With schools closed across Romania due to the novel coronavirus, it might get difficult for parents to keep their children entertained at home. But, in addition to games played inside the house and daily learning sessions to keep up with the school curriculum, the parents can go online for more entertaining options: theater plays and movies for children, workshops, virtual museum visits or educational games.

Several children’s theaters in Romania have started streaming performances online during this period, and it’s quite easy to access them, as they are available on the theaters' social media pages.

The Țăndărică Theater in Bucharest, for example, is live streaming performances on its Facebook page, twice a day. The theater publishes its weekly program on Facebook as well, and a guide on how to watch the shows online is available here (in Romanian). The recordings remain available for a short time after the live streaming ends because they are resumed in future programs.

The shows of the Ion Creangă Theater can also be watched online, on the theater’s Facebook page. The performances’ program is available here.

The Arlechino Children’s Theater in Brasov also turned to Facebook to live stream some of their performances. There is no official program yet, but the theater announces such online shows on its Facebook page.

Plus, creative workshops are being streamed live on the Facebook page of the Gong Theater for Children and Youth in Sibiu, while audio podcasts of children’s stories are available on the theater’s website here (in Romanian).

The Comic Opera for Children in Bucharest has launched the Children's Opera (Opera Copiilor) app, which allows subscribers to watch performances from the institution’s repertoire online. The new app also includes cultural, fun and educational shows. Read more about it here.

Parents can also listen to Itsy Bitsy during this period (and not only) - a family radio station with music, entertainment, parenting, and tips & tricks. Those interested can listen to this radio station with the help of a mobile app, on the radio or online on Itsy Bitsy Live. Further details are available here.

For movies, parents can use streaming services such as Netflix, HBO Go, Amazon Prime or Disney Plus (not available in Romania yet). On Netflix and HBO Go, for example, there are sections dedicated to kids, where the juniors can watch TV series and movies, as well as cartoons.

Visiting museums online is also possible, and several such cultural institutions in Romania offer this option. Probably the most entertaining museums for children are the “Grigore Antipa” Museum of Natural History and the “Dimitrie Gusti” National Village Museum in Bucharest or the Astra open-air museum in Sibiu, but the list also includes other major museums from different categories such as history or art. A list is available here. Keep in mind that some websites require Adobe Flash for viewing and might not be accessible for viewing from mobile phones.

The EU’s Learning Corner may also be helpful. The 24-language website targets children, parents and teachers, and contains a wide range of learning materials, games, news, and competitions. It also provides useful links about opportunities for teachers to network with other teachers. The materials are divided by age groups and topics. For example, in the “up to 9 years” category, users can find various games, as well as key facts on the EU currency, activity books, and quizzes. The website in Romanian is available here while the English version can be accessed here.

Bonus:

For the science-minded, NASA has created a special webpage for children – NASA Kids’ Club. Here you can find stories, educational games, and puzzles. 

newsroom@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: ID 43860336 © Andrey Popov/Dreamstime.com)