Area venues offering education, entertainment online – Akron Leader Publications

The Akron Zoo offers a Lunch and Learn program on its Facebook page at noon every day through March 31 and it includes live and prerecorded videos about animals. Photo courtesy of the Akron Zoo

GREATER AKRON — Museums, art galleries, zoos and aquariums across the country are presenting free content on their websites that provide opportunities for enrichment for families sheltering at home due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
These facilities include those in the Akron, Canton and Cleveland areas, as well as some of museums in Washington, D.C., and across the country and even in Paris, offering virtual programs, information about collections and exhibits, tours and other content, with some presentations varying from week to week. Below is a list of some of these, with more details available by visiting the organization’s website.
• The Akron Art Museum offers visitors the opportunity to explore the museum’s collections at its website at akronartmuseum.org.
• Akron Children’s Museum posts weekly science, technology, engineering, art and math (STEAM) activities families can do together on Mondays at akronkids.org.
• The Akron Zoo is offering a Lunch and Learn program on its Facebook page at noon every day through March 31. These include live and prerecorded videos about the zoo’s animals, as well as related crafts and activities. For more information about the zoo, visit www.akronzoo.org.
• Cleveland Metroparks and the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo recently launched a weekday Virtual Classroom on Facebook Live. Visitors can join biologists at 11 a.m. to check in with zoo animals and learn what it takes to care for them and at 1 p.m. to join naturalists for adventures. For more details, visit www.clevelandmetroparks.com.
• Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Gardens is offering “Home Safari” on Facebook Live daily at 3 p.m. about the zoo’s animals and it includes an activity. For more information, visit cincinnatizoo.org.
• Cuyahoga Falls Parks and Recreation presents a family activity and offers other ideas daily to entertain children on its Facebook page. Visit the city’s website at cityofcfcom.
• Great Lakes Science Center presents Curiosity Corner Live on YouTube to offer science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) activities. For more details, visit greatscience.com.
• The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Museum offers a free digital learning platform of resources and activities, which includes lesson plans, activities, presentations, videos, playlists and digitized primary source materials. Visit rockhall.com/education for more information.
• The McKinley Presidential Library and Museum presents information about presidential history, pioneer life, astronomy and animals in the McKinley Museum’s Discover World on Mondays. For details, visit mckinleymuseum.org.
• On Tuesdays, the Massillon Museum will focus on in its new permanent collection galleries, including the 1908 Jewel automobile, the 6-foot carved dragon from an 1890s mansion, 19th- to 21st-century paintings and sculpture, American Indian artifacts and more. Visit massillonmuseum.org for more information.
• The Canton Museum of Art’s Wednesday posts will share virtual exhibition tours and art-making activities as part of its Museum To Go program, take in-depth looks into parts of its collection and feature a range of content for all ages. For more information, visit www.cantonart.org/learn/Museum-To-Go.
• Every Thursday, the National First Ladies’ Library will celebrate women’s history, the Saxton McKinley family and 2020 themes — women’s rights, the suffrage centennial, campaigning first ladies and women running for office. Visit firstladies.org for more details.
• The 100+ years of professional football history will be the Friday focus of the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Facebook programs. Visit profootballhof.com for more information.
• On Saturdays, the Dennison Railroad Depot Museum will address topics such as railroad history, World War II, canteen history, railroads, amusement parks and Bing — the museum’s World War I mascot. For more details, go to dennisondepot.org.
The Ohio Department of Health also compiled a list of other museums, art galleries, zoos and aquariums that offer virtual exhibits for online learning and fun at bit.ly/39ZoAtB.