Resources for Teens
- Digital Books and Magazines
- Gaming, Art, Music, and More
- Health and Wellness
- Learning for Fun
- Education
- Grab-and-Go Meals
Audible Stories for Tweens & Teens: Over 200 full-length audiobooks available to stream for free during the duration of school closures. There are also titles available in multiple languages.
OverDrive Teens: Use your library card to check out popular young adult fiction titles.
cloudLibrary Teen Reads: Use your library card to check out popular young adult fiction titles.
Abdo Digital Secondary Digital Bookshelf: A free, digital library with materials for grades 5-12.
TumbleBooks TeenBookCloud: A grade 7-12 ebook database. (Username: tumble2020 | Password: A3b5c6)
SYNC: An annual free summer audiobook program for teens 13+. Two free, thematically paired audiobooks a week from April 30-July 29. Popular titles! Sponsored by Audiofile Magazine.
RB Digital
- Teen Magazines: Use your library card to check out a variety of teen magazines including J-14, Teen Vogue, and Junior Science.
- Teen Audiobooks: Use your library card to check out audiobooks for teens.
- Coloring Books: Free adult coloring book pages to print
Gaming Tools, Platforms, and Resources
- Discord: Chat over voice, video, and text
- Twitch: Video game streaming
- Steam: A huge gaming library, search for free titles. Also has a social side to the platform.
- D&D Resources
Free Online Collaborative Games
- Roll20: Create or join a D&D game online
- Drawful 2: A popular party game from Jackbox Games, available for free for a limited time. See instructions on how to play remotely with friends.
- GoogleFeud: A “Family Feud” style game using Google AutoComplete results. Use video conferencing screen share to play remotely with friends.
- Board Game Arena: Play board games online for free in your web browser. There’s also a subscription version.
Puzzles
- KenKen: “Puzzles that make you smarter”
- NYT Sudoku: Daily puzzle from the New York Times
- Sudoku
- Kakuro
Harry Potter!
- Hogwarts Digital Escape Room! Created by Sydney Krawiec, Youth Services Librarian at Peters Township Public Library in McMurray, PA
- Harry Potter at Home: Cast a Banishing Charm on boredom with craft videos, fun articles, quizzes, puzzles and more for both new and experienced Harry Potter fans.
- Harry Potter Wizards Unite: A free, app-based Altered Reality game.
Art and Graphic Design
- PBNify: Paint by Number generator
- Canva: “Design Anything. Publish Anywhere.”
- Stereogranimator: Create weird, old-timey gifs with the New York Public Library’s stereography site
- Sketchpad: An online digital art platform with a wide range of tools and special effects. Can be used on a computer or a tablet.
Music
- Incredibox: Build an animated beatboxing crew using drag-and-drop musical samples
- Soundtrap: Create and remix your own songs with loops or your own recordings.
Travel
- “Stuck at Home? These 12 Famous Museums Offer Virtual Tours You Can Take on Your Couch” from Travel and Leisure
- Virtual Theme Park Visits via TheCoasterViews, Theme Park Review, CoasterForce, and more
Health and Mental Health
- Change to Chill: Mindfulness crafts, activities, tools, and resources for teens, by Allina Health.
- Scarleteen: Inclusive, comprehensive, and supportive sexuality and relationships info for teens and emerging adults.
- BeWell: Nutrition Tips for Teens
- Self Care Tips from Teen Vogue
At Home Workouts
Fun and Learning
- BreakoutEDU: Free digital escape rooms built around various grades and educational standards
- BBC iReporter: Take on the role of a BBC social media reporter breaking the story of a hacking crisis in this choose-your-own adventure game with live-action video. Touches on digital literacy issues such as sources, fake news, and sharing on social media.
- Teen TED Talks: Talks from scientists, musicians, innovators, activists — all under the age of 20
Books and Authors
- NOVL: Endless book content: author interviews, lists, giveaways, book clubs
- Book Connections: Search for book recs, view and watch book and audiobook samples, see author interviews, and more
- EpicReads: “Young Adult books from A to Z. Including videos, new releases, interviews, top lists and much more!” Also includes an online book club.
- YALSA’s Teen Top Ten: Teens choice award from the Young Adult Library Services Association
- Listy: Share and discover your favorite books with your favorite people
- LibraryThing: Connect with book lovers, write reviews, catalog your books, and more
- Book Riot: Lists, articles, podcasts, and more
Poetry and Writing
- Poets.org: Poetry resources specifically for teens
- Teen Ink: Online magazine devoted entirely to teenage writing and artwork
- Underlined: Writing inspiration, tips, and community for teens
Coding
- Code.org: Free coding courses
- Scratch: Program your own interactive stories, games, and animations; then share with the online community
- Microsoft MakeCode Arcade: Design, remix, and play games while learning the code that powers them. Includes basic tutorials and coding courses.
Homework Help and Test Prep
- Shmoop: Test prep, homework help, life skills, and more. Fun site!
- Homework HelpNow: Free tutoring services for kids, teens, and adults available from 1 p.m. to 11 p.m. Use your library card to access.
- LearningExpress Library: Take online practice tests, view tutorials, and find resources for school and career exams. Popular tests include: ACT, AP, GED, Nursing, Real Estate, TOEFL, and U.S. Citizenship. Use your library card to access.
Databases
Middle School (Gale In Context): For grade 6-8 students, use to search magazines, newspapers and reference books for information on current events, the arts, science, popular culture, health, and more.
Explora Teens: Search middle and high school-appropriate magazines, encyclopedia, dictionaries. Includes primary source documents, reference books, and multimedia. Learn more: Explora Teens Video Tutorial
For Parents and Educators
- The Big List of 100+ FREE Apps for Students in Junior High and High School: Organized by topic, including reading & writing, STEM, foreign language, and study and notetaking.
- Shmoop: Educational resources created for students, educators, and parents
- High School Resources for Parents, Teachers, and Librarians by Random House: Creative writing guides, reading group guides, test prep, and more
- Graphic Novel guides and activity kits by First Second
- We Need Diverse Books COVID-19 Resources: Incredible, comprehensive list of social justice and accessibility resources
- Book & Reading Engagement Kit: Home Edition by TeachingBooks
- EBSCO Distance Learning Support: Breakdown of EBSCO’s distance learning tools, college admissions test prep, and other at-home activities
- Brightly Tween and Brightly Teen: Parents can use to find book picks, reading tips, and activities
- #NativeReads: Native American children’s and teen literature recommended reading list by FirstNations.org
School districts are offering free grab-and-go meals to anyone under age 18. Visit these links for more info.