Connections Toolkit: Online General Interest Websites
While we were in the “Stay Home. Save Lives.” phase of the pandemic, the editors of the EVC newsletter researched online options for learning and entertainment. Following are some of the ones we found and shared. They are still very useful.
Do you have favorite websites to share? Send us an email via the “Contact” button at the top of this page.
Art
Subscribe to Daily Art Magazine
Cooking
Get free recipes including options that are gluten free, vegetarian, vegan and dairy free
Education
Keep learning with free resources
Make informed online learning decisions
Access 2500 online courses from 140 institutions
Join Senior Planet for 60+ online programs every week to keep learning, connecting and exploring
Practice a new language by using Duolingo
Finance
Protect and monitor your credit score for free
Games & Greetings
AARP’s website is a game lover’s paradise
Sign up to play an online game similar to scrabble
If you love jigsaw puzzles, this is for you
Send a free online greeting card
Health and Wellness
Note: Information in the Health and Wellness and the Covid 19 sections of the Resources page
Lifelong Learning
Lifelong Learning: Science, Tech, Math, Humanities, Languages, Resources
Smithsonian Magazine – Get Our Best Stories Every Day For Free
Meditation
Morning Guided Meditation with Depak Chopra
Museum Tours
American Writers Museum – the only one in the country here in Chicago
Google Arts and Culture collection of museum links from around the world
Palace of Versailles
The Louvre, Paris
Stories from the Block Museum
This site links to 12 famous museums with virtual tours
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Seoul
The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles
National Museum of Anthropology, Mexico City
The Louvre, Paris - access to their full collection
Music
WDCB DuPage College Public Radio is Chicago's home for jazz, blues, news, and more! Join Those Were the Days every Saturday afternoon for the golden age of radio with recordings of The Great Gildersleeve, Fibber McGee and Molly, The Shadow and many more. Those Were the Days celebrated 50 years in May.
Music From the ‘60s
Digital Concert Hall – Berliner Philharmoniker
Outdoor Programs
Monterey Bay Aquarium
Cincinnati Zoo Digital Safaris
Milwaukee Zoo Webcams
Yellowstone National Park virtual tour
Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park virtual tour
Canyonlands National Park virtual tours
Kenai Fjords National Park virtual tour
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park virtual tour
Carlsbad Caverns National Park virtual tour
Dry Tortugas National Park virtual tour
Read Ebooks/Audiobooks
Overdrive/Libby (through public library):
Hoopla (through public library):
Flipster and RBDigital for Magazines (through public library):
Project Gutenberg
Free e-books
LibriVox - audiobooks
Social Services and Support
Chicago Department of Family & Support Services – Area Agency on Aging’s Information and Assessment services
Information and Assessment is the key element to accessing all programs and services for senior citizens, a "one stop link" to eldercare service providers in the City of Chicago and throughout the nation. By placing a call to 312-744-4016, an older person or caregiver receives information about the services offered by the Chicago Department of Family and Support Services, such as housekeeping services and home delivered meals.
Theatre
15 Broadway plays and musicals you can watch from home
The Globe - Shakespeare
The Met Opera - free nightly streaming performances on website or Met On Demand app:
National Theatre - free, full-length plays on Thursdays
Travel
10 best virtual tours of the world’s most famous landmarks
Explore the world from the comfort of home on Viking.TV
Watch Movies/TV Shows (Free through Public Library)
World News and Discussions
C-Span televises many proceedings of the United States federal government as well as other public affairs programming
NPR - National Public Radio differs from other non-profit membership media organizations in that it was established by an act of Congress in 1971
Next Avenue is a newsletter produced by Twin Cities PBS. They invite readers to consider what is next, what lies just ahead and what will be revealed in their lives. By exploring questions big and small, they hope to spark action.
Writing
Margaret Atwood’s Top 5 Writing Tips
Famous Writers Interviews
Zoom
You can sign up for free to have group chats or meetings with friends, family and colleagues with or without video by computer, tablet or phone