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As we continue to stay at home during the Covid-19 crisis, most of us with children are, to some extent, turning to the arts to keep busy and happy. At the same time, the arts is one of the hardest hit sectors in our global shutdown. The people behind all of our children’s arts classes, music, books, and performances have found themselves in the position where it is necessary to completely reinvent their delivery of work nearly overnight. (I wrote a post on ideas for supporting the arts in this time).
Because our families need the arts now more than ever, and because our artists need us more than ever, I have compiled this list of ways our Australian children’s artist professionals have devised for kids to engage with the arts at home. There are so many fantastic opportunities to continue to artsplore!
Kids Arts Live Streams
A lot of Australian kids creatives have been taking to live streaming platforms to offer everything from concerts to comedy shows to workshops, classes, and storytimes. I started seeing them announced so fast and furious that I decided to start collecting them on the Artsplorers Calendar of Events. All events are listed in Sydney time. I am updating the calendar daily during the Covid-19 crisis, so keep checking back, as many of these live events are announced just a day or two before they happen!
Make Art at Home
Free Art Projects With Les Petits Painters
Bored kids? Just insert art. Les Petits Painters are making free tutorials for a variety of make at home projects available to parents on their website, including this clever home racetrack!
Art Discovery School Holiday Art Projects
(Kit Pickup in Marrickville)
Art Discovery Class is offering several two-hour Live art activities weekdays between April 14 – 23. Kits with the required materials can be picked up in Marrickville (Sydney). Classes are $45 each (or 2 for $80, 3 for $115). Sessions include fun projects including Clay Bilbies & Nature Craft, Loony Llama, Gelati Party, Bird & Feather Wall Hangings, Monster Drawing, Animal Strip Collages, and Tutti Fruity.
Find the full schedule and booking information on Art Discovery’s Facebook Page.
Monthly Art Guide From Creativity Club
Art & Play – a guide for little creatives is new monthly downloadable art program for families to get creative at home. All the activities included in the program are a combination of printable activities or ones that use simple recycled materials and other resources families generally already have at home. Activities include drawing, painting, collage and sensory play experiences based around a monthly theme. With 30 pages of activities which are all open ended and therefore will cater to a broad age range of children. Each month we will also feature an artist with some fun facts and activities inspired by them and a monthly bookclub with book recommendations.
Art & Play Guide launches April 14. Full information on Creativity Club’s Website.
Make at Home with Emma Wolfe
Children’s entertainer Emma Wolfe is bringing you new YouTube videos where she shares things you and your kids can make and do with things you probably have at home. Check out her YouTube here, and find her on social media at @EmsWorld
Music Class Comes to Your Lounge Room
Subscription to Joey Jig Online Music Class
Each week a new lesson plan will be uploaded and sent to enrolled students the cost for term 2 is $120 (10 classes). They will be accessible on all smart TVs and devices. One-off casual classes for those wanting to try it out first ($14/lesson) will also be available.
Classes are run by age:
Swing Swing 3months-1year
Be-Bop 1-2years
Jump & Jive 2-4years
These classes can also be played as many times as the students like!
Zoom Classes with B Minor Music
Bree from B Minor Music is offering her music classes through Zoom Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays, plus a Facebook Live class on Wednesdays.
Zoom classes are $10 for the first child ($15 for a sibling pass). Please book by the night before. The Facebook Live sessions are free, with donations accepted. Bookings and more information about B Minor Music classes online.
A Flair for the Dramatic!
Weekly Online Drama Classes with The Australian Shakespeare Company
Join us each week as we delve into vocal and physical fun set to engage and inspire young minds. Led by our amazing actor educators these 1 hour sessions create bold and colourful characters from a world of different plays and stories including Australian writers, Fairytales and Shakespeare. In this interactive live-streamed online format, students will be up moving, laughing, connecting, creating and working together in small groups.
Available for Primary & Secondary age groups
$15 per class
Available from 6th April 2020
Mondays 4-5pm
Tuesdays 4-5pm
More information online
Ballet for Kids and Adults
Is anyone in your family missing their ballet lessons? Or, perhaps your or one of your kids has been keen to try. Sydney blogger Christine Knight from Adventure, Baby! has rounded up a huge collection of online ballet classes for all ages and levels (note: not all of these are Australian, but many are).
Go to the Melbourne Museum
With The Listies
We can’t go to a museum, but we can go on a virtual tour of the Melbourne Museum with kids comedy duo The Listies. “Join us as we venture forth to discover the secrets of the Learnadome (what Matt calls the Museum).” Find the episodes on The Listies website or search for it on your favorite podcast app.
A Concert At Home
Australia’s preschool entertainers have come together for a sing-a-long of living room proportions! In an effort to ensure they can still entertain, inspire and educate, eleven Australian (and one fabulous Canadian) children’s entertainers have united for the very first Aussie Kids Couch Concert. Purchase or rent it on Vimeo, and 95% of the proceeds go to the artists involved. My 2 year old loved this one!
Ages: 2-5
Purchase: $11.95 / Rent $5.95
Available via Vimeo on Demand
Authors With Do-at-Home Activities
Many Aussie children’s authors have been putting together activities based on well-loved books that you can print at home. Here are a few ideas.
- Matt Cosgrove has a wealth of activities around his Macca the Alpaca books and Celeste the Giraffe (text by Celeste Barber) on his website, including Easter craft and colouring in, finger puppets, and a “wash your hands” colouring page.
- We love Philip and Laura Bunting’s clever nature-themed picture books, and they have come through with a whole bunch of printable activities based on books like Mopoke, Koalas Eat Gum Leaves, How Did I Get Here, and Liarbird.
- Billie B Brown fans can stay really busy for the next few weeks with the fanstastic Billie B Brown book club. The early reader books by Sally Rippin are celebrating 10 years in publication, and publisher Hardie Grant Egmont has put together weekly activity packs, each focusing on one of the books, including the three new recently published stories. Sign up at Sally Rippin’s website.
- Many authors are reading their stories on their own social media platforms. A couple that we have enjoyed are the delightful Alison Lester reading her many picture books on Instagram and Jane Godwin reading her books. It’s a nice five or so minute quite break in the day. For older kids, R.A. Spratt (Nanny Piggins, Friday Barnes) has a podcast where she’s reading her original “bedtime stories.” Info about the podcast is on her website.
- And, for something completely different… author Nat Amoore (Secrets of a Schoolyard Millionaire) is creating dance along videos based on Aussie kid-lit.They’re seriously fun. Find the Book’n’Boogie videos on her YouTube channel. Here’s the first one, based on Adrian Beck’s Derek Dool.
New Tunes for the Family
Ain’t no party like a living room dance party. Why not freshen up your family tunes by checking out some of the very talented members of the Australian children’s music scene. Sure, you know the wiggly foursome, but do you know any other Aussie kids musicians? Here are the albums by Australin artists that we have reviewed over the past couple of years and deem cool for the whole clan:
Littlefolk by Angie Who
Little Steps, Big Adventures by Tiptoe Giants
Hey Hey, Let’s Play by Nay Nay
Helpful Songs for Little People by the Teeny Tiny Stevies
Beyond the Little Star by Benny Time
Season One by The Vegetable Plot
Bunny Rumble by Bunny Racket
Scratch ‘N’ Sniff by The Sticker Club
Nali and Friends by Dan Sulatan
The Really, Really, Really Boring Album by Regurgitator’s Pogogo Show
If you just can’t decide, Angie Who has made it easy for you to check out just about everyone who is anyone in the Australian kindy-indie scene with her Social DisDancing Spotify Playlist. Give it a spin or 20 over the holidays.
New Australian Kid’s Books
When new books come out in print, they usually get some well-deserved fanfare and maybe even a lovely birthday party. But, books released during the past few weeks. Here are a few brand new Australian children’s books that could use some extra love – and heaven knows we all can use some new books to keep us busy! (I have linked to these books at online shop, Booktopia, which is an Australian owned and operated company. However, I do encourage you to consider purchasing from your local bookshop. Most bookshops are still open, at least for phone orders, and many are offering delivery or contact-free pick up. Our bookshops can use our support!)
Debut author Victoria Mackinlay and illustrator Sofya Karmazina’s picture book is Ribbit Rabbit, Robot. “When a friendly frog, a greedy rabbit and a robot with a short fuse find a magic lamp, chaos follows and friendship is found …” (Omnibus, Scholastic)
“The award-winning team of Corinne Fenton and Andrew McLean tell the story of Lennie Gwyther and Ginger Mick, a boy and his pony who crossed Sydney’s Harbour Bridge on 19th of March, 1932 and marched into history.” We were fortunate to receive a review copy of To the Bridge, and we were so very charmed by this true story, and the beautiful way it is told. (Walker Books)
Jules Faber (who might be best known for illustrating Anh Do’s WeriDo series) is out with Crack Up, a funny book for young readers, which follows last year’s The Quest Diaries of Max Crack. “Max Crack and his best friend Frankie are back with even more quest-ordinary adventures! Armed with a shiny new quest list, they are on a mission to find a meteorite, make a movie, solve a sisterly feud, eat truckloads of chocolate, set a World Record …” (Pan Macmillan)
Another funny one for the primary/middle grade reader is the next installment of Mick Elliott’s Squidge Dibley series, Squidge Dibley Destroys Everything. “Squidge Dibley and his 6PU classmates are facing their biggest, grossest problem ever. A hilarious series about a very strange class, perfect for fans of Weirdo, Funny Kid and Tom Gates.” (Hachette)
A junior fiction novel for ages 10+, The Book of Chance by Sue Whiting is about a girl discovering the shades of grey in life. “Chance is in Year 7 and thinks she has it all – a loving mother, dog Tiges, best friend and almost-sister next door. But when a reality TV team makes over her house, she discovers newspaper cuttings from the past that cause her to question the world as she knows it and everyone in it. Then she finds herself caught between two realities, identities and worlds. Face-to-face with the truth, Chance has a very difficult decision to make, which almost splits her in two. This powerful story explores what is true and what is fake in today’s world.” (Walker Books)
We are wishing all of you artsplorers health, peace, and creativity during this crisis. Support the arts and stay home!
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