Photo: 060520spSTPmidnightgang
Caption: The Midnight Gang musical is available to watch online free of charge this month. Photo / CFT
Photo: 060520spSTPmagicshow
Caption: Kevin Quantum and his daughter Olivia are teaching a range of magic tricks on their YouTube channel. Photo / YouTube
Photo: 060520spSTPcooking
Caption: Chef Theo Michaels shows his own three children, and
Boredom Busters: From learning magic tricks to meeting a bearcat
Subscribe to listen
Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber? Sign in here
Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
Virtual tours of the Smithsonian include both current and previous exibitions. Photo / Smithsonian.
AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME.
AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME.
Packed full of relatable characters along with a perfectly villainous Matron, this musical is perfect for all ages. Set in a hospital, complete with the obligatory budget cuts, it features five children who enjoy some magical adventures at midnight.
It is available on the Chichester Festival Theatre website. The musical is available to watch until May 29. Available with subtitles.
While reading is most definitely magical, sometimes you want a bit of real magic in your life.
Thanks to Scottish magician and scientist hybrid Kevin McMahon you can do more than just watch magic - you can learn the secrets behind the tricks too.
AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME.
Kevin is better known as Kevin Quantum and through his YouTube channel under that name, he is teaching children worldwide how to perform some simple, often science based, magic tricks.
Kevin is no newcomer to magic, he has travelled the globe building up a name for himself as a magician, most recently performing at the Perth Fringe World in January this year.
From making water vanish from a cup to making spots appear on a domino, there are all sorts of cool tricks to be learned. Kevin's videos average at about 15 minutes length, but they are guaranteed to be followed by hours of fun afterwards as children (and adults) try to master the tricks taught in them.
Kevin is assisted in most of the Quantum Magic Lab YouTube videos by his 6-year-old daughter, Olivia, who attempts the magic herself in the clips. Once you have watched a 6-year-old master one of the tricks, guaranteed you won't stop trying yourself until you have the same trick down pat as well.
If you are getting a bit fed up with cooking every night, now might just be the time for your children to learn to cook.
Thanks to UK born Greek chef Theo Michaels, it couldn't be easier. Set the children up to watch his Kids' Cookery Sessions on YouTube and they will quickly master a wide range of dishes, from vegan burgers or chocolate mousse to Greek meatballs or paella.
While Theo has an impressive resume when it comes to the culinary world, from making it to the semifinals of UK MasterChef in 2014, to writing cookbooks and winning awards as a private chef, he is also a father, and knows exactly what children are, and aren't, capable of in the kitchen.
His own three children feature in his videos, meaning you aren't just watching an adult cook a meal, but also a father teach his children and the children create some delicious dishes with just a few hiccups along the way.
While zoos are currently closed to visitors, that doesn't mean you can't take your family to the zoo, virtually at least.
Many zoos have opened themselves up to the public in some way online with YouTube videos and podcasts on offer giving an insight into the animals they house.
AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME.
The Cincinnati Zoo is no exception, and they are ready to help you ensure your children's unexpected hiatus from school is packed full with fun learning. Every day they are loading up new Home Safari videos on their website. Each video is accompanied by a suggested activity to be done at home, from creating salamander slime to making crocodile paper chains.
Lucille the binturong scored top marks with the younger viewers at my house. More commonly known as bearcats, binturongs are undeniably winning when it comes to the cute factor. Just one look at it, and it is blatantly obvious as to how it earned its nickname, the creature certainly looks like a cross between a bear and a cat. The accompanying activity gets children thinking creatively as it asks them to design their own hybrid creature.
If bearcats aren't your thing, maybe take a step back in time and meet some of the creatures that used to roam this earth.
The Smithsonian has a range of virtual tours available, letting you walk slowly through the museum as well as browsing previous exhibits.
From dinosaurs to butterflies, there is plenty to see.
Starting at the museum's rotunda you can enjoy a 360 degree round tour of the museum. Some highlights are the Hall of Mammals, Insect Zoo, and its Dinosaurs and Hall of Palaeobiology. Even better, you can do this from the comfort of your own home, no need to head to the United States to see them.
AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME.
