Learning at Home

Explore the natural world with engaging activities that support learning at home.

Bring the museum home

Want to get your kids excited about science, nature, and history? Parents, educators, and caregivers: here are activities, games, printables, and more for you to do with kids at home or in the backyard. Spot camouflaged reptiles and learn how they evolved to hide. Use your sense of hearing to figure out which kinds of birds are nearby. Look for the suggested grade levels below each activity.

Think like a scientist at home

Get inspired by the science and play featured in Grainger Science Hub and the Crown Family PlayLab. Science Hub at Home—hands-on, at-home activities—is great for kids in grades 3–8. PlayLab at Home—activities that engage young kids in using their senses—is designed for kids in grades PK–2.

  • Wheel of Function | Science Hub at Home

    Learn how animals evolved to display the color blue. Then print your own game wheel to play with others!

  • Specimen Spotlight: Peregrine Falcons | Science Hub at Home

    Meet Chicago's peregrine falcons and learn how our collections helps the population thrive.
  • Bird Calls and Songs | PlayLab at Home

    Listen to different songs or calls made by local Illinois birds.
  • What do you Hear? | PlayLab at Home

    Find a listening spot to hear the world around you and make a sound map.

Mission to the Mesozoic

Team up with a scientist to explore Earth millions of years ago. Complete each quest in this online game by identifying different animals and plants and snapping their photos.

Learning beyond the classroom

Our resources can support curricula for remote learning and homeschool instruction. Designed for parents teaching kids at home, the lessons are multimodal for diverse learning styles. Supplementary media like videos, games, and 3d models bring lessons to life. We also provide printables and activities that support screen-free learning without a computer.

Activities and lessons to do at home

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    • 3D Model: Cryolophosaurus Skull | Dinosaur Toolkit

      Use this 3D model to see how scientists reconstruct animals like Cryolophosaurus from the fossil record.

    • 3D Model: Glacialisaurus Foot | Dinosaur Toolkit

      Learn how the first giant dinosaurs like Glacialisaurus moved by exploring this 3D model.

    • 3D Model: Tyrannosaurus rex | Dinosaur Toolkit

      Interact with this 3D model to find out what we can learn about SUE the T. rex's life by looking at its fossils, then test your knowledge

    • Animal Observations | Science Hub at Home

      Learn how scientists observe and track animal behavior and how you can do the same with your pets at home.

    • Ask an Artifact | China Toolkit

      Discover what you can learn from the objects all around us when you look carefully and apply a specific disciplinary lens. Spanish subtitles available.

    • At Home Collections | Science Hub at Home

      Create your own museum collection at home.

    • Basket Making Demonstration with Lorene Sisquoc

      Watch Lorene Sisquoc teaching and weaving a basket at the Field Museum opening of Native Truths: Our Voices, Our Stories.

    • Basket Making Discussion & Demo: Lorene Sisquoc and Kelly Church

      Listen to and watch Lorene Sisquoc and Kelly Church discuss basket weaving and oral traditions.

    • 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.

    • BIOlympics Game | Biomechanics Toolkit

      Jump into BIOlympics events to see how animals achieve amazing feats. Use that knowledge to choose competitors for different events.

    • Bird Calls and Songs | PlayLab at Home

      Listen to different songs or calls made by local Illinois birds.

    • Birding 101 | Science Hub at Home

      Discover the birds of Chicago with these birding techniques.

    • Chef Jessica Pamonicutt Discusses Cooking and Fry Bread

      Listen to and watch Chef Jessica discuss her career as a chef and fry bread.

    • Dome Strength | Biomechanics Toolkit

      Discover how much force a seemingly brittle object like an egg can withstand when it’s dome-shaped.

    • Forces Design Challenge | Biomechanics Toolkit

      Use animal structure and function to design a way that humans can reduce the force felt and/or energy absorbed by an object.

    • From the Field to the Field Museum

      Prepare for a field trip or object study by learning how the Field Museum collects and studies specimens and artifacts from around the world.

    • Furiously Fast Falcons | Science Hub at Home

      Figure out how fast you can run and how that compares to some of the fastest and slowest animals on the planet.

    • Giraffe Heart Dissection | Biomechanics Toolkit

      Go behind the scenes in our mammals wet lab to watch the dissection of a giraffe heart.

    • In Your Backyard | Science Hub at Home

      Track down reptiles and amphibians by exploring your own natural spaces.

    • Island Evolution

      Discover why islands contain so many unique species.

    • Jason Wesaw Speaks About his Art

      Listen to and watch Native Truths artist Jason Wesaw, a member of the Potawatomi Nation. His art practice spans many mediums including ceramics, textiles and works on paper.

    • Karen Ann Hoffman- Native People are Still Here

      Listen to Karen talk about the impact the exhibit has on reminding everyone that Native people are still here.

    • Karen Ann Hoffman on Art

       Listen to Karen talk about storytelling and stories.

    • Karen Ann Hoffman on Claiming Space

      Listen to Karen talk about the importance and impact of Native work taking up space.

    • Karen Ann Hoffman on Stories

      Listen to Karen talk about storytelling and stories.

    • Life All Over | Science Hub at Home

      Even cities are filled with nature. What will you find when you take a closer look?

    • Lizard or Salamander | Science Hub at Home

      Learn how to tell a lizard from a salamnder then challenge to do the same friends and family with a puzzle.

    • Locomotion Design Challenge | Biomechanics Toolkit

      Use animal movement as inspiration to design a new vehicle for traveling via land, water, and air.

    • Make Your Own Field Guide | Science Hub at Home

      Identify the plants and animals that call your ecosystem home.

    • Make Your Own Field Journal | Science Hub at Home

      Document your next adventure with a homemade field journal.

    • Making Fry Bread with Chef Jessica Pamonicutt

      Watch Chef Jessica share how she makes fry bread.

    • Mammal Phylogeny

      Discover how scientists classify the diverse mammals found on Earth.

    • Maya Blue and You | Science Hub at Home

      Discover how you use the color blue as compared to the Maya.

    • Mission to the Mesozoic

      Find plants and animals across the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous time periods in this online game.

    • Monarch Guide | Home FIELD Advantage

      Write and draw to observe monarch butterflies.

    • Native Truths: Come Alive By Nicole Emmons

      Watch the unique animation created for and about the Field Museum's Native Truths: Our Voices, Our Stories exhibit by animator Nicole Emmons.

    • Neolithic Village Flyover

      Explore a reconstruction of the Neolithic village of Szeghalom, which was located in eastern Hungary. Archaeological findings there signaled a shift from foraging to farming.

    • Our Voices, Our Stories

      Listen to Native artists answer the question: Why is it important for us to tell our stories?

    • Prolific Pigment | Science Hub at Home

      Here's a recipe for your own blueberry "paint." Use it to study and color a blue morpho butterfly.

    • Pterosaurs and Tape Measures

      Investigate the acutal sizes of these famous flying reptiles who lived side by side with dinosaurs.

    • Rapid Inventory: Home Edition | Science Hub at Home

      The Field Museum's Rapid Inventory helps conserve and protect the planet. Learn how to conduct your own rapid inventory at home.

    • Read, Watch, Listen, Visit: Student Resource List | China Toolkit

      Explore more ways to learn about China with your students.

    • Senses Design Challenge | Biomechanics Toolkit

      Use animal senses as inspiration to design a way for humans to use their senses differently or use a new sense.

    • Specimen Spotlight: Indigo Bunting | Science Hub at Home

      Meet the Indigo Bunting bird.

    • Specimen Spotlight: Peregrine Falcons | Science Hub at Home

      Meet Chicago's peregrine falcons and learn how our collections helps the population thrive.

    • Specimen Spotlight: Purple Coneflower | Science Hub at Home

      Examine the Purple Coneflower to learn why native plants are important to any ecosystem.

    • Spot the Animal | Science Hub at Home

      Can you find the camouflaged animal? Inspect how reptiles and amphibians hide in their environment.

    • The Birds and the Trees

      How do all birds fit on the avian tree of life?

    • The Brain Scoop: The Taxonomy of Candy

      Scientists use a system called taxonomy to group and categorize living things. What happens when you try to apply taxonomy to candy?

    • The Brain Scoop: Tully Monster Mystery Solved!

      Learn how researchers discovered the Tully Monster, long believed to be an invertebrate (similar to worms), is actually a vertebrate and more closely related to fish.

    • The Field Revealed: Tully Monster

      Discover the Tully Monster, the state fossil of Illinois.

    • The Great Bear Hunt, narrated by Karen Ann Hoffman

      Storyteller Karen Ann Hoffman, Oneida Nation of Wisconsin, tells the story of the Great Bear Hunt as she knows the tradition.

    • Thermoregulation Design Challenge | Biomechanics Toolkit

      Use animal thermoregulation as inspiration to design an eco-friendly dwelling that stays warm in the winter and/or cool in the summer.

    • What Does Blue Mean to You? | Science Hub at Home

      Discuss what the color blue means to you and compare your answers with other museum visitors.

    • Wheel of Function | Science Hub at Home

      Learn how animals evolved to display the color blue. Then print your own game wheel to play with others!

    • Who Lives Here? | Science Hub at Home

      Try to match each unique home to the animal that made them. Can you find any animal homes in your neighborhood?

    • Why is it Important for Us to Tell Our Stories? - Brian Vallo

      Listen to and watch collaborator artist Brian Vallo respond to the question: Why must we tell our own stories?

    • Why is it Important for Us to Tell Our Stories? - Debra Yepa-Peppan

      Listen to Debra answer the question: Why is it important for us to tell our stories? 

    • Why is it Important for us to Tell Our Stories? - Kelly Church

      Listen to and watch artist Kelly Church respond to the question: Why must we tell our own stories?

    • Why is it Important for Us to Tell Our Stories? - Lorene Sisquoc

      Listen to and watch artist Lorene Sisquoc respond to the question: Why must we tell our own stories?

    • Why is it so Important for Us to Tell Our Stories? - Karen Ann Hoffman

       Listen to Karen answer the question: Why is it important for us to tell our stories?

    • Why Must We Tell Our Own Stories? - Ronnie Preston

      Listen to and watch collaborator Ronnie Preston respond to the question: Why must we tell our own stories?

    • WhyReef

      Dive into a virtual coral reef to discover marine life and connections between these sea creatures and what they eat.

    Virtual exhibition

    Travel to China and explore 5,000 years of history and culture in the online exhibition for the Cyrus Tang Hall of China. Jump into a scroll painting of a medieval river festival. Search for horses in the landscapes of China’s diverse ecosystems. Or join Monkey King on a journey to get a magic fan.

    Nature guides

    Get outside and explore the natural wonders local to Chicago and greater Illinois. Kids in grades 6 or higher and adults can use our Field Guides to identify plants, animals, and more.

    High school students join in seed collecting at Beaubien Woods Forest Preserve.

    © Iza Redlinski