There’s something therapeutic and calming about making art during these indoor times. Maybe it’s because the creative outlet requires very few tools and allows imaginations to run wild for hours. Whether it’s painting, drawing, or just doodling, it’s a past-time we’ve been sharing with our little ones.
Art offers tons of developmental benefits for kids and incorporating it into daily life couldn’t be easier. From educational books and DIY activities to in-person and online classes that can easily be accessed from home, the team at Sawyer has rounded up some of our favorite activities that we will surely make your day artsty.
Online art classes for kids
Sometimes it’s nice to leave it up to the professionals! There are a growing number of online art classes available, so we pulled together some of our most popular classes on Sawyer Online.
Private Picassos (1 - 18+ years old)
Whether you’re looking to make cardboard sculptures, comic book creations, or color wheel scavenger hunts, Private Picassos has you covered with enriching art activities all week.
Scribble Art Workshop (1.5 - 18+ years old)
Developmentally-based art programs for children as young as eighteen months to adults. At their online studio, everyone is an artist. We seek to build creativity as a life skill that will serve our students beyond the art studio.
Viridian Art Agoura (2 - 18+ years old)
At Viridian they believe in a traditional art education that is both challenging and exciting! Their goal is to give students the skills to become independent artists, so get ready to learn a variety of drawing and painting skills from the comfort of your home!
Unicoi Art Studio (0 - 18+ years old)
This studio specializes in drawing out the imagination! Get ready for fun art projects every week that will surely get your little ones creative.
Love Jac (1 - 18+ years old)
Explore the popular “Artists & Crafts” class, an interactive class that introduces toddlers to famous artists and encourages the children to create their own age-appropriate masterpieces.
Minni (1.5 - 10 years old)
Minni is a creative community space run by professional artists and educators, now offering awesome online classes. They empower little ones to design great things.
Inspired Minds Art (5 - 17 years old)
Join Inspired Minds in their virtual classroom! They’re so excited to offer live interactive art classes for students at home during social distancing.
Vibe Studio (1.5 - 18+ years old)
Inspiring the next generation of creative leaders. Vibe offers quality arts and music educational access for kids and the community through engaging online classes!
The Arterie (0 - 18+ years old)
Their goal is to introduce students to a plethora of artistic mediums and foster an appreciation for art and artists while teaching the fundamentals of drawing, painting and so much more!
Art activities for kids
Looking to unplug for some offline family fun? Here are a few ideas from our community about how to incorporate art activities into your little one’s day!
Bow-Tie Noodle.
Who knew that a perfect canvas for your child’s next masterpiece is a bow-tie pasta piece straight from the box? Simply paint or color (with a sharpie or chalk marker) on the piece — they’ll dry fast! Once the design is perfect, paste the past piece onto a piece of paper and draw little antennas. Look at that! Little butterflies are flying around!
Fun with Filters!
Do you have coffee filters around your home? If so, they can become an art project! Fold the filters into quarters, then dampen with water and add drops of food coloring. Once they’re looking vibrant, open the filters and let them dry on cookie sheets. Fold the filters in quarters again, forming a point at the bottom. Then, twist chenille sticks around the points to create a stem. And look at that! You have some flowers!
Save those cardboard tubes!
Paper towel and toilet paper tubes are the perfect tools for so many art projects. Recently, we’ve been building magic palaces with them. Stack large, medium and small cardboard boxes so you can form a basic structure. Make sure to use the paper towel rolls to build large towers. Add stickers, colors, and other fun accessories to make it a unique castle.
Our favorite art books for kids
Looking for books that will get your little ones thinking like artists? We've put together a list of some our favorites. And don't worry, all of them have been personally vetted by the children at Sawyer.
Friday Kahlo and Her Animalitos
This children’s book was inspired by the life of Mexican artist Frida Kahlo. It illustrates the artist’s childhood spent with her beloved animal friends, who each influenced her art and life. From monkeys, birds, dogs, and a black cat, the creatures symbolize some of the artist’s greatest characteristics.
Henri’s Scissors
In a small weaving town in France, a young boy named Henri-Emile Matisse drew pictures everywhere, and when he grew up, he moved to Paris and became a famous artist who created paintings that were adored around the world. book tells the story of the great artist’s life
Yayoi Kusama: From Here to Infinity
One of our favorites! This book introduces children to the colorful, dotty world of Yayoi Kusama. Featuring depictions of Kusama’s iconic artworks, this book tells the story of the artist’s journey to cover everything in polka dots—from her paintings, sculptures, her own body, plants, the sky, and beyond.
Keith Haring: The Boy Who Just Kept Drawing
This book explores the life and art of the iconic pop artist, Keith Haring. Covering the artist’s childhood and eventual rise to fame, the book tells the story the Keith’s commitment to drawing, and the unconventional surfaces he drew on, such as “on walls, on sidewalks, and on paper that he hung on lampposts.”
Kid Artists: True Tales of Childhood from Creative Legends
This educational and fun book reveals how some of the great artists in history dealt with various childhood problems while growing up.
Looking to discover more in-person and online art classes for kids? Head here!
