Virtual Storytime has People are Reading Books to Kids During COVID

Celebrities Are Reading Books in Free Virtual Storytime Sessions for Self-Quarantiners

By Sara Barnes on March 19, 2020

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All my story broadcasts will now be available to watch on my website. Link in bio.

A post shared by Oliver Jeffers (@oliverjeffers) on Mar 18, 2020 at 9:28am PDT

Life has completely changed for many people during the global coronavirus lockdowns. Parents, in particular, are feeling the acute effects of this drastic curb on daily life. With kids out of school, many parents must take on the great challenge of keeping their children entertained and engaged. Luckily, authors and celebrities are offering a lifeline by hosting virtual storytime on Instagram. Through the Instagram Live platform, people are reading books that are an entertaining distraction to isolation.

Oliver Jeffers, an artist and author from Belfast, announced on Monday, March 16 that he was starting Stay at Home Story Time. “For all you folks stuck at home in the coming weeks,” he wrote on Instagram, “I will be reading one of my books every weekday, and talking about some of the things that went into making it. We are all at home, but none of us are alone.”

Jeffers isn't the only one bringing storytime to Instagram. Actors Jennifer Garner and Amy Adams came up with the project #SAVEWITHSTORIES. Done in collaboration with Save the Children and No Kid Hungry, the dedicated Instagram account has celebrities reading short books. The aim of the project is two-fold; it is meant to entertain children and parents while raising money to make sure that schools and community programs “have the support they need to keep feeding vulnerable children during the pandemic” and beyond.

To help entertain kids during coronavirus lockdowns, people are hosting virtual storytime on Instagram.

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Hello again! Here I am tackling questions about Hello Lighthouse for those stuck at home with burning curiosity, or for teachers navigating this new world… Send me your questions and I’ll do my best to answer them! In the meantime, here’s a doozy. @littlebrownyoungreaders #operationstorytime #teachersofinstagram @romper #hellolighthouse

A post shared by Sophie Blackall (@sophieblackall) on Mar 17, 2020 at 7:48am PDT

Actors Jennifer Garner and Amy Adams came up with the project #SAVEWITHSTORIES.

View this post on Instagram

Welcome to @SAVEWITHSTORIES—a spot to watch your favorite celebrities read your favorite children’s books. We are galvanizing (without hair and makeup!!) as a community to support a new fund for a combined effort between @savethechildren and Share Our Strength’s @nokidhungry (and thank you to our founding publisher, @scholasticinc ♥️). . THIRTY MILLION CHILDREN in the United States rely on school for food. School closures will hit vulnerable communities hard and #SaveTheChildren and #NoKidHungry are on the ground and ready to serve. They just need our help! . These funds will help us make sure that families know how to find meals when schools are closed, support mobile meal trucks, food banks and other community feeding programs, provide educational toys, books and worksheets, and support out-of-school-time programs to help kids make up for lost time in the classroom. . If you can manage a one time gift of $10, please text SAVE to 20222. If another amount would work better for you, please visit our website—link in bio. There is no maximum and there is no minimum—together we will rise and together we can help. . Thank you and stay safe. XX #SAVEWITHSTORIES

A post shared by #SAVEWITHSTORIES (@savewithstories) on Mar 16, 2020 at 9:39am PDT