Parents Guide to Creative Learning from Home
Creativity comes in many forms – and any parent knows just how naturally creative kids can be! Whether it’s creating images, dancing, cooking, coding, pretend play, making music or movies there are countless ways for kids and teens to express themselves and build confidence.
We’ve rounded up some great resources and online programs for kids to get their creativity flowing! You’ll find both free resources as well as paid classes and camps with expert-led instructors.
Art, Photography & Crafts
Winged Canvas
Winged Canvas is an online art school based in Markham, led by professional artists and designers with a passion for teaching. Kids can participate in weekly art classes, camps and mentorships. Free classes and tips are also offered on their YouTube channel.
McMichael Gallery – ArtVenture Online
Offering free online artsy fun for kids and families. The Kids Corner for ages 5-7 includes week for fun step-by-step art activities and ideas for the whole family. Gallery Explorers for 8 – 12 years old, introduces kids to the history of Canadian art and encourages personal artmaking at home. Living with Art Accessible Programming is also being offered for ages 7+
AGO – Art Gallery of Ontario
The famous Toronto-based art gallery offers both paid Hands-on Art classes and free Virtual Art Education programs. A wide variety of courses are offered and available for young children, teens and adults.
Activity Hero
This website has a huge resource of free virtual classes for kids. Topics include art, drama, STEM, music, chess, science, cooking and singing.
Carla Sonheim
Carla Sonheim, author of “Drawing Lab,” joined artist-teachers Lynn Whipple and Diane Culhane to create six free video lessons for kids of all ages. All you need are some basic art supplies and less than an hour a day!
Thrive Art School
This Seattle based art school offers free art videos available on YouTube for children and families to learn and improve their technique.
Outschool
A huge library of fun, social, and safe learning for kids ages 3-18 yrs led by passionate teachers. Outschool has a large selection of art and music classes for kids. Classes from $10.
Disney Jr.
Offers fun activities for the little ones and offers printables.
Sparketh
Online art classes for children and teens from beginner to advanced. Free 30 day trial.
Kitchen Table Class Room
Art classes and free printables.
Doodle Academy
Free art activities and projects for families.
Lunch Doodles with Mo Willems
Free video art classes each day hosted by the famous children’s author Mo Willems.
Food & Cooking
Raddish Kids
A culinary club for kids that delivers cooking kits to get your kids excited and inspired each month. Based in the states, they also deliver their kits to Canada! Radish also offers free Bonus Bites online library of cook-along videos, kitchen skills and tips and more!
Kids Table
Features a full line-up of virtual cooking classes for kids, teens and families. With interactive instruction from skilled instructors.
King Arthurs Flour Baking School
Offering classes for kids and adults. Fun-themed recipes like make your own Naan bread, Snowman Cupcakes and cookies are easy to sign up for online. Just gather your ingredients in advance and cook along with the experts via zoom.
Rooks to Cooks
Kids learn culinary skills and how to cook meals and desserts! Based in the GTA.
Music, Dance & Drama
School of Rock Markham
With the outbreak of CoVID-19, School of Rock has launched School of Rock Remote, a new online instruction option that gives kids and families the opportunity of continuing their School of Rock education from home until they can return to the school for group rehearsals.
88 Keys
One of the first Early Childhood Music Education Centers in York Region and well known for their popular Kindermusik programs. The centre is temporarily offer their programs online. Classes are available for all ages and include guitar, piano, voice and violin.
Young People’s Theatre
From toddlers to teens, YPT offers online classes after-school and on weekends, led by an experienced faculty of professional artist-educators. Specialty classes include Shakespeare Monologues, Online Content Creation and more!
The Actors Room
The Actors Room offers various levels of programs that run throughout the year. Programs are offered for ages 8-17+, and all levels of ability, from Recreational/Beginner to Professional. Kids enjoy a safe, fun and friendly environment to build courage, skills, confidence, and trust.
Bernadette Teaches Music
Learn to play the ukulele with this free 30 day YouTube program. Includes basic to more advanced skills and free downloadable handbook.
Chrome Music Lab
A website that makes learning music more accessible through fun, hands-on experiments. Kids can make their own songs, and many educators use Chrome Music Lab as a tool in their classrooms to explore music and its connections to science, math, art, and more.
Conga Kids
Check out their Social Dance for Social Distancing video series which includes dance lessons, history and geography lessons, fun activities and more.
Circletime
Offers both free and paid plans with interactive videos for families. Videos cover arts, cooking, dance, STEM and fitness.
Little Kids Rock
Free online music classes during COVID-19.
STEAM: Science, Technology, Arts & Math
The SteamProject
Based in Richmond Hill, The STEAM Project encourages youth to use their skills to improve the lives of others through hands-on experiences with new and emerging technology while focusing on empathy and designing with purpose. The centre is now offering Virtual Maker Classes, After School Programs and Virtual March Break Camps.
Mad Science Toronto
Fun with science is what Mad Science is famous for! Now they are offering all their fun STEM activities online. Parents can sign kids up for after-school workshops and virtual March Break camps. (Virtual parties are also now available). Mad Science also now has a free online At Home Experiments page with colouring pages, easy science experiments you can do from home and more!
The Curiosity Lab
This GTA based STEAM school offers private virtual STEAM classes for kids ages 5+. Learn 1 on 1 with highly qualified instructors – weekly classes include Coding, Minecraft, Animation, 2D and 3D game development, website development, illustration and more. Use Promo Code childslife to receive 15% off!
Exceed Robotics
With multiple locations in the GTA, the centre is now offering online courses as well. Kids and teens can learn Robotics, web development, game design, Virtual Python and more.
LSA
GTA-based Lifetime Skills academy offers some unique creative online programs for ages 4-16 years including online STEM for girls, graphic design, 3D design, coding and more.
Hatch
Learn real-world coding skills on a virtual platform. For kids age 8–18. Kids choose from 600+ projects, advance through 25 levels. 14-day free trial available.
Activity Hero
This website has a huge resource of free virtual classes for kids. Topics include art, drama, STEM, music, chess, science, cooking, and singing.
Circletime
Offers both free and paid plans with interactive videos for families. Videos cover arts, cooking, dance, STEM, and fitness.
The Kid Should See This
An online library of over 4,500 videos on math, science, art, nature, music, and more.
The Old Farmer’s Almanac for Kids
Puzzles and riddles for children.
Fitness & Wellbeing
True North Sports
The GTA based Sports camps have created a free online resource of fun actives for ages 4-14 years who are stuck at home. Organized by sport, the downloadable activity sheets include fun drills, activities and games.
20 Online
Free fitness classes for kids. The platform offers online aerobic classes, stretching, strength training and more all designed for kids! Classes for adults are also available.
DreamyKid
Meditations and affirmations for the whole family
We are Teachers
Fun physical activities for the whole family, plus other activities to keep kids moving and active.
Green Child Magazine
Meditations for kids along with free resources for parents.
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