fun, explore the world from the safety of your home, and please stay safe.

Huge love to you all

Claire Ryan

P.s. You can find my book, ADHD and Me - a guide for children and young people, at the end of this list - please do share the link with others who might be interested, and/or get in touch if you have any questions :)

Sign up for a FREE monthly SEND newsletter

Notices

We were asked by NHS Nightingale to make some free communication resources for patients with additional needs/disabilities.

If you or a family member work for the NHS, or if you have connections who do, please share these free resources with them.

Register for support if you are a vulnerable person - Government website (England only)

Free, worldwide App connecting isolated people - chat on the phone with others who are isolated at home - Quarantine App

Free COVID-19 symptom tracker App - Designed by researchers from Kings College Hospital, London

Virtual tours, and live webcams

NASA Live: - Watch the earth from space

Crystal Bay webcam - Lamai, Koh Samui, Thailand

Explore Venice - through multiple webcams

Arctic Travel Experts created 'virtual lights over Lapland' tour

Future Learn - Explore the architecture and history of Rome, walking around a 3D digital model of the ancient city, with this free online course.

Explore a Roman fort

Museums from around the world - Virtual, online tours

Animals

Gorilla Webcam - from the forest corridor

Alligators - Swamp cam

Explore the oceans (underwater cameras)

Aquarium – Otters, sea lions, pirana, jellyfish, and many others.

Birds

Online learning

Introduction to Engineering - YouTube videos

Open Learn - exploring children's literacy

Open Culture - 1,500 free courses from top Universities

450 Ivy League courses - you can take online FREE!

Open Culture - learn 48 different languages online - FREE

University of Alabama - Free online archaeology and Egyptology Uni courses (create an account to log on)

Open Learn - Free, online courses, Open university

Future Learn - Free, online courses including languages, health, coding, wellbeing, creative arts, etc.

BBC languages - Learn languages online free

FrenchTeacher.Net - Free French study packs

Sociology courses - Free online study

Creative courses - Free online study

Cambridge University Press - ALL 700 textbooks are currently available FREE in HTML format

Cambridge university - Higher education/Undergraduate courses and resources

Royal institute - Christmas lectures. A series of lectures presenting scientific subjects to a general audience in an entertaining manner.

Learn 10 useful things to say in...

French



Portuguese



German



Italian



Spanish

Milan Presse - French magazines available to download

Periodic videos - Science-related YouTube videos

iDEA - An international programme that helps you develop/demonstrate your digital, enterprise and employability skills for free

U3A - Online courses for mature students

Blocky games - Games to help beginners learn computer programming skills

Scratch - Beginners computer programming games/projects

T.K.S.S.T - Smart videos for curious minds of all ages

Sign up to ChatterPack's FREE monthly Special educational needs and disabilities newsletter - Link on our homepage

Geography, nature, and history

Tutorful - Top Geography websites, YouTube videos, and resources

Project Noah – Global site where you can view and share wildlife

Seterra - Free world geography, online quizzes

Online film festival - Resistance in the Rainforest

Kent Wildlife association - Simple ideas you can do in the garden to help wildlife

World games - Geography games

Wild Science - Podcast

The relationship between humans and animals - podcast

UK parliament - Politics, history, citizenship, etc. Written for children and young people, but lots of very interesting information, including how laws are made.

Historical association - Learn about 20th Century history

Music

*Check the location/time zones of live-streamed concerts to calculate the UK start time. Time Zone calculator

BBC Classical music content - Culture in lockdown

Rotterdam Philharmonic musicians team up online to play Beethoven's 9th

Concerts online - Various concerts held without audiences to stream online for people having to stay at home - list of live streaming concerts

Free Opera - Dates confirmed until the end of March. Check the website via the link for future dates to be added

Metropolitan Opera online, nightly streams

Free classical orchestras - Live streaming performances

Free Chamber music - Live streaming

Berlin Philharmonic orchestra - Live streams and performance archive

Announcements/lists - of worldwide performances being streamed

Livestream concerts list - artists and bands

Bands and artists - streaming performances

Full-length concerts - watch online free

Celebrities performing on social media

Facebook Virtual Choir - Duet with a choir online

Chris Martin (Coldplay) streaming from his home - YouTube

Arts and culture

Parlia - The encyclopedia of opinion - mapping the worlds thinking

Adobe Summit - online

Andrew Lloyd Webber's musicals - streaming free online

J P Brewer - View classic paintings online

Walter's Museum - houses the highest artistic achievements from nearly every corner of the world. View some of the past, present, and future exhibitions

Rob Biddulph an artist posting draw-along videos via Twitter here

Google Arts and culture - Learn something new every day!

British Museum - Free videos

BBC Radio 4 - The History of the world - podcasts

50 things that made modern economy - Podcasts

Marquee TV - streaming arts and culture

Teaching history - 100 objects from museums across the UK with resources, information and teaching ideas to inspire your students’ interest in history

Exploration of the day - Artistic website connecting people from around the world

Drama Online - Online theatrical performances

Black history - Telling the story of the black British experience

Literature online

Kindle Unlimited - 2 months free access

Gutenburg - Download free books, e.g. Shakespear, Edgar Allen Poe, Frankenstein, etc.

Listening books.org - For people with Parkinson's Disease, visual impairment, fibromyalgia, ME/CFS, mental health difficulty or learning difficulty such as Dyslexia, which impacts the ability to read or hold a book

Solomon Kingsnorth - Books in PDF, Word and audiobook format - Alice in Wonderland / Wind in the Willows / The Railway Children / The Jungle Book / Peter Pan / Black Beauty

Read great literature online - Free Ebooks, poetry, classic literature

Read Free Literature - also includes study guides

50,000 free ebooks - arranged by genre

Open Library Access - Free

Audible - Free for this period - Available in 6 languages

Learn a new skill or develop a current one!

A tutorial resource guide to photography and editing - Adobe

Learn to play the piano - Free Apple App

Miscellaneous & entertainment

Great British Singalong - Radio stations unite

Daily Kitchen Live - From the makers of the Saturday Kitchen show

BBC Sport - Shares the greatest sporting moments

A Question of Sport - on BBC Radio 5 live

Football on the BBC - updated regularly

Radio 4 - Comedy podcast, 'Now Wash Your Hands' featuring guest comedians

Free colouring/relaxation images - To download and print

Free Photography Challenge - YouTube

Zooniverse - Digital volunteering opportunities

Life Story Hub - Inspiring creative communication with the young and old using the arts

NASA's complete media library - now available online

Expeditions App- Free virtual Reality Augmentation app for all ages, to take virtual trips around the world to hundreds of destinations.

Podcasts - Free to download

Geopolitics - podcast

A HUGE list of fitness classes - taking place online

Musicals, shows, and movies

10 best Broadway shows to watch online free

76 free Musicals and theatre productions streaming online

Wind in The Willows - How to stream the West End performance free

National Theatre - Streaming shows on YouTube every Thursday

Open culture - 1,150 Free movies to watch online

Jamie Oliver - Keep Cooking and Carry On starts Monday at 5:30pm on Channel 4 helps the nation with easy recipes, cooking tips, and ingenious hacks whilst many of us are staying at home. Jamie:

James Dyson foundation - Challenge cards - how many can you complete?

Board Game arena - Play board games online free

Active bingo cards - ideas for movement breaks

Roll20 - Build your own game - or play games with others online

Latest free stuff - UK site (if you are outside of the UK, google 'latest free stuff' and add your location)

Holiday Pirates - Updated Coronavirus information on travel

Staying Put : A guide to planning for, arranging and funding care in your own home in old age including how new technology can help improve your lifestyle (£2.99)

Anxiety/Mental health/loneliness

WeMeditate - Live streamed, guided meditation sessions

Learn4MentalHealth - How to stay calm

10 minute mind - Free trial - mindfulness

Tips for coping at home - Professor Susan Young

Free guide for adults with ADHD - understand it to manage it. Develop daily strategies that enable you to live successfully and play to your strengths

How to reduce high anxiety now: Thinking about past pleasant memories may help some people with immediate stress (article)

Autistic Health and Wellbeing - a space for autistic people to share the things that they have found helpful and healing

Get Sober - Free, online support for anyone struggling with alcohol addiction and staying sober during this period

After Cancer - advice, and support

Jan takes you into the woods to connect with nature during this period and to help with wellbeing

Alternative lists of free resources, support, advice, and information for families - please do share the links for these with others/family/friends