At Home Brain & Boredom Busters
There are many resources and activities you can access from home. We've gathered some of those related to libraries, literacy and reading below.
eResources
Your library membership lets you download, stream and use the library at home with our eResources. Find them all here.
- eBooks and eAudio books - Thousands of titles available for download.
- Streaming stories - For kids from preschool to upper primary.
- Movies and documentaries - Streaming indie, classic and Australian movies and award-winning documentaries, including enriching and entertaining content for kids.
- Music - Millions of songs to stream or download.
- Digital magazines - Download hundreds of titles.
- Literacy games - Activities for kids from pre-reading to advanced grammar.
- Language learning - More than 70 languages available.
Explore Canberra and its history
Discover historical images of Canberra through the ACT Heritage Library's photograph collection.
Explore the service of men and women from the district on the ACT Memorial and read some of their stories.
The ACT Heritage Library has been creating a COVID-19 Community Archive that documents Canberrans’ lives during this unprecedented time in our history. You can contribute to this unique collection.
Reading & literacy activities plus authors & illustrators
There are many reading and literacy related activities and resources available online, and some of our wonderful local authors share their stories and book reviews and chats online, as do authors around the world, mainly through their social media channels. Try the recommendations below.
- Better Reading podcast
- First 5 Forever
- Hands-On Lego Literacy Activities Kids Will Love
- Harry Potter: A History of Magic online exhibition
- Kids Book Review
- Libraries ACT Reading Challenge
- The Little Big Book Club
- Lunch Doodles with Mo Willems
- Reading Rockets video interviews with children's authors and illustrators
- Tania McCartney book sharing, reviews and more
- Teach. Investigate. Play. Ideas for Parents & Teachers
Technology learning & resources online
- Be Connected
- Office of the eSafety Commissioner
- Online safety kit for parents and carers during the coronavirus - from the eSafety Commissioner
- Scamwatch
- Cyber.gov.au
- Teach, learn & work remotely - Grow with Google
- Tools & Resources for COVID-19 - Google for Small Business
Podcasts
- Better Reading podcast
- Classic Radio Drama
- Nothing Much Happens: Bedtime stories for adults to help you sleep
Multilingual resources for kids
- Pinkfong - Kids’ Songs and Stories – English and French (search [français] in the channel)
- Pinkfong- Kids’ Songs and Stories – ピンキッツ - Japanese version
- Pinkfong- Kids’ Songs and Stories – Canciones infantiles – Spanish
- Pinkfong- Kids’ Songs and Stories – 碰碰狐 - (Pengpenghu) Chinese version
Cultural institutions
Visit the websites of cultural institutions who have a range of podcasts, webinars, audio on demand, classroom resources, family activities, and more online. They include