• Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Big Books, Little Ears

Reading chapter books to toddlers, preschoolers, and beyond

  • Books to Read Aloud
  • Tips for Reading Together
  • Book Activities
  • Books for Moms
  • About
  • Contact Me
You are here: Home / Book Activities / Online Story Times for While the Library is Shutdown

Online Story Times for While the Library is Shutdown

March 14 by Kristin Wynalda

Share this post:

Share on Facebook Share on X (Twitter) Share on Pinterest Share on Email

So, you might have heard that the world has basically come to an end: the libraries have closed. (Curse you, coronavirus / COVID-19 / whatever the kids are calling it now days!!) And if they haven’t closed, they have suspended programs, like story times.

If you depend on good library programming, here is a pretty comprehensive list of online story times to keep your kids busy and learning during the corona virus shutdown. And because it’s me, and y’all know I think more is more, I’ve included information about each one so you can get a sense of which one is right for your family.

(P.S. Also, I didn’t include any plain-old YouTube channels that read picture books – these are just websites. I’ll have to do a YouTube round up, also! Look for that in the coming weeks. If you want to know when that comes out, make sure you’re signed up for my weekly email updates with book suggestions and no-prep activities HERE. FYI that my reviews tend to be faith-based, so you can decide if that’s right for your family.)

Stay safe, wash your hands, and happy reading!

Related: The Best FREE Apps for Elementary Aged Kids

Online Story Times for during the coronavirus shutdown

Online Story Times to Keep Your Kids Busy During Corona Virus

online story times for while you're quarantined

Brightly

Brightly is super secular, so FYI that I do not at all agree with what this site considers appropriate for middle-grade or tween readers. But their online story times are great with (in my opinion) the best production of any I’ve seen!

Story Time From Space

This list of STEM picture books are read by astronauts…in space. It’s awesome.

Storyline Online

Storyline Online is sponsored by the Screen Actors Guild. In this collection famous actors read picture books. There are SO many books available!

KidLit TV Read Out Loud

KidLit TV has dozens of picture books read aloud. Out of all of the online story time resources I know of, this one has the most picture books featuring diverse characters and readers, which is awesome!

Storytime Online

World Book Day has produced this collection of picture books being read by famous British actors. Notice I said “British.” My kids can’t understand what some of the readers are saying. But the books are fabulous, so if your children have more culture than mine, it’s a great resource!

Story Place

Story Place is a service of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library. The story’s are original, and not classic storybooks, so mentally prepare for that. Each one has a full “story time” to go with it – including songs and activities.

Seattle Opera Opera Time

Every week Seattle Opera releases a storytime from the opera house, complete with enrichment activities. It’s super fun, and an easy way to add the arts into your storytimes.

Related: Looking for more ways to pass the time? Here’s a super popular list of no-prep activities to go with books or audiobooks.

P.S. I didn’t include any “interactive storybook” websites on this list because they take so many clicks to turn the page, or make the text read, or make the pictures move or things like that. They just aren’t right for my kids at their ages right now. However, if you’re looking for something like that, Unite for Literacy is my favorite. They have hundreds of books and narration is available in 43 languages!!! Make sure you pass it on to your fellow mamas who are raising kiddos who speak languages other than English!

 

Share this post:

Share on Facebook Share on X (Twitter) Share on Pinterest Share on Email

Filed Under: Book Activities

More stuff to help you…

Family Advent Reading Plans Pin

10 Read Aloud Christian Christmas Chapter Books

Christian picture books about race and ethnic diversity

12 Christian Picture Books About Race

book stack and Library Requests Organizer for long read aloud series

My Secret Weapon for Long Read Aloud Series

Primary Sidebar

Hello! I’m Kristin.

It can be hard to find good Christian books, so I do the work for you through thorough Christian book reviews! That doesn’t mean I only look at Christian books – it means that I review all types of kids’ books through the lens of my faith. Let’s find you something to read aloud!
  • Join the conversation on Facebook!
  • Follow me on Instagram!

There's more to read!

Join the newsletter list to receive the latest content from Big Books, Little Ears. Get tips, book suggestions, and deals that are only sent out in my newsletters!

Success! Now check your email to confirm your subscription.

There was an error submitting your subscription. Please try again.

I won't send you spam, and I'd never sell your information. You can unsubscribe at any time. Powered by Kit

Looking for something?

More articles you might like:

  • Interview with Clean YA Author, Carol Baldwin
  • CLEAN Fantasy Novel Authors for TEENS
  • Four Reasons to Sing Prayers With our Children (Plus Four Ideas to Get You Started!)

Footer

Legal Stuff

Terms of Use

Privacy Policy

Website Disclaimer and Disclosures

Copyright Big Books, Little Ears© 2025

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
Cookie SettingsAccept All
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT