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Virtual Recreation Center
Welcome to the City of Dublin Parks and Community Services Department Virtual Recreation Center! This is an unprecedented time for all of us, but the City of Dublin Parks and Community Services Department is still your go-to resource for staying healthy, happy, and connected! We’ve provided a list of activities and resources to keep you active and healthy during this Shelter-in-Place Order. Please make sure to practice safe social distancing while enjoying activities provided.
This page will be updated regularly with more activities and resources. You can also follow us on Facebook @DublinPCS or Instagram @DublinREC for new updates. Please note that we do not endorse, collect payment on behalf of, or receive funds to advertise any of the third-party sites or services referenced on this page.
If you have a great resource to share, please email us at parksandcommunityservices@dublin.ca.gov.
Arts and Crafts
- The Wave Coloring and Activity Book
- Let The Wave’s new Coloring and Activity Book add some color to your day! Ask your parents to post your work on social media with two hashtags: #DublinataDistance and #TheDublinWave.
- Let The Wave’s new Coloring and Activity Book add some color to your day! Ask your parents to post your work on social media with two hashtags: #DublinataDistance and #TheDublinWave.
- Census Coloring Pages
- Here are some coloring pages that remind us that everyone in our community should be counted in the 2020 Census! Color in your favorite page (or make your own drawing about Dublin), and then ask your parents to post it on social media with two hashtags: #Dublinatadistance and #ourcommunitycounts.
- More about the Census: The Census is a headcount of every baby, child, and adult living in America. It’s important for Dublin’s future that everyone completes the Census because that data informs planning and funding for things like education, healthcare, and programs that touch us all. Each household in America should complete the Census, either online, by phone or by mail. Details at www.dublin.ca.gov/census2020.
- Paint Night In
- 10 Do-it-Yourself Projects Using Things Found in Your House
- Daily Doodle - Lessons by Mo Willems.
- Kids Think Design - Explores careers in fashion design, graphic design, interior design, book design, product design, film and theater, architecture, animation, and environmental design.
- How to Make a Face Mask
- Paper Flower Crafts – Instructional craft video from Dublin Senior Center volunteers, Arvind and Kalai.
Experiments
- #DublinShelterinFun
- Explore CA and Beyond
- Virtual Tours
- Storytime
- Learning
- Games and Sports
- Senior Center
- Resources
Just because we’re sheltering in place doesn’t mean we can’t have some FUN doing it! Join us for #DublinShelterinFun. A new series of at-home activities to have fun as a community but from a distance. Post your photos to social media, being sure to tag @dublinrec and use the hashtags #DublinShelterInFun and #DublinAtADistance. We will share them throughout the day.
Dress Your Pet Day - Friday, May 1
Our first at-home event is this Friday, May 1. Grab your pet, deck them out in their best outfit, and have them "paws" for the camera. Don’t have a pet? Get crafty and dress up your favorite stuffed animal!
Dublin At-Home Spirit Week - May 4-8
- Monday, May 4: Pajama Day
- Tuesday, May 5: Crazy Hair Day
- Wednesday, May 6: Wacky Wednesday
- Thursday, May 7: Sports Day
- Friday, May 8: "I Love Dublin" Day
"Family Friday" - Every Friday in May
- Friday, May 8: Floor Picnic Night
- Friday, May 15: Build a Fort Night
- Friday, May 22: ShamROCKIN’ Dance Party
- Friday, May 30: Kids are the Chefs Night
Zoos
- San Diego Zoo Live Cams
- Cincinnati Zoo live stream with Fiona the Hippo
- California Academy of Sciences - Animal Live Cams
- National Geographic Kids - Learn about geography and animals from National Geographic.
Aquariums
- Monterey Bay Aquarium Live Cams
- Pier 39 Sea Lion Live Cam
- Aquarium of the Pacific - A collection of webinars, live-cam footage, and classes for all ages.
Museums
- Visit one of many museums around the world through their virtual tours.
- The Metropolitan Museum of Art - A wonderful way to get kids engaged in the world of art.
- Artsology - Helps kids learn to appreciate the arts by providing them with the opportunity to play games, conduct investigations, and explore different forms of art.
- Smithsonian Zoos and Museums - No need to travel to one of the Smithsonian’s zoos or museums — this website brings your child everything from live video of the National Zoo to the Smithsonian Learning Lab right to your screen.
Parks
- Virtual tour of National Parks
- Yellowstone National Park - virtual tour
- Enjoy the beauty of the National Cherry Blossom Festival
- Virtual Field Trips - Take a trip to a number of museums, zoos, aquariums, and landmarks around the world.
Heritage Park and Museums Virtual Tour Series
Episode 1: Heritage Park and Museums Introduction
Episode 2: Murray Schoolhouse Museum
Episode 3: Kolb Family House
Episode 4: Old St. Raymond Church
Parks & Community Services Storytime
Play the video below to hear Ms. Breshky’s Storytime.
Play the video below to hear Ms. Erica’s Storytime.
*Check back for future Storytime videos.
Learning activities
- ABCMouse.com
- Scholastic Learn at home PreK- 9th grade
- National Geographic Kids
- National Geographic Explorer Classroom
- Education.com - Free worksheets and online interactive games
- Ranger Rick - Free subscription
- The Fab Lab
- NASA STEM at home
- Daily Doodles with Mo Willems
- Online Storytime - Authors read their own books
- Weekly Virtual STEAM Challenges - Super fun, self-led, open-ended projects by the Valley Children’s Museum
- Steam Video Demos - projects provided by the Valley Children’s Museum Teen Council
Code For Fun
| For Kids Ages 6 to 8 | Description |
|---|---|
| Scratch Jr – Great introduction to block programming language (on tablet). Scratch Jr. Activities is a great location to find project ideas and step-by-step guides. | |
| Hello Ruby – Provides great activities for critical thinking. Hello Ruby provides a book and unplugged exercises (on their website and the book). | |
| Code.org - Course 1 provides a great introduction to programming. It contains unplugged activities and coding puzzles. | |
| Computer Coding for Kids – Online games and programs that help teach more advanced aspects of computer coding. |
| For Kids Ages 8 to 11 | Description |
|---|---|
| Scratch – Block programming platform that allows kids to create programs quickly, like games, animations, and music. Free as a downloaded application or online. CS-First is a repository of self-taught curricula created by Google. | |
| Code.org Frozen – Code studio has a game to teach computer coding to kids using characters from the movie "Frozen." | |
| Khan Academy: The Hour of Code – The Hour of Code on Khan Academy provides a good introduction to coding. | |
| Turtle Academy – Create amazing shapes using the LOGO language. |
| For Kids Ages 11 to 14 | Description |
|---|---|
| Snap! – Block programming platform (Scratch’s big brother). Snap! runs in your browser. | |
| Computer Programming – Khan Academy has a computer programming section and a Computer Science section. | |
| Bootstrap – Bootstrap integrates math and computing education for students in 6th to 12th grades. | |
| Kodu – Kodu is a visual programming language made specifically for creating games. The application is supported on Windows operating systems. | |
| Repl.it – Repl.it is a great platform to learn any language. | |
| Code.org’s Computer Science Discoveries – An introductory computer science course that empowers students to create authentic artifacts and engage with computer science as a medium for creativity, communication, problem-solving, and fun. |
| For Teens Ages 14 to 18 | Description |
|---|---|
| HackerRank – Although this platform is created for adults to boost their coding skills, it is a great repository of online tutorials to learn any programming language. Try the 30 days of Code tutorials to learn Java. | |
| Hacking with Python – Six best online courses for ethical hackers by Aimee O’Driscoll | |
*Tips for Physical Distancing in Parks
Games and Sports
| Game | How to Video |
|---|---|
Badminton | |
Basketball | |
Bocce Ball | |
Cornhole | |
Cricket | |
Frisbee / Kanjam | |
Hide-and-Seek | |
Ladder Golf | |
Spikeball | |
Soccer | |
Obstacle Course | |
Tug-of-War | |
Volleyball | |
Wiffleball |
Backyard Activities
- Fitness Blender for Kids - Free fitness videos
- Cosmic Kids Yoga - Kid-friendly videos
- Red Rover
- Scavenger Hunt / Treasure Hunt
- Backyard Nature Bingo
- Birdwatching
- Gardening/ plant a garden
- Stargazing at Night
Other Activities
- At-Home Bingo
- Croquet
- Ghost in the Graveyard
- Golf /Backyard Mini-Golf Putting
- Horseshoes
- Flashlight Tag
- Butterfly Watching
- Backyard Movies
- Build a fort or treehouse
- Campout in the Backyard
NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS
Birdland - The Wells Middle School Spring Concert was canceled, but these young jazz musicians pulled off a special performance for their teacher.
INDOOR ACTIVITIES
Activity Packets
Arts
- Metropolitan Opera streams live operas nightly. Each day, a different encore presentation from the company’s Live in HD series is being made available for free.
- Line Dances from Dublin Senior Center line dance instructor, Millie.
- Melody Minstrels – past performances from the Dublin Senior Center’s Melody Minstrels with ukulele, hula dancers, singers, and more
- Paper Crafts and more – Instructional craft videos from Dublin Senior Center volunteers, Arvind and Kalai.
Comedy for Seniors
- Jokes www.suddenlysenior.com/favorite-senior-joke-book
- Improv for Seniors – “Don’t Send a Man to the Grocery Store”
Fitness
- Chair Yoga - short and simple exercises with Dublin Senior Center volunteer, Lakshmi
- AARP 15-Minute Workout
- Sample Meditation sessions – short one to five minute meditation videos by Sharmila Acharya, a Dublin Senior Center instructor. She is a licensed physical therapist, certified nutrition consultant, and certified yoga teacher.
- Meditation 101 – weekly Therapeutic Meditation Meetups by Sharmila Acharya. Meditation is the perfect antidote during stressful times. Learn simple meditation techniques to help reduce stress, promote inner peace, and enhance physical well-being.
- Sample Workouts from the National Institute on Aging.
- Work on Mindfulness – Mindfulness is a type of meditation in which you focus on being intensely aware of what you’re sensing and feeling in the moment, without interpretation or judgment. Practicing mindfulness involves breathing methods, guided imagery, and other practices to relax the body and mind and help reduce stress.
- Senior balance and agility video Improve your balance in five minutes.
Stay Nourished
Open Heart Kitchen
Open Heart Kitchen – Daily, hot meals to-go available for seniors ages 60+. Lunch distributions curbside to your vehicle Monday through Friday, 11:30 a.m. - 12:15 p.m. at the Dublin Senior Center. Please call 925-500-8241 by 1:00 p.m. the business day prior to your meal to make a reservation.
Spectrum Community Services
- Phone: (925) 483-1989
- Website: www.spectrumcs.org
- Description: Spectrum assists seniors in their efforts to live independently. Programs include Meals on Wheels and Fall Prevention.
Support a local restaurant
Many restaurants are still open for take-out or delivery orders. Support your favorite joints and order food for pick-up or try out Doordash or Ubereats and have it brought to you.
Outdoor Activities
Play
The current Shelter-in-Place Order allows for individuals to "engage in outdoor activity, provided the individuals comply with the Social Distancing Requirements...such as, by way of example and without limitation, walking, hiking and running." Here are a few ideas – don’t forget your social distancing rules!
- Visit one of the City of Dublin’s parks. Remember to practice social distancing.
- Walk/run around your neighborhood and say hello (from a distance) to all of your neighbors who are getting outside, too.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Shopping Hours for Older Adults
The following stores are offering special hours or arrangements to assist older adults in obtaining groceries safely.
- Raley’s/Nob Hill: Raley’s/Nob Hill will not be adjusting hours, but is creating discounted grocery bags, or Senior Essentials Bags, available for curbside or in-store pickup. Read more about Raley’s grocery bag offers and efforts to serve seniors here.
- Safeway: Safeway’s adjusted hours are 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. The hours of 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. every Tuesday and Thursday are reserved for elderly and at-risk shoppers.
- Target: Target’s adjusted hours are 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., daily. The first hour of every Wednesday is reserved for elderly and at-risk customers.
- Trader Joe’s: Trader Joe’s has new hours from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. The nearest locations are San Ramon and Pleasanton. Daily between 9:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m., crew members will maintain an additional line outside the front door for senior customers.
List of Grocery Stores with Special Hours for Seniors, those At-Risk, and Pregnant Women.
Community Resources
City of Dublin
- City of Dublin COVID-19 information
- City of Dublin COVID19 Facebook updates
- #DUBLINEATS Press Release
- Shelter-in-Place Press Release
- Closures and Cancellations Press Release
Government
- Stay up-to-date on COVID-19
- Center for Disease Control COVID-19 information
- World Health Organization COVID-19 information
Other
SENIOR RESOURCES
Alameda County Area Agency on Aging
- Phone: (510) 577-3540
- Website: www.alamedasocialservices.org
- Description: The Alameda County Social Services Agency works collectively and in partnership with community-based organizations, neighborhood groups, and policymakers to serve the needs of the senior community.
Community Resources for Independent Living (CRIL)
- Phone: (510) 881-5743
- Website: www.crilhayward.org
- Description: This peer-based disability resource agency provides advocacy and resources for people with disabilities to improve lives and make the community fully accessible.
Eden I&R of Alameda County (Call 2-1-1)
- Phone: For Alameda County residents call 211; all others call (510) 727-9516 or (888) 886-9660
- Website: www.edenir.org
- Description: Free, confidential, multi-lingual information and referrals for: government programs, housing-related services, community services, support groups, educational opportunities, job training programs, and much more.
Senior Support Program of the Tri-Valley
- Phone: (925) 931-5379
- Website: www.ssptv.org
- Description: Senior Support Program of the Tri-Valley serves seniors over age 60 in Pleasanton, Livermore, Dublin, and Sunol. Services include friendly visits, in-home registry, case management, in-home counseling, health screening, information and referral, support groups, caregiver respite, drug and alcohol recovery, caregiver case management, and nutrition and fitness.
Tri-Valley Haven
- Food Pantry at Mar Thoma Church
418 Junction Avenue
Livermore, CA 94550 - Phone: (925) 449-1664
- Crisis Hot Line: (925) 449-5842
- Website: www.trivalleyhaven.org/index.html
Hours: Monday - Wednesday, 1:00-5:00 p.m.; Thursdays, 1:00-7:00 p.m.; Fridays, 12:00-4:00 p.m. - Description: Tri-Valley Haven specializes in care for those in crisis. Services include shelters and a food pantry.
CityServe of the Tri-Valley
- Phone: (925) 223-6947
- Website: cityservetrivalley.org
- Description: CityServe exists to serve people in the Tri-Valley by caring for people in crisis; coordinating resources and volunteers between the faith-based community, non-profits, schools, businesses, and government agencies; and connecting volunteers in the local church and community to the non-profits in our Tri-Valley.