COVID19 Stay-at-Home

Since the global pandemic of COVID19 along with the COVID19 Stay-at-Home governor’s order affects virtually all events & entertainment for the foreseeable future, ExplorePeoria.com has suspended sending it’s weekly email newsletters until further notice.  Once events begin to happen again, the newsletter will resume it’s normal schedule.

With kids at home now, parents are most likely looking for educational and interesting activities for their kids.  Here are a few ideas that may help keep kids engaged during the Stay-at-Home order.  We will update this page with additional ideas and links to local resources that ExplorePeoria.com recommends.

The Peoria Riverfront Museum is sharing activities and videos on their Facebook page as part of their Virtual Peoria Riverfront Museum  On their website, they state:  “Our virtual museum will draw on the resources of our staff, collection and exhibitions as the nation’s only museum of art, science, history and achievement to make content accessible on social media channels such as Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, our website and through email. We will continue to partner with more than 220 like-minded cultural, educational and civic organizations regionally and nationally.”

The Peoria Park District has closed all of their facilities, however their trails are open (please still practice social distancing while on the trails) plus they have set up a Stay Active page on their website with ideas of activities that you and your family can do during the Stay-at-Home order.  They are also posting other activity ideas on their Facebook page.

A new website, LocalOPAL, which is an acronym for “Outdoor Playing And Learning” is a new online resource to help find publicly accessible outdoor places in Fulton, Mason, Peoria, Tazewell, Marshall and Woodford counties.  Created by University of Illinois master naturalist Julie Robinson, she hopes to encourage people to enjoy local parks and other outdoor facilities.

Take the Sculpture Walk Peoria Virtual Tour by using the OTOCast App featuring a self-guided audio tour with recordings by the artists who created the pieces. The 2019 Walk is located in downtown Peoria on Washington Street from Liberty to the Bob Michel Bridge and closes at the end of April. Picutred is People’s Choice Award Winner Liz Johnson with her sculpture, Prometheus I.

While the COVID19 Stay-at-Home is a necessary precaution for the state to help reduce the spread of the virus, it can be an opportunity for learning and family bonding.  Make sure to enter our COVID19 Stay-at-Home home video contest and encourage your friends & family to vote daily for your video.  The winner will receive a prize package of passes to various Peoria Park District Facilities valued at over $100!