Arts & Crafts
Ignite at-home creativity (plus explore games, videos and art history) at these websites & instagram accounts designed for curious kids.
Visit NYC's open museums for more inspiration and see our guide to educational websites.
Cards For Seniors
Make cheerful cards for isolated seniors. Use big print (not cursive) so the card is easy to read. Provide stickers and stencils to help the younger kids. Adults can make cards too. A great use for all the artwork kids bring home. Join the NYC-based Caring By Card Nursing Home Project, donate through
DAYS WITH GREY
An educator and mom to 3 shares daily ‘Breakfast Invitations,’ easy-to-set-up sensory and art activities for preschoolers and toddlers.
#DISNEYMAGICMOMENT
Experience the magic of Disney, Pixar, Star Wars, Marvel, and National Geographic with stories, videos, and activities to inspire imagination and discovery. Includes drawing tutorials. storytimes, and recipes for Disney park favorites.
NEW YORK CITY CHILDREN’S THEATER
Lovely local kids theater company provides entertaining and enriching activities for little ones inspired by past productions including art projects, theater games, storytimes, downloadable activity books and video sing-alongs.
VIRTUAL MUSEUM TOURS
Take virtual journeys to over 1,200 museums around the world via Google Arts & Culture. See collections and gallery views of Amsterdam’s Rijksmuseum, Florence’s Uffizi Gallery, Mexico City’s Museum of Anthropology, Paris’s Musée d’Orsay and more (plus NYC faves like the Whitney, Guggenheim and MoMA).
MOMI Moving Image Studio
Find tutorials and interactive ways to collaborate and make media art with Astoria’s Museum of Moving Image educators. Create Jim Henson-inspired puppets, learn about film editing and apply to have your media art shared on their YouTube channel.
MoMA Families At Home
MoMA provides resources and ideas—from art-making activities to books and films—to spark creativity and fun at home. Explore artworks in MoMA’s collection through activities (available in English and Spanish), watch favorite kid-friendly short films with prompts to spark discussion, dig deeper into Dorothea Lange: Words & Pictures, find favorite Children’s Books about Art, listen…
Wave Hill Family Art Projects
Join nature-themed storytelling and artmaking at home from historic garden Wave Hill. Create with educator-led videos based on previously planned thematic projects but made relevant to the current situation. New video posted each Saturday.
CMA HOW-TO TUESDAYS
Children’s Museum of the Arts’ blog features videos and detailed instructions for art projects like Paper Chains of Kindness and Collaborative Drawing Games. Projects can be adapted for different ages and made with materials around the house.
The Paper Bag Players At Home
Watch short sketches from The Paper Bag Players, an acclaimed NYC troupe that makes stories out of cardboard and paper, paired with questions and/or activities that will help children think more about what they’ve watched and provide opportunities for them to create and imagine on their own. Play games and make cars, crazy faces, and…
Jewish Museum At-Home Art Projects
Explore hands-on art activities inspired by works of art in the Jewish Museum’s diverse collection and exhibition. Activities like Abstract Stamp Print and Found Object Sculpture, eachaccompanied by information on the artist, are designed for kids and adults to create together at home.
Dav Pilkey At Home
Get creative and have fun with the creator of cult favorites Dog Man and Captain Upderpants. Watch short videos of Pilkey drawing and reading aloud and download printable activity sheets, drawing guides, comic book creators, games and more.
Outschool
Explore just about any interest from math to Minecraft to piano with passionate teachers over live video chat. Choose from over 15,000+ classes including Harry Potter and Star Wars-themed explorations of explore history, art, science and more.
Format include one-time drop-ins, weekly camps and semester classes.
For ages 3-18.
Spellbound At Home
Find weekly inspiration for creating theater magic at home from Brooklyn-based Spellbound Theater, a troupe focused on performing for 0–5-year-olds , including audio tracks, videos and downloadable PDFs that inspire creative play. Also watch weekly video series Anywhere with Catbear, featuring puppet friend Catbear visiting a different Spellbound artist to come…
TATE KIDS
Play art-inspired games, take cheeky quizzes, find art activities, and share your art on a fun website from British museums Tate and Tate Modern. Find detailed instructions for activities such as “think like the artist Alberto Giacometti” and create interesting portraits and landscapes.
Children’s Museum of the Arts
Children’s Museum of the Arts’ blog features how-to videos and detailed instructions for art projects like Paper Chains of Kindness and Collaborative Drawing Games. Projects can be adapted for different ages and made with materials around the house.
NYSCI At Home
Find tons of games, activities, experiments and projects from Queen’s New York Hall of Science. At-Home STEM resources encourage open-ended exploration and imaginative learning. Learn about physics, engineering, design, biology, math, chemistry and more with videos, instructions for experiments and art projects, interactive graphic novels, engaging apps and more.
The Yo-Yo Mo Show: Musical Doodling
Cellist Yo-Yo Ma and Mo Willems, author/illustrator the beloved Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus, Knuffle Bunny, and the Elephant and Piggy series, offer a series of playful experiments that show how art and music inspire each other. Watch, listen and join in from home with paper and doodling implements.
Also…
Cooper Hewitt Online Learning
Follow along with design activities (with clear, well-designed instructions) to create protoypes, chairs, zines, posters and more. Also explore design case studies, remarkable female and LBGQT+ creators, the digital mansion, and museum exhibitions. Great graphics, video and easy-to-understand text for all ages.
Brooklyn Museum Learn and Teach
Explore exhibition or objects from the encyclopedic Brooklyn Museum in-depth with printable teaching prompts and activity ideas, developed by the museum’s professional educators. Includes new mini art lessons for ages 2–6 and 7 & up. Also dream up zany stories, while practicing parts of speech, with Brooklyn Museum Mad Libs and brush up on your…
THE ART GARDEN
Explore a variety of projects featuring paint, collage/mixed media, printmaking, 3-Dimension, recycled art, children’s books, process art, nature activities, holidays and seasons, sensory, and play ideas from an elementary art teacher. Frequently posts fun ideas on her instagram @theartgardenblog.
EAT YOUR MONSTERS
Turn snacks into adorable creatures like frozen banana penguins and panda eggs with creative ideas from instagram account @eatyourmonsters.
Draw Every Day With JJK
Join author/illustrator Jarrett J. Krosoczka for daily videos with drawing, writing, art games and read alouds. Star Wars fans can get step-by-step instructions on making characters from his Jedi Academy series.
NYPL Online Storytime & At Home STEAM
Watch videos of New York Public Library’s expert children’s librarians as they read beloved books, sing songs, and share early literacy tips. Collections include Multilingual Storytimes and Drag Queen Story Hour. Also check out STEAM storytimes with stories, songs, rhymes and a downloadable activity guide.
NEW VICTORY ARTS BREAK
Learn circus tricks, songwriting, puppet making, tap dance, magic and more skills inspired by the diverse shows at New Victory Theatre, an amazing NYC performing arts venue for families. Watch excerpts from past and sadly cancelled productions. Currently featuring partners from around the world.
GIANT Workshops on Demand
Gather 3 to 5 friends for STEAM (STEAM + Arts) workshops on topics like coding, game design, starting your own business, Minecraft, cooking, comics, doodling, engineering, improv, LEGO, Roblox and more. Choose your own day, time and frequency or join a weekly club that includes a box of materials shipped to your home.
Language immersion…
Support Museums
In a win/win for all, refresh your library/playroom at expertly curated online shops of local museums. Find great toys, books, crafts and games for at-home entertainment and consider becoming a member of your faves – so many perks all year round (including store discounts and the ability to visit in person whenever). Some favorites:
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Whitney Open Studio From Home
Kids, teens, and families are invited to join Whitney Educators for free weekly online art classes. Experiment, create, and learn together with at-home art materials. Each week features a new theme and project connected to a work of art in the Whitney’s collection or current exhibitions.
Hanukkah Family Day
Join the Jewish Museum for an exciting mix of Hanukkah related activities and performances that will launch on their YouTube channel for families to explore. Groove with musicians Daphna Mor, Saskia Lane, and Daniel Freedman in partnership with the Beineinu community during a festive concert. Discover and sketch unexpected Hanukkah objects on a virtual tour.…
NY Cake Academy’s After School Kids Camp
Guided virtually by a live instructor, learn to work with decorating basics like fondant, sprinkles, and royal icing to create cookies, cupcakes and desserts galore. Each week learn to make a different tasty treat each week from start to finish. Includes delivery of complete kit filled with all needed eqioment and ingredients.
Students can sign…
Guggenheim Stroller Tour
Join an interactive exploration of works from the Guggenheim’s collection and exhibitions designed for adults with small children (up to 24 months).
Little New-Yorkers @ Home
Join New-York Historical Society Storytime via Zoom every Tuesday and Friday for story time and crafts. Each class includes a special Little New-Yorkers hello song, silly stretches and exercises, a story book reading, and a craft to do at home. Designed for ages ages 3-6.
Museum of Math Folding Fridays
Origami expert Kathleen Sheridan teaches unique origami models. Explore the wonders of paper folding — there’s math in every fold.
To participate, you’ll need several sheets of printer paper as well as several sheets of square paper (size should be 5.5″ – 8.5”). Origami paper is preferred – available to ship now from the…
Picture This! Dream Menorahs
Join the Jewish Museum for a virtual family tour and art-making experience inspired by its popular Picture This! series.
Discover unique Hanukkah menorahs made with unexpected materials in a virtual tour with interactive activities, and create a folded sculptural menorah book with dreams and hopes for each night of the holiday. The museum is…
Guggenheim Sunday Family Tour
Family-oriented virtual tours explore works from the Guggenheim’s collection with conversation and creative hands-on activities utilizing materials you can find at home. Includes art looking and hands-on art exploration. Tours are organized around a single theme and highlight artworks on view from the permanent collection and special exhibitions (plus some discussion of the museum’s amazing…
Train Tales and Crafts
Celebrate New-York Historical Society’s annual Holiday Express exhibition with all things trains via zoom. Join a hello song, silly movement activities, a train-themed story book reading, and a train-themed craft to do at home.