Art articles
24 fun toys for summer outdoor learning
It's well established that outdoor play is important for young learners and provides opportunities to develop physical, social, fine and gross motor skills. Our editor, Kate Morgan, has put together her top picks of outdoor toys. So get the kids outside, having fun and learning this summer. Let the games begin!
Is your child left-handed (and does it matter)?
With 90% of the world made up of right-handers, how does being left-handed affect learning at school? Hetty Walton, mum to left-handed daughter Isobel, 11, investigates.
Best online drawing tutorials for children
Does your child love to draw, doodle, paint and sketch? Help them learn new techniques and perfect their own versions of their favourite characters with a host of free draw-along videos from children's book illustrators and animation artists.
Art and sculpture projects for children
Help your child develop their artistic skills with three hands-on sculpture projects in our extract from Wonder Art Workshop by Sally Haughey.
4 paper play projects for children
Paper can be a snowflake, a paper chain, a fortune teller, a windmill, a piece of modern art, a magic trick, a sculpture, a hat or any one of a hundred other things. Find out just how much fun a humble sheet of paper can be with this extract from Paper Play: Roll it. Rip it. Fold it. Snip it! by Lydia Crook. All you need is scissors and glue – and paper, of course!
Best kids' activity packs to download
Top up the resource bank and keep the kids busy at home with reading, puzzles, crafting, science and other screen-free activities. They're all available to download for free and you won't need any special equipment, so head off the "I'm bored!" moans and buy yourself a few moments of peace so you can get some of your own work done!
Best art home education resources
Whether you want to learn to doodle, draw flowers, illustrate Marvel comics or create a portrait of a Disney character, our pick of the best home education resources will bring the world of art to your kitchen table. Explore art history through videos and games or pick up a pencil to have a go yourself – the only limit is your imagination.
Best YouTube channels for home education
Whether you want your child to learn about maths, geography, science or history, they'll be happy to watch a video about it – and these YouTube channels introduce topics through songs, animations, experiments, skits and riddles. From phonics for new readers to physics for keen scientists, these are the educational channels to subscribe to.
Why arts education matters in primary schools
From unleashing creativity to improving life chances, we take a look at why art, music, drama and dance are important for primary school children.
50 of the best virtual trips and educational experiences for families
In this day and age, we may be spending more time indoors but thanks to our laptops and devices we can let the world come to us instead – take a trip round Frida Kahlo’s kitchen, share some chocolate cake with Michael Rosen and journey to the International Space Station with our pick of 50 of the best virtual trips and educational experiences. By Hetty Walton
20 of the best live streams for kids
Help your primary-age child stay educated and entertained with our round-up of the best live streams for kids.
Museums reviewed by parents: Tate St Ives
Winner of Art Fund Museum of the Year 2018 (the world's largest museum prize), Tate St Ives has been drawing crowds back to its spectacular beach location after a two-year renovation project. There's always something to catch your eye, thanks to a varied exhibition programme, and plenty on offer for children too. With a rooftop cafe and beautiful beach on tap, families are sure to find something to suit everyone.
Best activity books for children
Whether you're on the move or at home, a great activity book offers hours of screen-free learning and fun. Crosswords, maths challenges, mystery solving and code writing are all covered in our best activity books for kids picks. We can't guarantee you won't want to help out with the puzzling, though!
3 easy animation activities for kids
Making your own animations needn’t be a daunting prospect – creating simple but effective animations with even the most basic artistic skills has never been easier! Children (and parents!) can have great fun making up characters and seeing them come to life, and the brilliant results might just surprise you! Trevor Young, author of animated eBook Galdo's Gift, has tips to get you started.
Best art books for children
Help your child discover the world's great works of art with our pick of the best introductions to painting, sculpture, art installations and more. Will they step into a painting in an art story book, create their own 3D art masterpiece or fall in love with an artistic style or artist?
Museums reviewed by parents: The Cartoon Museum, London
From Hogarth and Ronald Searle to Manga to favourite characters like Dennis the Menace, there’s something for all comic lovers at the Cartoon Museum in London. We visited to find out what's on offer for primary-school children and parents.
Museums reviewed by parents: Manchester Museum
Travel back in time to Ancient Egypt, see reptiles and amphibians from Costa Rica, walk beneath a giant whale skeleton, come face-to-face with a tiger and meet a life-size Tyrannosaurus rex... just a few of the highlights of a visit to Manchester Museum. Our family testers report back.
Museums reviewed by parents: Discover Children's Story Centre
Bring learning to life with a visit to one of our parent-recommended museums. We love Children's Story Centre Discover, a haven for bookworms, story-tellers and adventurers in Stratford, north east London.
Museums reviewed by parents: World Museum Liverpool
Our parent-recommended museums make bringing learning to life easy and fun. For the chance to explore creatures and people from our past and our present, head to World Museum Liverpool (just watch out for the giant spider!).
Museums reviewed by parents: The Geffrye Museum of the Home
Bring classroom learning to life with a visit to one of our parent-recommended museums, or explore the website to explore from afar. For hands-on fun and a fascinating trip through our Tudor and Victorian past we love the Geffrye Museum of the Home in London.
100 of the best educational toys: EYFS
Learning toys that are packed with play value, too, our 100 best educational toy picks will help your child identify numbers and letters, learn their high frequency words, understand rhyming and even get to grips with primary-school programming and physics. Get great gift ideas with our recommendations for nursery and Reception children!
5 primary school art projects to try at home
Art is part of the national curriculum and one of the subjects your child will be taught at school. Teacher and parent Phoebe Doyle offers some practical project ideas and suggestions to help expand their knowledge and experience at home.
What your child can learn from doing a self portrait
Children often draw pictures of themselves, along with friends and family. Self portraits are actually a key part of learning and personal development, so provide the paper, pencils and opportunity for your child to have a go.
What happens in Foundation Stage art
Find out what your child will learn in art, with lesson examples, and get tips on simple homework ideas that will help them get ahead of the class.
Key Stage 1 art explained
Do you want to support your budding artist? You can with these lesson examples and top tips for enjoying art together at home.
Key Stage 2 art explained
Find out what your child will be doing in art lessons at school, plus four top tips to foster your child's creativity at home.
10 messy (but educational!) ideas for kids
Most kids love getting up to their elbows in stuff. Feeling, squidging, kneading, squeezing – it’s instinctive. What’s more, this sort of play is crucial for learning; it forms the building blocks of knowledge about the world, its materials and how they work. Whether they’re five or ten, watch them get really stuck in to these educational activities.
The parents' guide to secondary school: KS3 art
Find out what your child will be learning in KS3 art lessons and help them to practise at home.
Top craft activities for children
Getting your children to be creative over holidays, weekends, and during after-school time is a great way to nurture their artistic flair and keep them occupied. Try these great activities to get kids crafting.
Photography for children – the benefits
Find top tips on children's photography and great photographic 'assignments' you can try with your budding photographer.
National curriculum art – what they learn
Help to spark your child's artistic streak with these useful tips.