Virtual Rec Center

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Follow us on Facebook @ORRecParks for more ideas to keep you and your loved ones active, creative, and connected!

Have a great idea or link you’d like to share? Let us know!

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Lawn Care Tips

• How to Get Your Lawn Mower Ready For Spring

• 11 Simple Steps for Spring Lawn Care
• How to Remove Grass Stains from your Kicks
• Harness the Power of Tumeric in Your Garden
• The Incredible Benefits of  Lime
• When to Fertilize
• Yellow Lawn Problems Fixes
• The Best Plants for Indoors
• Composting the easy way
• Grow Your Garden from Scraps!
• A Beginner’s Guide to Indoor Gardening
• Gardening Tips for Beginners
• Gardening Crops for Beginners
• Best Gardening Location
• DIY Mini Succulent Garden
• Houseplant Tips
• Gardening by the Month

Get Active

The Mayo Clinic and the CDC recommend getting in at least 30 minutes of physical activity every day!                                                                                  Please check with your doctor before beginning any physical activities.

• Family Exercise Tips for Feeling Great Together
• Walking, An Easy Way To Get Fit
• 5 Ways To Walking For Better Health – Mayo Clinic
• Bird Watching for Beginners
• Beginner Birding with the National Park Service
• Camping in the Smoky Mountains
• Hiking for Beginners – Essential Hiking Tips
• Hiking 101 – from NPS.gov
• REI’s Hiking for Beginners
• Know Before You Go Hiking in the Smokies
• So you wanna go Mountain Biking? Here’s what you should know…
• Mountain Biking 101 from REI
• Mountain Biking 201
• Free Yoga Classes for All Skill Levels
• Free TaiChi Zen Instructional Videos
• Free Jazzercise On Demand
• How to Play Ping Pong
• How to Play Table Tennis in 12 Easy Steps
• Learn How to Play Pickleball
• Pickleball – The Ultimate Beginners Guide
• How to Play Baseball – Learn the Game!
• Get Serious About Getting Better at Baseball
• How to Play Soccer
• Soccer Academy will help you Improve Your Game
• Free online Volleyball Courses
• How to Play Basketball – Learn the Game!
• 100 Basketball Training Drills for Players
• How to Play American Football – Learn the Game from Nike!
• How to Skateboard
• How to Roller Skate for Absolute Beginners
• How to Roller Skate – in less than 5 minutes!
• Learn How to Swim
• How to Swim – with video
• How to Float on Your Back
• How to Snorkel – from Start to Finish
• Learn How to Snorkel – Understand your equipment and skills

Activities for Kids

• Getting Kids Off the Couch: Boost Exercise and Nutrition
• Fun Games for pre-K through 8th Grade!
• Games from National Geographic Kids
• STEM Video training from the 117 Society
• Family Exercise Tips
• Be Internet Awesome! – teaches digital citizenship and safety.
• 25-Minute Workouts for Kids
• Cosmic Kids Yoga
• GoNoodle Dance and Exercise
• Learn about Birds from Audubon for Kids!
• Academy at Home – free DIY tech projects for ages 10-18
• 15 Ways to Keep Kids Active Indoors
• 30 Exercise Games and Indoor Activities for Kids
• Soccer tutorials
• NASA at Home for Kids & Families
• NBC Nightly News (Kids Edition)

Activities for Teens

• Need help with Math or Science? Check out MIT BLOSSOMS from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Math got you Stumped? Check our the Free Math Videos online!
• Elf Escape – Help Buddy the Elf’s daughter, Susie, find her way through the Candy Cane Forest
• Murder Mystery: The Deadly BBQ – This active casefile has just plopped onto your desk, Detective. You (and your team) have been asked to double check the lead investigator’s work in solving this case. Solve the mystery and earn a sweet treat.

• Find a Job Online!
• Chrome Music Lab -start experimenting with rhythm, chords, sound waves, and more. (You will need Chrome.)
• Cool Meditations for Teens
• NPR – Make a Podcast at Home!
• Stellarium: Explore the galaxy
• Virtual College Tours – visit the campus of your choice.
• Explore America’s National Parks
• Meditate with Jelly Fish – Monterey Bay Aquarium
• Learn to Draw! Live Art Classes
• Varsity Tutors Virtual Camp – free Virtual Camps and Classes on Art, Computer Science, English, Languages, Math, Science, and Social Studies.
• Crash Course – Have fun and learn with author John Green
• The Tribe – Peer-to-Peer support group for teens
• Jr. NBA at Home –  interactive content series providing basketball skills and drills featuring NBA and WNBA players
• Dangers of Texting and Driving
• Facts About Teen Drunk Driving
• Teen Driving Crash Risks and Prevention

Adulting 101

• How to Become an Emotional Adult
• 6 Tips For Making Friends as an Adult
• Things All Adults Should Know
• Learn How to Backwards Count Money – Important!
• How to Pay Your Bills Like An Adult
• What to Do In Your 20s For Financial Success – CNBC
• Dangers of Texting and Driving
• Is a College Degree Really Worth It?
• Life Skills from FreedomHomeschooling.com
• The 7 Pillars of Adulting:  Have You Mastered Them?
• Credit Cards – Use them Wisely.
• What To Do if You Have A Negative Balance on My Credit Card?
• Your Money – Spend it Wisely.
• How To Count Back Change – Important Skill!
• 7 Tips For Spending Money Wisely
• How to Improve My Credit Score
• How to Go About Renting an Apartment
• Step-by-step on Buying a House
• Insurance Basics 101
• Insurance Simply Defined: A Definitive Guide
• How to fix a Toilet
• How to Repair a Toilet that Is Running
• Common Toilet Problems You Can Fix Yourself
• Interview Like a Pro
• How To Follow Up on a Job Application
• How To Follow Up After a Job Interview
• Sharpen Your Excel Skills
• Learn Excel with many free tutorials
• How to Buy a Car
• The Car Buying Process
• How to Jump a Car Battery
• How to Change a Tire
• Routine Vehicle Maintenance 101: What You Should Know
• How to Winterize your Motorcycle
• Essential Steps for Motorcycle Winter Storage
• Motorcycle Etiquette – What every bike rider needs to follow.
• How to Wash and Dry Your Laundry

Senior Activities

• Check out our Oak Ridge Senior Center!
• Oak Ridge Senior Pickleball
• Silver Sneakers
• Silver and Fit
• Home Workouts for Seniors
• Front Porch: Join other seniors for a 30-minute phone call to talk, listen, discuss interests, & simply socialize.
• Full Length Andrew Lloyd Webber Musicals every Friday
• Watch a Film with Friends: With Watch2gether, movie nights can continue as you watch videos online with friends in real time.
• Brain Games – Keep your brain active
• Scrabble Word Finder
• Card games, puzzles, reading books, and playing games on your phone are great ways to have fun and keep you mentally engaged.
• Stay Connected. Keep in touch with your family, friends, and social groups. Call someone at least once a week to check in on them and let them know that you are alright.  If you are tech-savvy, connect with them on  FaceTime, Zoom, Skype, or Facebook.

¡Actividades en español!

• ProfeDeELE es un portal para estudiantes y profesores de español
• Meditación guiada, yoga y pilates
• Manualidades y trucos para la vida
• Tai Chi para principiantes
• Entrenamiento cardiovascular de 30 minutos
• Entrenamiento GAP (Glúteos, Abdomen, Piernas)
• Cienciabit YouTube: Un canal de videos científicos increíbles
• Excéntricos del Océano: Conoce a las criaturas más misteriosas del mundo
• Biblioteca Virtual Miguel De Cervantes – este es un portal de libre acceso a los clasicos en espanol
• Google Academico – Google Scholar, ahora está disponible en español
• Ejercicios de Español – Gramática, Verbos, Vocabulario

Mind Exercises

Keep your mind sharp:

• Crossword/Scrabble Word Finder
• Play Sudoku
• Play a Word Search
• Solve a Jigsaw Puzzle
• Free Mahjong Puzzles
• Play a daily crossword puzzle
• Download the Scrabble App
• Over 36,000 Ted Talks to Stir your Curiosity
• Use this free online library to read new books
• Solve Riddles With Your Friends and Your Children
• Learn a New Language With Duolingo
• Give Meditating a Try Learn the Basics of How to Meditate
• Free Online College Courses from edX.org.  Free online classes from colleges such as Berkley and Harvard.
• Class Central: from Class Central. Free online classes for adults from Ivy League schools

Language Lessons

• Open Culture Up to 48 different languages to learn!
• Free Spanish Lessons – Online beginner Spanish lessons with audio
• Duolingo – takes a game-like approach to learning and promises it’ll be free forever.
• Learn A Language.com – a simple learning experience created by the U.S. Institute of Languages
• Busuu – One of the more popular platforms that allows you to learn languages from others.

Learning for Kids

• Learn How to Count Coins Correctly
• Learn How to Backwards Count Money – Important!
• How to Count Back Change
• Coding Games – Kids from kindergarten level and up will love discovering codingskills!
• Fun Games for pre-K through 8th Grade!
• Games from National Geographic Kids
• Math Games
• Reading and Writing Games
• Do Cool Science Experiments at Home
• Typing Games
• Word Search for Kids
• Shell Memory Game
• Learn About Our Solar System – from NASA
• Scholastic Learn at Home
• Miss Kissinger’s Korner A Kindergarten Teachers YouTube channel
• Instructables – Making things makes people happy. Find your happy place.
• Science Spot – A great resource for middle school science educators
• The Happy Scientist Robert Krampf is a Happy Scientist
• Climate Kids – from NASA
• PBS Learning
• Quizlet– helps you master any subject
• Optimize your studying with Brainscape
• Learn Finances online with Banzai
• 30 Educational Netflix Shows
• Kennedy Space Center Facebook
• Imagineering in a Box Design your own Theme Park

Get Creative!

Having a hobby helps declutter the mind, destress, and increase your physical health.

• Learn to How Crochet
• Learn to How Knit
• Learn to  How Sew On a Sewing Machine
• Learn to How Hand Sew
• Hand Sew With Your Kids
• Up your Cooking Game
• Take Up Baking
• Paint With Bob Ross
• Make a Rug With Loop Yarn
• Hand Sew With Your Kids
• Learn How to Play Solitaire
• Learn How to Play Spades
• Teach Yourself Origami
• Learn the Basics of Calligraphy
• Go Stargazing
• Try Whittling
• Learn Belly Dance
• Let’s Make Some Candles
• Try Your Hand at Macramé
• Start Keeping a Journal
• Sharpen Your Photography Skills
• Free Online Photography Courses

Music

 

• Music Theory Lessons
• Free Online Music Lessons
• Learn How to Play the Piano
• 14 Piano Lessons for Beginners
• Apps to Help You Master the Piano
• Guitar365! Lessons
• Your First Guitar Lesson
• Guitar Lessons from James Taylor
• Beginner Acoustic Guitar Lesson
• Learn How to Play the Guitar
• Absolutely Free Guitar Lessons – Justin Guitar
• Learn the Bass – Free interactive lessons
• Ukelele Beginner Lessons – Andy Guitar
• Your First Ukelele Lesson
• 12 Ukelele Lessons by Lance Allen
• Beginner Banjo Lessons
• Step by Step Harmonica Lessons
• Your Very First Drum Lesson
• How to Play the Drums
• Watch a Concert Recording:  Miles Davis 1989 Arsenio Hall Show Performance and Interview; Bob Dylan in Concert August 9, 2024; Live Rock Music Concerts (varied): The Jimi Hendrix Experience: Live at the Red House Concert, The Jimi Hendrix Experience: Voodoo Child Live in Maui 1970, Eric Clapton: Live at Royal Albert Hall London United Kingdom, 2024, Radiohead at Lollapalooza in 2016 or Billie Eilish at Music Midtown in 2019, The Eagles Live Concert in 1979, ACDC Live at Oakland Coliseum in 1979, Led Zepplin live at L’Olympia Paris, France in 1969, Fleetwood Mac from The Capitol Theater in 1975, Molly Tuttle and Golden Highway – Crooked Tree Live at the Station Inn, George Jones Live in Chicago at Tanglewood in 1970, Adventura, Bud Light Seltzers Session, Norah Jones Mini-Concert From Home, Jorma Kaukonen, Quarantine Concert No.5, Post Malone, Nirvana Tribute, The Beatles Rooftop Concert, January 30th, 1969. and so much more on YouTube and etc.

Games & Crafts!

• DIY Friendship Bracelets for Beginners
• Learn to Tie Dye
• Make a Pinecone Birdfeeder
• Make and Send a Pop Up Card
• Learn to Tie-Dye
• Make a Lava Lamp Experiment
• Daily Doodle With Mo Willems
• Learn How to Play Cat’s Cradle
• Learn How to Play Go Fish
• Learn How to Play Checkers
• Learn How to Play Mancala
• Printable Coloring Pages From Crayola
• Make a Friendship Bracelet
• Make a Paper Bracelet
• Make Polka Dot Slime
• Laundry Basket Skee Ball
• Make Sock Puppets
• Learn how to cook with the Nomster Chef

Explore the World and Our Own Backyard

• Learn more about your community in the seasonal releases of the Oak Ridge Recreation & Parks RecGuide!
• Virtually Ring the International Friendship Bell in A.K. Bissell Park!
• Watch Weather Webcams courtesy of WATE
• Take a Virtual visit through ORNL facilities!
• A Virtual Fieldtrip to the Manhattan Project
• Here are some virtual rollercoasters at Dollywood! Check it out!
• Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies Penguin Cam
• Virtual walk the Knoxville Zoo
• Knoxville Botanical Gardens and Arboretum
• Explore Ijams Nature Center
• Explore the American Museum of Science and Energy (AMSE)
• Explore the Tennessee Aquarium Chattanooga
• Virtual Museum Tours
• Museum of Natural History
• Google Virtual Tours
• Animal Cams – from EarthCam
• Tour the Vatican
• The National Aquarium
• Monterey Bay Aquarium Live Cams
• San Diego Zoo Live Cams
• Travel the World With Google Earth
• Watch the International Space Station Live Stream
• Explore Our Solar System With NASA’s Eyes
• Ride It’s a Small World at Disney
• Ride a Roller Coaster at SeaWorld
• Visit The Galileo Museum
• National Constitution Center Virtual Tours
• The Lincoln Memorial
• The Acropolis
• Visit Dubai Virtually!
• A Virtual Rainforest
• A Virtual Planetarium!
• Check out WebCams from around the world with EarthCam!
• NASA Space Center in Houston
• View the October 14th, 2023 Solar Eclipse with NASA
• View the April 8th 2024 Solar Eclipse highlights with NASA – (no more until 2044!)
• Take a Museum Tour: the Prado Museum in Madrid, Spain, Louvre in Paris, Google Arts and Culture, Guggenheim Museum in New York, Mus’ee d’Orsay, Paris, Pergamon Museum, Berlin, Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles, Uffizi Gallery, Florence, Museu de Arte de São Paulo, National Museum of Anthropology, Mexico City

Learn about Oak Ridge and its Incredible History

• Read “Oak Ridge Stories” in every seasonal issue of the RecGuide, our online guide!
• Life At Oak Ridge
• Ring the Friendship Bell Virtually
• Explore the K-25 Virtual Museum
• The Oak Ridge Story
• History in Five: The Manhattan Project
• Katie, the Calutron Girl Video Tours
• The Calutron Girls
• Our Hidden Past: Y-12’s First Mission
• A Day’s Pay
• In The Days of Mud
• Atomic Heritage Foundation
• Oak Ridge Innovations
• Explore the Oak Ridge History Museum
• Explore the Children’s Museum of Oak Ridge
• The Oak Ridge Museums Video Tour
• The Secret in Scarboro: The Oak Ridge 85

 

Need Help?

• A handy Community Resource Guide from United Way for those in need
• Household Assistance Program from ADFAC
• Anderson County Social Resources and Help from Free Medical Clinic
• If you or someone you know is being BULLIED, there are things you can do to keep yourself and others safe.
• SAMHSA’s National Helpline – Substance Abuse and Mental Health
• National Suicide Prevention Hotline – We can all help prevent suicide. 24/7, free and confidential support. 800-273-8255 (TALK) or you can just Chat with someone.
• The Tribe – Peer to Peer support group for teens faced with mental health challenges and/or difficult family dynamics
• Need Help due to Cyberbullying? – If you’re experiencing cyberbullying, you’re not alone. Find out what cyberbullying is and what you can do to protect yourself.
• Dealing with Depression
• Homework Hotline

 

 

Neither the City of Oak Ridge nor the Oak Ridge Recreation and Parks department endorses nor receives funds to advertise any of the third-party sites or services listed or referenced on this page.