District 97 Playgrounds Closed: Here's a List of Fun Stay-at-Home Activities for Families

On Friday, March 20, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker issued Executive Order 2020-10, requiring all residents to stay in their homes to prevent further spread of COVID-19. The order, effective March 21 through April 7, prohibits things like visiting other people’s homes (except to provide care or supplies) and gatherings of more than 10 people and closes all nonessential establishments, including most retail, recreation and entertainment businesses.

Due to this order, District 97 and the Park District of Oak Park have CLOSED all playgrounds until further notice.

Playgrounds pose a high risk of transmission for the COVID-19 virus. We are asking all District 97 families to help keep our community safe and healthy by following the state's mandatory stay-at-home order. Outdoor exercise like running or taking a walk is perfectly acceptable, but you should still practice social distancing by running or walking at least six feet away from other people. Click here to view the state's Stay-at-Home FAQ >

In addition to exercising outdoors at a safe distance, there are also a number of online resources for fun and engaging activities for the whole family. Below are links to some of these resources, as well as some information from our community partners. Thank you to everyone who has worked so hard to compile these lists for families!

Please continue to monitor our website (https://www.op97.org), your email and phone for updates from the district. We will also be sharing important news and resources via our Facebook and Twitter pages.

We hope you are all enjoying a safe and restful break. Thank you for your ongoing support of our schools and the students we serve.

Take care,
Amanda Siegfried
Director of Communications

Online Activities and Resources for Kids

Compiled by Irving Teacher Librarian Katie Noonan

Meditation/Mindfulness

Fun Entertainment/Movement

  • Go Noodle: Sign up for emails with songs and activities for doing at home
  • Lunch Doodles with Mo: Mo Willems, author, chats and draws with kids
  • Dance Party: DJ Hesta Prynn is putting out family friendly playlists on Spotify and giving DJ lessons on her Instagram
  • Ballet Lessons: Tiler Peck, principal dancer at NYC Ballet is giving live Instagram ballet lessons daily
  • Cooking lessons: America’s Test Kitchen is putting out tutorials for kids and families on cooking.
  • Tinkergarden: Outside activities to do with your kids. You can search by age, topic, etc.
  • Authors from all over the country are reading, chatting and drawing with kids
  • Science Activities: 40 websites with videos, experiments and more.
  • Duolingo: Learn a new language for free!
  • Author Aaron Reynolds is launching a fun, interactive “stay at home show!” with prizes and other activities beginning Monday!

Zoo/Museum/Park Tours

Oak Park Public Library

New! Digital-only library accounts
Oak Park residents who do not yet have an Oak Park Library card can apply remotely for digital-only accounts. Apply at oppl.org and learn more about how it works. Questions? Call 708-383-8200 or visit via oppl.org/contact; librarians are working remotely during regular hours, and will respond as soon as possible.

And here's a bunch of new stuff related to digital library content:

Community Resources - Social Services, Mental Health, Nutrition

District 97 Update Center
The district has created an online hub (https://www.op97.org/coronavirus) for updates about COVID-19 and our school closure. We will also use this space to provide links to resources (financial, mental health, nutrition, housing, etc.) that support the well-being of our community.

Thank you to the incredible team of District 97 social workers and nurses who collaborated on our community resource list. Click here to view >

COVID-19 Social Services Resource Guide
In collaboration with the Village of Oak Park, the Community Mental Health Board and Oak Park and River Forest Townships have taken the lead to provide resources to support the community during the COVID-19 outbreak. Click here to view the guide >