Lydia Schrandt is a writer, editor, and award-winning photographer currently based in Houston. She’s a contributor for USA TODAY 10Best and serves as the first chair of the Editors Council of the Society of American Travel Writers. Her work has appeared in Draft, Time Out Beijing, Travel+, USA TODAY, San Francisco Chronicle, and others.
Lydia Schrandt is a writer, editor, and award-winning photographer currently based in Houston. She’s a contributor for USA TODAY 10Best and serves as the first chair of the Editors Council of the Society of American Travel Writers. Her work has appeared in Draft, Time Out Beijing, Travel+, USA TODAY, San Francisco Chronicle, and others.
Hi, I'm Lydia!Lydia Schrandt is a writer, editor, and award-winning photographer currently based in Houston. She’s a contributor for USA TODAY 10Best and serves as the first chair of the Editors Council of the Society of American Travel Writers. Her work has appeared in Draft, Time Out Beijing, Travel+, USA TODAY, San Francisco Chronicle, and others.
Hi, I'm Lydia!Lydia Schrandt is a writer, editor, and award-winning photographer currently based in Houston. She’s a contributor for USA TODAY 10Best and serves as the first chair of the Editors Council of the Society of American Travel Writers. Her work has appeared in Draft, Time Out Beijing, Travel+, USA TODAY, San Francisco Chronicle, and others.
With its numerous museums, sprawling parks, NASA, and an award-winning zoo, Houston is a surprisingly kid-friendly destination. Whether you’re a Houston local or live across the country with your little ones, here are a few ways to explore some of what the city has to offer for families from the comfort of home.
Inspire your own little Picasso with a Family Art Activity from the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. This series of engaging activities is inspired by pieces in the museum collection—kids can make their own monster with found materials based on Antonio Berni’s Cosmic Monsters series, explore the art of African beadwork, or burn off energy with some large-scale yarn weaving.
Rose Churchill, mom and blogger at Spark Lark, recommends the Houston Audubon’s virtual birding experiences to teach kids about Houston-area wildlife. “Spring is the perfect time for tons of activity on the cameras,” she explains, which are set up to record activity at the High Island rookery on Bolivar Peninsula. “This is great for kids to learn about the different types of local birds and see them raising their young.”
While the Houston Zoo is closed, staff and zookeepers are sharing updates on what their animal residents are up to during regular Facebook Live sessions. Kids (and their parents) can ask questions in the comments to learn more about the animals and what goes into their day-to-day care.
This Museum District institution is offering three types of virtual learning: MAKE projects that can be created from home, behind-the-scenes EXPLORE videos, and LEARN interviews and studio tours of resident artists and community members.
“It's been tough to find things that can fit a regular schedule,” says Flynn Zaiger, father and CEO at Houston Optimists. “Not only is it on a schedule (so I know when in my day it can break up screen time) but all the projects are super fun to do.”
Houston’s Lone Star Flight Museum has at-home fun every day of the week, but the Sunday Flight Plan virtual visits are a highlight. Tune in to experience a hang glider simulator, walk through the Texas Aviation Hall of Fame, learn about the science of lift, or tour a B-17 Bomber “Thunderbird,” all without leaving your couch.
Houston’s robust Theater District includes a production company just for kids. Main Street Theater artists are sharing monologues, songs, and even short theater classes online through the MST@Home program to help instill a love of the performing arts in Houston’s youth.
Keith Ostfeld is best known for his O Wow Moment segments on KPRC Channel 2 on Saturday mornings. Now he’s hosting these at-home experiments from the Children’s Museum of Houston each day.
“They are educational, but also so funny that my 8-year-old doesn't consider it a school lesson,” says Jill B. Jarvis, the Houston mom and blogger. “We just watched the video about Liquid Armor, and he intently watched the whole thing and had lots of ideas on how to use it! (And now I've got out the cornstarch and things are about to get messy.)”
Staff from the Houston Museum of Natural Science have been busy leading Facebook Live sessions covering many of the same topics you’ll see while touring the museum collection. Each session includes an activity you can do at home. Learn the art of map making, construct a compass shaped like a fish, experiment with chromatography, or create your own optical illusions using basic materials.
The next best thing to a tram tour of Space Center Houston is their interactive (and free) app for mobile devices. The app features a series of Virtual Visits, which allow users to see every gallery in 360 degrees and snap selfies wearing an astronaut helmet or with their face on a crater-covered moon.
