Staff members at the Piscataway Public Library have selected a list of resources for you to enjoy from home! Many of the resources on this list can be enjoyed without the use of your library card. If a resource does require a library card to gain access , and you do not currently have one, you can apply for a 90-day library card by completing the form found here.

If you need help selecting materials or would like staff to make some recommendations, we would be happy to! Request assistance by filling out our Request Library Materials for Contact-Free Pick Up form here.

We will continue to grow this list of resources so don't forget to check back!
Additional resources for adults can be found here.

eBooks, Audiobooks, Movies, Music & More!

eLibraryNJ: Download eBooks and audiobooks directly to your computer, tablet or mobile device using your library card. Piscataway Library cardholders should select the library "Libraries of Middlesex Automation Consortium" when signing in.

 

International Children's Digital Library: A diverse online collection of multilingual ebooks for children in a variety of genres. Easy to search by age, country, book length, awards, characters and genre. Books can be explored in multiple languages.

 

Hoopla: Hoopla is a digital media service providing movies, music, audiobooks, ebooks, comics and TV shows that you can borrow using your library card. Enjoy these materials on your computer, tablet, or phone – and even your TV. Titles can be streamed immediately, or downloaded to phones or tablets for offline enjoyment later. Please note: our library has a daily lending limit.

Educational Resources 

ABCya: Play over 400 fun and educational games for grades PreK through 6.  Activities are designed by parents and educators and categorized by grade and subject and appropriate for all learning levels and styles.

Starfall: Explore basic English reading and writing skills using games and phonics.  Starfall also includes free math, language arts and music activities for grades 1-3.

Mouse Open Projects: Choose a project and start creating! Creative technology projects you can do on your own. Follow the steps to design something original and learn some new tech skills.

CIA World Factbook: Provides information on the history, people and society, government, economy, energy, geography, communications, transportation, military, and transnational issues for 267 world entities. The Reference tab includes: a variety of world, regional, country, ocean, and time zone maps; Flags of the World; and a Country Comparison function.

Internet Public Library Kids' Space: Search for your subject and get a list of resources chosen by librarians around the country.

Khan Academy: Offers a free online collection of more than 3,200 videos on mathematics, science, history, and economics. Each tutorial is only 10 to 15 minutes long and focus on core concepts.

Merriam-Webster Online: Dictionary and thesaurus for English word definitions, meanings, and pronunciation.

NASA STEM @ Home: Launch rockets, build a hovercraft, create a science project and more! These science, technology, engineering, and math activities are fun for the whole family.

Crayola: Hundreds of free lessons plans that can be filtered by grade and subject. Includes instructions, applicable standards, supply lists, and ideas for adaptation.

Math Games: Math games and worksheets that can be filtered by skill or grade level (PreK through 8).

The Franklin Institute: Find out how and why your brain is always changing through interactive activities from The Franklin Institute's award-winning exhibit Your Brain. Whether you’re connecting brain cells or playing with faces, what you learn will literally change your mind!

Crash Course Kids: Crash Course Kids is a bi-weekly show (every Tuesday and Thursday) all about gradeschool science. Explore Earth, Habitats, Space, Chemical Reactions, Engineering, and much more with host Sabrina Cruz.

Mystery Science: Science lessons expertly designed to engage students, achieve learning outcomes, and be easy for teachers and parents to use at home. Includes short mini-lessons that are completely digital and full lessons that include an activity. All of the activities are designed to use simple supplies a parent will likely already have at home.

Creativity Catapult: Explore research-based activities that boost creativity in children 2-14 yrs. Developed by the Bay Area Discovery Museum.

PBS Kids Learn & Grow: PBS Kids provides tips and activities to help children ages 2 to 8 thrive at every stage of development. Choose a topic and your child’s age below to get started.

GreatSchools: Browse at-home learning toolkits for kids in grades preschool through 12th.

NASA Space Place: NASA Space Place is an award-winning educational website about space and Earth science targeting upper-elementary aged children. Enjoy games, hands-on activities, informative articles, and engaging short videos.

Sightwords: Provides activities, techniques, and materials for teaching sight words, which build speed and fluency when reading.

KIDSBRIDGE@Home: Provides one-on-one family-oriented activities that help children develop social-emotional skills.

Arizona State University - Ask A Biologist: ASU provides a collection of activities that teach biology through play. Enjoy experiments, puzzles, coloring pages, worksheets, and more.

The National Science Digital Library: Provides digital learning collections related to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education. Browse by education level, subject, and standard.

Science NetLinks: A project of the Directorate for Education and Human Resources Programs of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Provides informal science activities for kids.

Language Learning

Rosetta Stone: Rosetta Stone’s language division uses cloud-based solutions to help all types of learners read, write, and speak more than 30 languages. Strengthen skills in writing, listening, and speaking. Languages include American English. For adult and child learners! Library card required.

Duolingo: With the free mobile app or web browser and a few minutes a day, everyone can Duolingo. Learn 30+ languages online with bite-size lessons based on science.

Online Story Time

Piscataway Public Library Virtual Story Times: Join the library's children's staff on Facebook for weekly story times featuring stories, songs, rhymes, puppets, and finger plays!

Story Time from Space: Watch astronauts on the Space Station read children’s books! Story Time from Space combines science and literacy to provide a unique story time experience through its library of free, family-friendly videos. Story Time from Space is a project of the Global Space Education Foundation.

Storyline Online: The SAG-AFTRA Foundation’s award-winning children’s literacy website streams videos featuring celebrated actors reading children’s books alongside creatively produced illustrations.

Brightly: Brightly Storyime brings you full-length picturebooks read out loud by storyteller Ms. Linda. Drop by for a new video every week!

KidLitTV: Enjoy storytime with authors at KLTV HQ!

Online Tutoring

BrainFuse: Get access to homework help, practice tests, and on-line tutors.

Research Databases

Middle Search Plus: Provides full text for more than 140 popular, middle school magazines. All full text articles included in the database are assigned a reading level indicator (Lexiles). Full text is also available for thousands of biographies and historical essays. Middle Search Plus also contains 84,774 biographies, 105,786 primary source documents, and a School Image Collection of photos, maps and flags.

Points of View Reference Center: Containing resources that present multiple sides of an issue, this database provides rich content that can help students assess and develop persuasive arguments and essays, better understand controversial issues and develop analytical thinking skills.

Primary Search: Primary Search provides full text for more than 70 popular, magazines for elementary school research. All full text articles included in the database are assigned a reading level indicator (Lexiles), and full text information dates as far back as 1990.

Readers' Advisory

Novelist K-8: NoveList has been helping readers find their next favorite book for more than 20 years, and continues to develop innovative solutions for connecting readers, books, and libraries. Library card required.

Booklist Online: Booklist Online provides critical reviews of books and audiovisual materials for all ages.

Common Sense Media: Provides book, movie, and game reviews to families to promote safe technology and media for children.

Arts and Crafts

RoseArt: Create hands-on family bonding fun with these exciting craft activities. Includes dozens of printable coloring sheets.

Crayola: At-home DIY crafts and printable coloring pages.

Draw Every Day with Jarrett J. Krosocczka: View dozens of archived drawing lessons by author and illustrator Jarrett J. Krosoczka.

MetKids: The Metropolitan Museum of Art's website has a section just for kids to explore that includes videos, an interactive map, and a time machine feature that brings the viewer to various art exhibits in the museum.

The Art Assignment: Explore art and history through weekly videos hosted by curator Sarah Urist Green. This series is produced by PBS Digital Studios.

All Kids Network: Thousands of fun kids activities like crafts, worksheets, coloring pages, printable mazes, dot to dot, hidden pictures and more.

Origami Way: Step-by-step origami instructions with diagrams!

Virtual Experiences

Harry Potter at Home: Explore the world of Harry Potter with magical craft videos, fun articles, quizzes, puzzles and plenty more for first-time readers, as well as those already familiar with the wizarding world.

Jenkinson’s Aquarium Penguin Cam: Check out how the penguins are doing at Jenkinson’s Aquarium on their live stream!

Discovery Education - Virtual Field Trips: Visit for Virtual Field Trips in real time or watch them on demand later. Each Virtual Field Trip comes with a companion guide packed with standards-aligned, hands-on learning activities!

Cape May Zoo - Virtual Zoo School: Join zoo employees as they take you on a virtual tour of the zoo! Each day, a zoo employee will highlight a special animal in a short video clip and will include a challenge for YOU to do right at home.

Smithsonian’s National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute: The National Zoo has live webcams of its naked mole rats, giant pandas, lions, and elephants.

San Diego Zoo- Live Cams: The San Diego Zoo has numerous live cams featuring polar bears, baboons, koalas, giraffes, butterflies, and more.

The Metropolitan Opera:Each day, a different encore presentation from the company’s Live in HD series is being made available for free streaming on their website, with each performance available for a period of 23 hours, from 7:30 p.m. EDT until 6:30 p.m. the following day.

Yellowstone National Park-Virtual Tours: Explore the main attractions around Yellowstone National Park virtually.

Boston Children's Museum-Virtual Tour: Explore all three floors of the Boston Children's Museum.