TOGETHER AT HOME

60+ free resources to keep you healthy & entertained

With schools and businesses closed, lock-downs in place, and a global health crisis, many people are feeling a bit overwhelmed to say the least. We know we do too.

In times like this, it’s important to find ways to keep our souls fed, and our minds sane. It’s essential to focus on things that lift our spirits and help us keep going.

If you have been in a portrait session or event with us, you know that we like to keep things light. We are certainly one goofy duo and to be truthful, bringing some joy and good memories into your lives has always been part of our core values.

While we can’t be physically with you, we still wanted to make an effort to bring a little fun into your lives. Below you will find a list of 60 FREE RESOURCES divided into three different categories: Family Time, Health & Wellness, Entertainment x One [or more]. There’s a bit for everyone, things to do with your kiddos, online courses, yoga classes, fun podcasts and much more. Also, we’ve got a little bonus at the end, with our top 5 things to do!

We hope you’ll enjoy it! If you have any suggestions to add to this list feel free to send us an email hello@nuovaphoto.com. 

HEALTH & WELLNESS

Focusing on your health and well-being is probably one of the most important things right now. If you are an active person and like to do exercise and meditation, we think you’ll love the options below.

Yoga With Adrienne: We have been following her for years now and we are huge fans! Make sure to check out her YouTube page, as she has hundreds of free tutorials for all levels.

CreativeLive: They have released all their wellness courses for free. 

Headspace: We discovered this app not long ago and we absolutely love it. Their free programs include meditations, sleep and movement exercises and can be found in the “Weathering the storm” collection on the app.

Peloton: They are doing a 90 days free trial for their Peloton app. The best part is that they don’t require any Peloton equipment to use it. 

Strong By Zumba: They are offering several at-home workout options on their YouTube channel. with no equipment needed. Classes vary in length up to 30 minutes. Who’s ready to show off some moves?

Planet Fitness: You probably have heard of them before. They are providing everyone with free Facebook Live daily home work-in’s at 7PM EST. 

CorePower Yoga: They are giving free access to a selection of their online classes.

Les Mills: They are temporarily offering free access to their 100+ workout classes. There is something for everyone from high intensity interval training, to dance fitness workouts.

Fitness Blender:  They offer hundreds of free workout videos ranging in difficulty, length, and body focus.

Down Dog: They are  making all of their apps (Down Dog, Yoga for Beginners, HIIT, Barre, and 7 Minute Workout)  completely free until May 1st. Also, they are offering free access until July 1st for all students and teachers (K-12 and college).

YMCA360: If you are looking for short workouts this will be the perfect option for you. In their YouTube channel you will find tons of 15 minute routines.

Sleep With Me: Who said that bedtime stories are only for kids. If you are feeling a bit anxious and having a hard time falling asleep this podcast is exactly what you need! Listen to Scooter’s beautiful stories and go to ZZZzzzzz.

The Wellness Mama: Thinking about all those beautiful mothers out there going the extra mile. We know the last couple of weeks must have been hectic to say the least, and this podcast might be just what you need right now. Listen to Katie Wells as she shares tips for healthy eating, exercise, stress, sleep, and more, all while managing life with kids as well.

Nutrition Matters: This podcast focuses on creating positive relationships with food. The host Paige Smathers, is a registered dietitian and nutritionist who interviews experts in all food related topics.

Nutrition Diva: If you want to pack in a short podcast rather than commit to hour-long shows, then this is the right option for you. Monica Reinagel gives simple ways to upgrade your eating habits. As she says, “before you know it, you'll be eating healthier and feeling more fabulous!”.

The Dumbbells: This is a comedy podcast for people who like fitness. The hosts Eugene Cordero and Ryan Stanger, both comedians with professional fitness backgrounds, take a fresh approach to wellness. We think you’ll really enjoy it!

TED Health: From way-new medical breakthroughs to smart daily health habits, doctors and researchers share their discoveries about medicine and well-being onstage at the TED conference, TEDx events and partner events around the world. We have linked to the podcast version, but you can also watch the video version here. 

The New York Times: In her article “How To Be Better At Stress”, Tara Parker-Pope explores how we can deal with anxiety, reduce its harm and make it work to our favor. It’s a 30 minutes read full of great insight and advice.

Medium: We’ve got more awesome readings for you: “Make Time” is a series of articles about making time for what really matters. 

Harvest: We know having an at home work routine is not an easy thing. Being confined between the walls of our house with COVID19 news popping every five seconds on our phone feeds, doesn’t make it easy. This software is meant to help you keep track of your projects, save time and create a healthy routine. They offer both a free plan, as well a 30 day trial on more advanced plans. 

FAMILY TIME

Having to stay inside is hard for everyone, even harder if you have kids (they usually have so much energy!). If you are running out of ideas, here are a few that you and your little ones might like.

Kids Table: They are hosting a bunch of virtual cooking classes through their Facebook page.  

The amazing thing about them is that the cost of these classes is entirely up to you! If you enjoyed taking the class and want to show support financially, you can make a donation via Paypal. Short on money?...no biggie, you are still welcome to participate.

Go Noodle: You will find movement and mindfulness videos created by child development experts, all available for free.

Playworks: They provide free video tutorials of games that follow CDC guidelines and can be played at home with little to no equipment. Also, they offer a free virtual recess with Playworks live on their Facebook page three times per day Monday-Friday

Tales2Go: This app offers a free one-month trial, and it helps kids who struggle to read while boosting their listening skills. They have an extensive collection of stories and books for all ages.

Audible Stories: Audible is giving free access to their story books! They have hundreds of titles available for elementary, tween and teenage kids. 

National Geographic: They have a virtual science lab with experiments, videos and more. 

The Kids Should See This: They have a collection of 4300+ STEAM, history, and culture-focused videos for kids of all ages.

How Stuff Works: Their YouTube channel offers tons of educational videos exploring the world around us. 

Scratch: The MIT Media Lab is offering interactive story, game and animation design, for kids ages 8 to 16. 

National Museum of Natural History: If your kids love science and dinosaurs this is the perfect opportunity to take them on a virtual tour. The NMNH allows visitors to take room-by-room tours of select exhibits and areas within the museum. You can use either your computer or phone.

NASA: Do your kids ever say they want to be astronauts? Then a virtual tour of the Langley Research Center could be a lot of fun. If you want to take it a step further, you can also show them how life is aboard the ISS.

Brookfield Zoo: They are offering free Facebook Live Chats each week day at 11AM. 

The Kennedy Center: Who’s ready for Lunch Doodle?? Artist-in-Residence Mo Willems explores ways of writing and making. New episodes will be posted each weekday at 1:00 p.m. ET and then remain online to be streamed afterwards. 

Little Stories For Tiny People: This children's podcast features original audio stories that will delight the tiny people in your life. 

The Past & The Curious: Through bite-sized audio-based stories, music, a website, and illustrated children’s books, this podcast aims to spark the curiosity of children and parents.

Youth Radio: If your kids are in their teens, this podcast could be a great chance to connect with a national network of young journalists and artists and learn new things from their peers.

Khan Academy: They offer online courses, activities and resources for children aged 2 to 18. 

XSel Labs: This organization partnered with Centervention to share their free social emotional learning lessons and activities. Targeted for elementary and middle school kids.

Prodigy: They provide a free weekly activity calendar to help kids learn from home.Their learn from home schedule, includes exercises that cover different aspects of kids’ learning experience (Numeracy, Literacy, Physical, Social and emotional).

NPR: If you are struggling to explain to your kids what Coronavirus is,  the Chicago NPR News Station has created a comic using information out of their interviews with Tara Powell at the University of Illinois School of Social Work, Joy Osofsky at the LSU Health Sciences Center in New Orleans and Krystal Lewis at the National Institute of Mental Health. You also have the option to print a zine version of it. 

BONUS!! OUR PICKS

Too much to choose from? Let us give you a hand! Here are our TOP 5 things to do these days:

Criterion Channel: You want to watch the movies that inspired our current generation of Hollywood filmmakers? Criterion Channel is offering a 14-day free trial on their collection of classic movies from around the world. We recommend Agnés Varga (Vagabond), Federico Fellini (Nights of Cabiria, 8 ½), Akira Kurosawa (Rashomon, Seven Samurai) & Jean-Luc Godard (Breathless, Contempt).

Houseparty: We have been using this app non stop! You can play games virtually with your friends around the globe, and it’s kid friendly to boot. Games range from trivia, pictionary, and heads up. You can download the app for your cell phone, laptop or tablet. 

Tipsy Bartender: This one is reserved for weekends (and adults) only. Since we can’t go out on Friday nights we decided to learn how to make our own cocktails.  Check out some of their most famous cocktails recipes and let us know which one is your favorite!

Kith and Kin: Looking to eat healthy? Check out Executive Chef Kwame Onwuachi “Eat Clean While Quarantined” series on Instagram live. It features dishes made with limited fat and sugar, and the best part is that his recipes take roughly 20 minutes to be ready.

NPR: For all the music lovers out there: NPR has created a list of free concerts that will be streaming in the next few days. 

ENTERTAINMENT X ONE [OR MORE]

After all the work and stress you deserve a bit of fun. Below you will find some of our favorite entertainment resources. 

Amazon: Raise your hand if you like to read! If so, this is the perfect option for you, as they are offering two free months to its unlimited ebook service for new users.

Scribd: This online reading platform has millions of titles and programs available that you can access for free for the next 30 days.

Ivy League: If you are the kind of person that likes to learn something new every day, you’ll love this. They have almost 500 online courses free to keep you occupied while stuck indoors.

Coursera: Like Ivy League they also have a section with tons of free online classes, however, we have our favorite: “The Science of Well Being”. This is Yale’s most popular class in the history of the university.

Check it out and let us know if you agree with us :)

Adobe Summit: This is for all the creative souls out there! Shantanu Narayen, Anil Chakravarthy, and other Adobe leaders will be sharing their vision, plus you get access to tons of other valuable content. This is a free online experience that launches on March 31, 8:30AM PDT.

Skillshare: Continuing on with more artsy vibes! This platform is offering 2 months free trial and has tons of interesting crafty classes. They also have a section with tons of FREE classes. If you are not interested in using the platform afterwards, make sure you cancel before the trial ends.

Hello Talk: We are firm believers that learning other languages can help create deeper connections with the world around you. This platform allows you not only to learn a new language, but also to talk to native speakers. Considering we are stuck at home without seeing others, this could be a nice way to break the routine.

Beautiful Stories From Anonymous People: In this podcast, the host Chris Gethard talks on the phone to an anonymous listener for one hour. With this premise you know anything can happen: from shocking confessions and family secrets, to philosophical discussions. What you say, shall we get to it?

Serial: This highly recognized podcast is for those interested in real crime stories. Sarah Koenig tells one true story over the course of a season. We have been fans of this podcast since the beginning and we think you’ll like it too.

Getting Curious: This is a relative new podcast. The host Jonathan Van Ness, star of the series Queer Eye, will definitely keep you interested with his inquisitive mind and openness and of course, his humor and enthusiasm.

The Metropolitan Opera: Fan of the Opera? We got you covered! The Met  just launched “Nightly Met Opera Streams,” a free series of encore presentations from the award-winning Live in HD series of cinema transmissions. 

The Royal Opera House: If you love ballet we think you’ll enjoy their free program of curated online broadcasts,musical masterclasses and cultural explorations of the ballet and opera world.

Louvre Paris: This is probably one of our favorite museums, and guess what..you get to take a virtual tour of it! Explore the Egyptian Antiquities department, plus check their thematic visitor trails. We know you’ll love it as much as we do.

The Vatican Museum: As you know, Italy has a special place in our hearts (now more than ever). Rome has plenty of beautiful things to explore, one of those is the Vatican Museum and its remarkable Sistine Chapel and Raphael's Rooms. 

The Grammy Museum: The museum is releasing never seen before digital programs from its archives online for free every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.  Coming up Billie Eilish and Finneas (April 1), Greta Van Fleet (April 4) and Kool and the Gang (April 6).

BroadwayHD: This streaming service is offering a 7 day free trial. You will be able to stream some of the most famous New York and West End London Broadway theaters shows. If you are not interested in keeping the service, make sure you cancel it before the trial ends ;)

Massimo Bottura: This list wouldn’t be complete without a cooking class (you know how much we love food!). Massimo, chef of the three-Michelin-star Osteria Francescana, is hosting live “Kitchen Quarantine” cooking classes on his Instagram daily at 8 p.m. CET.  

America’s Test Kitchen: Ok... We should probably correct our prior statement: this list wouldn’t be complete without AT LEAST TWO options for cooking classes. They have created a special collection of 50 free recipes (pantry meals, make and freeze, baking projects, and more).

Google: Do you love nature? If so, this is the right one for you. Google Arts & Culture will allow you to take a virtual walk through the amazing U.S. national parks.

Big Freedia: Fan of the New Orleans Music scene? Big Freedia is known for her work in the genre of hip hop called bounce music. She is set to perform live (both on Facebook and Instagram) every Friday night at 9 p.m. EST as part of her “Friday Night Shakedown” series.