Keeping kids engaged and entertained at home during lockdown is not easy - staying creative might be the answer.
According to a report by academics from Durham University, arts and crafts stimulate young children's curiosity, creativity and imagination, as well as support the development of communication skills. And that's not all, being creative helps children cope with feelings and fears, as well as managing their emotional states - Seán Myers
Staying creative not only helps with your kid's development but is also incredibly needed!
Not sure where to start looking? Don't worry, we put together some fun things to do with kids during lockdown. However, if you are busy working from home, we've got your covered with online courses led by our inspiring tutors.
Tip # 1: Create together
We have put together some of our favourite artsy activities to keep the little ones engaged and foster their creative learning.
Collage and Weave
Try out this amazingly quick and easy activity from one of our previous online classes.
Learn how to weave two different images together to create an incredible collage. This activity only requires basic materials you can find around the house and produces some great results. Check it out here.
If you'd like to learn more about the art of collage, take a look at our Creative Collage for 7 to 10 Year Olds Online Short Course.
Discover Negative Space in Art
What image can you see in this optical illusion? Learn how to make your own image using this negative space to create your very own abstract picture! Check it out here.
Create a Poster to Lift You Higher
Learn about large-scale billboards, posters and installations by artist Lakena Maciver. Create your own poster that sends a message! What do you want to say to the world? Check it out here.
Draw a Friend
Follow along with the video to draw someone you love and then make them into an installation. Check it out here.
Make a Play Dough Sculpture
Be inspired by Saloua Raouda Choucair's sculptures and stack up against your own play dough sculpture.
Saloua Raouda Choucair was a Lebanese painter and sculptor who was inspired by Islamic traditions. She was also inspired by architecture and abstract art. She liked to build large artworks that looked like a column or a wall.
Her artwork was made out of stone, but here you can try to make your own with homemade play-dough. Check it out here.
If you are looking for more activities, Future Creatives releases more exciting activity sheets full of fun arts and crafts ideas and facts, to help you get creative at home.
Make sure to sign up to our newsletter to receive the latest activity sheets and check out our online courses.
Tip # 2: Stay Inspired
Tutor Advice: Sean Myers | Future Creatives
Sean Myers is an artist and lecturer, he runs a silkscreen printing studio in North London and teaches at Central Saint Martins and Future Creatives.
We got in touch with Sean Myers to find out his best piece of advice for young learners.
Explore Your Practice: Lydia Brockless | Future Creatives
Lydia Brockless is one of our brilliant Future Creative tutors.
We recently interviewed Lydia to see how she had adapted her practice to working from home during the lockdown and she very kindly sent us over this fantastic timelapse of her trying things out with basic materials from around her home.
We think this is a fantastic example of seeing an artist work through ideas the process of making, by painting, drawing, cutting and crumpling.
Tip # 3: Keep learning!
Keep exploring and creative with our live online art classes.
We provide an exceptional creative education with practical learning through engaging activities. We offer a range of classes including; short art and design classes covering a different exciting project each session, support to help you reach higher grades with your GCSE and A level portfolios, and specialist classes in visual merchandising and drawing techniques.
Check-out our students work on Instagram.
Are you feeling inspired? Check-out out art classes for kids and teenagers, both online and face-to-face classes.
Perhaps you want to know a bit more about how exactly art can support a child’s development, our It’s never too early: art classes for kids and teenagers article breaks down how creative learning supports young people’s ability to express themselves and nuggets of wisdom from our tutors.