A mother, father and young child sitting together on a couch in their living room eating, chatting and smiling at each other.
Being online connects us in ways that were considered impossible just a few years ago, but it can also isolate us from the people around us, like our parents, carers and siblings. 

 

Thankfully, there are hundreds of enjoyable and safe online activities that families can enjoy together. Here are a few of our favourites!

Tune in to a podcast together

If you’d like a screen-free activity to try with your family, choose some podcasts to listen to together. 

Podcasts like Ear Snacks, Aaron’s World, Bígí ag Ceol and Story Time are great if you’ll be listening with younger members of your family. 

If you want to listen to something with older siblings or your parents or carers, you might prefer Brains On, But Why? and Eleanor Amplified.

Some podcasts are interactive too! If you have a story you’d like to tell, check Story Pirates, which accepts submissions for all kinds of child-friendly tales. 

Since many podcasts cover everything from science and social issues to music and mindfulness, they’re also great for inspiring stimulating conversations at the dinner table.

 

Go on a virtual visit

Did you know that you can still visit many galleries, zoos, museums and attractions online?

Dublin Zoo offers virtual tours, webcams, free downloadable activity books and much more for families who love animals.

Meanwhile, the National Museum of Ireland provides word searches, activity sheets and interactive games on everything from Ancient Egypt to making your own animations.

 

Get crafty online

If you and your family are in a creative mood, there are thousands of brilliant artistic, musical and culinary activities you can all enjoy. 

For budding artists, Don Conroy’s YouTube channel at the start of the pandemic. Grab some pencils and paper for you and your family, and perfect your sketching technique. 

If you’d prefer to improve your skills in the kitchen, check out Charli’s Crafty Kitchen and My World Kitchen on the CBeebies YouTube channel to find recipes for all kinds of cooks. 

 

Find fun ways to learn together

It can be hard to motivate ourselves to learn online after a long day of school, but there are plenty of fun, educational videos, games and activities about all kinds of topics that you can enjoy with your family. 

For example, TedEd offers short, insightful animated videos on subjects that sometimes aren’t covered in detail at school – from origami to artificial intelligence.

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