Experience the Field at Home
Alert
We’re rounding up some of our favorite ways to stay connected. If you're interested in seeing more on a certain topic, email us at social@fieldmuseum.org.
Learning Resources
Looking for science activities and games for kids? The Field has lesson plans, videos, games, and more for teachers and parents. Our learning resources hub makes it easy to filter by grade level and topic. Kids and their adults can explore plants and animals, world cultures, Earth science, and more. Our amazing educators shared a few of their favorites.
For Families
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Mission to the Mesozoic
Find plants and animals across the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous time periods in this online game.
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Monarchs Legend Story and Coloring Book
Read The Legend of the Parákata or color your own version of the story!
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Being Big on Land
Learn why being big isn’t always an advantage and find out how mythic creatures like Godzilla and King Kong could never have carried their own weight.
For Teachers
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Pre-K Weather Unit | Early Elementary Science Partnership
Observe and record weather to build a common understanding of observable weather conditions in the fall in Chicago. Then make recommendations about how SUE should prepare to play outside.
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Pollination Unit | Early Elementary Science Partnership
Interact with various models to explore the structures of plants and animals related to the process of pollination.
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Rise of Dinosaurs | Dinosaur Toolkit
Analyze data from a mock fossil dig to determine the differences and similarities between multiple fossil dig sites.
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Advantages of Levers | Biomechanics Toolkit
Test basic lever types and explore the trade-off between a force advantage and speed advantage in the animal world.
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Plate Motion Past and Present | Dinosaur Toolkit
Analyze and interpret data about the structures of Earth’s crust and the fossil record.
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Exploring Objects | China Toolkit
Analyze objects using varied lenses, including anthropology, history, economics, geography, and art history.
The Brain Scoop on YouTube
Any natural history lover or curious mind will enjoy The Brain Scoop's videos, created by our Chief Curiosity Correspondent Emily Graslie. Together with museum scientists and other guests, Graslie gets hands-on with collections, lab work, museum history—even some educational dissections.
Find the playlist that speaks to you, including fossils and geology, mammals, and insects and other invertebrates. Then, settle in for hours of fascinating science-based entertainment.
© Kyle Flubacker
Nature near you
Nature can be comforting while many other things are uncertain. If you’re going for a walk or bird-watching from your window, you can identify local wildlife. Field Guides provide helpful details on what to look for while observing wildlife in Chicago and Illinois:
Don't recognize something you've spotted? Snap a photo and share it to iNaturalist, where your fellow nature lovers can help you ID it.
Stay connected on social media
While our building is closed temporarily, we’re still open on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
Enjoy Live chats with our scientists, behind-the-scenes access, and more. These are just a few videos that’ll make you feel a part of the action: Bringing out the power tools in the Fossil Prep Lab; finding cute caterpillars in our Rice Native Gardens; creating a light show to highlight clues on SUE the T. rex’s skeleton.
Articles on our blog give snapshots and in-depth explorations of museum life. Get a glimpse into scientists’ past expeditions, revisit some of your favorite museum specimens, and see how exhibitions are made.
Not to mention, SUE the T. rex is now free to roam the museum. Find out what they're up to!
Chat with a dinosaur
Máximo is always delighted to hear from you. Strike up a conversation with our friendly titanosaur by texting 70221 or messaging him online. Ask him about his favorite food, what Earth was like million of years ago, and what he does in his spare time at the museum.
Find out how we assembled the world’s largest dinosaur in just a few days by watching the timelapse.
Lucy Hewett
Online library
Curl up with a good digitized resource. Many of the Field Museum Library resources are available online. Among them are archival materials like the Moving Image Collection and a variety of archival texts (we recommend a book called The Giraffe in History and Art).
And thanks to our partner, the Biodiversity Heritage Library, you can peruse beautiful botanical images and other scientific illustrations.
Be sure to check out your local library’s online offerings, too. Chicago Public Library gives you access to magazines, language learning, and more.
Biodiversity Heritage Library
Thanks for your support
Many cultural institutions, including the Field, depend on having people visit our public spaces every day. While we’re closed, we’ll continue sharing great online content. If you learn something new or get a moment of joy out of what we’re sharing, we’re grateful for a donation of any amount in support of our work and mission. A “like” or share brightens our day as well. Thanks for being a part of the Field community.
