Updated: 6/7/2020
I can’t help but be amazed by all of the people and organizations stepping up to serve the community during these unprecedented times.
Here’s a list of free or donation-based online resources I’ve run across that hopefully can make our days a little easier and brighter. Take good care of yourself, and then pass kindness and generosity forward to others in your community if you’re able.
Physical Activity
Cardio
- AARMY live bootcamp workouts. Daily at posted times (free)
- AJ Kirsch 60-minute live bodyweight workouts. Mon-Fri at 5:30pm PST (please pay what you can)
- Barry’s Bootcamp band workouts and 20-minute bodyweight workouts. Posted daily (free)
- Blink Fitness live cardio workouts. Mon-Fri at 5am PST (free)
- Heat Bootcamp live 45- minute conditioning classes. Mon-Sat at posted times (free)
- Les Mills variety of workout classes (free)
- Lululemon yoga, core, stretch, strength classes (free)
- Mile High Run Club live strength, recovery, yoga classes and daily workouts. Daily at posted times (free)
- Mobius Fit 45-minute live total body workouts. Daily at posted times (free)
- Nike Training Club app access to premium subscription (free)
- Orange Theory 30-minute workouts no equipment needed. Posted daily (free)
- Physique57 live barre workouts. Mon-Sat at posted times (free)
- Planet Fitness 20-minute live workouts. Daily at 4pm PST (free)
- Rumble live boxing-inspired cardio workouts. Daily at posted times (free)
- STRONG by Zumba total body workout classes (free)
- TheWorkout.Today 30-minute workouts emailed Mon, Wed, Fri (free)
- YMCA variety of workout classes (free)
Yoga and Stretch
- Black Swan Yoga live yoga classes. At posted times (free)
- Corepower Yoga online yoga and meditation classes (free)
- Core40 live full-body lagree classes. At posted times (free)
- Studio3 live yoga and HIIT classes. Daily at 12pm PST (free)
- Yoga with Adriene online yoga and meditation classes (free)
Dance
- 305 Fitness live cardio dance. Daily at 9am and 3pm PST (free)
- Ballet Austin live cardio hip hop, dance, ballet, and jazz classes. Daily at posted times (free)
- Fullstop Dance live stretch and improv dance classes. Mon, Wed at 2pm PST, Fri at 10am PST (free)
- NYC Ballet principal dancer Tiler Peck live ballet classes. Daily at 10am PST (free)
- Sass Class live dance choreo classes (free)
Children
Art
- Jarrett J. Krosoczka live drawing classes. Daily at 11am PST (free)
- Lunch Doodles with Mo Willems live drawing classes. Mon-Fri at 10am PST (free)
- Wendy MacNaughton live drawing classes. Mon-Fri at 10am PST (free)
Curriculum
- Busuu live language lessons in English, Spanish, Mandarin Chinese, and French for children 5–7 years old (free)
- Other Goose homeschooling curriculum for children 2–7 years old. 3-week trial subscription (free)
- Scholastic Learn at Home daily curriculum for children PreK — 6th grade (free)
Reading
- Audible library of children’s books and classics (free)
- Authors Everywhere! videos of activities, writing workshops, and read aloud sessions (free)
- Operation Storytime with celebrities like Josh Gad and Jennifer Garner reading children’s books (free)
- Our ABCs: Always Be Coding children’s book (free)
- Ranger Rick access to wildlife and nature website and all magazines. Ends 6/30 (free)
- Story Time with Mac Barnett. Daily at 12pm PST (free)
- Story Time from Space with astronauts reading children’s books (free)
Activities
- Caribu app provides a virtual playdate for kids to read a book or play games together (free)
- Classroom Champions live lessons with athlete mentors. Daily at 9am PST (free)
- Nomster Chef illustrated recipes and cooking classes with kids (free)
Learning
- Adobe Summit virtual conference for Adobe product innovations (free)
- Career Contessa webinars for job searching and career growth (free)
- Disney Imagineering in a Box courses on how Disney theme parks get created (free)
- Emergency Plan Workbook digital download to prepare for future emergencies (please pay what you can)
- Female Founder School 10-day workshop series for aspiring or current entrepreneurs (free)
- Online courses from Ivy League universities (free)
- Quarantine Together virtual get-togethers including book clubs, writing hours, and virtual coffee (free)
- Salesforce Connections virtual conference for customer experience and marketing (free)
Mental Health
- Brightmind meditation app 1-year access (free)
- Crisis Text Line 24/7 support (free)
- Awakened Mind meditation classes. Mon-Fri at posted times (free)
- The Art of Us: Love, Loss, Loneliness, and a Pinch of Humor Under Lockdown 4-part series from Esther Perel (free)
- Headspace meditations: ‘Weathering the Storm’ series (free for everyone), entire library (free for teachers, school administrations and supporting staff, and healthcare professionals)
- InterMeditation virtual meditation and connection Facebook group (free)
- Shine articles, meditations, and resources (free)
- Fauna Feels: Printable Coloring Book digital download for some art therapy (please pay what you can)
- Society6 coloring pages digital download for some art therapy (please pay what you can)
- Ultra Sparkle Fun Times Emergency Coloring Book digital download for some art therapy (please pay what you can)
Food
- America’s Test Kitchen access to 50 top recipes (free)
- Kitchen Quarantine with Michelin star chef Massimo Bottura live cooking classes. Daily at 11am PST (free)
- What’s In My Fridge recipe finder to use up leftover produce (free)
Entertainment
Music
- Stars in the House live music with celebrities like Kristin Chenoweth and Ingrid Michaelson. Daily (free, donations appreciated)
- Ben Gibbard of Death Cab for Cutie live music. Daily at 4pm PST (free)
- Lincoln Center archives of previously recorded concerts available to stream (free)
- Living Room Concerts daily series of Broadway mini-performances (free, donations appreciated)
- NPR’s comprehensive list of live virtual concerts, so many artists like Dropkick Murphys, Indigo Girls, and Vienna State Opera (free)
- Social Distancing Festival livestreams of music, art, spoken word, dance, comedy, talk, and theater (free)
Sports
- NBA League Pass for streaming games (free)
- NFL Game Pass for streaming games. Ends 7/31 (free)
- NHL Live Stream for streaming games (free)
TV and Film
- Sling TV includes ABC News Live, 24/7 streaming video news channel, movies and shows for kids and families (free)
Virtual Field Trips and Travel
- Canadian Farm 360° tours of sheep farms, egg processing facilities, feed mill, pig farm, and more, compatible with VR (free)
- Cincinnati Zoo Home Safari live stream with animals and activities. Daily at 12pm PST (free)
- Denver Zoo live stream with zookeepers and animals. Daily at 12pm PST (free)
- Monterey Bay Aquarium live cams of jellyfish, sea otters, penguins, and more (free)
- NASA’s Curiosity rover surface recordings of Mars (free)
- National Parks virtual tours of Acadia, Joshua Tree, Grand Canyon, Denali, and more on Google Earth (free)
- San Diego Zoo live cams of polar bears, giraffes, koalas, and more (free)
Other
- Goodcover California renters insurance (1-month free for everyone, free until end of 2020 for medical responders)
- Spectrum internet. 2-month service (free for households with Pre-K — 12 or college students)
- U-Haul 30-days self-storage (free for college students)
Some of these are time-sensitive so may be irrelevant by the time you read this, but I’ll try to keep it up-to-date. Please let me know if have something to add to the list.
Tech Support
For people like me who haven’t exactly stayed current with social media trends, here’s some tips on how to navigate live streaming on these platforms.
- Instagram: once you’re on a creator’s Instagram page, tap the pink circle to watch the live video. Live videos last for 24 hours, so you don’t have to be right on time to participate!
Live videos can only be watched on mobile, so you’ll have to download the Instagram app on your phone.
Advanced: if you want to watch on desktop and you use the Chrome browser, check out the IG Stories for Instagram extension.
- Facebook: once you’re on a creator’s Facebook page, you can find the live videos by scrolling through the feed or going to the Videos section on the left side. A live video will stay up until the creator chooses to remove it.
- Youtube: once you’re on a creator’s Youtube page, you can find the live videos by scrolling through the page (most creators will list their live videos near the top) or going to the Videos section on the top. A live video will stay up until the creator chooses to remove it.
Happy streaming!
