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Here you'll find all kinds of art lessons for kids, including how to draw for kids, even painting and origami for kids.

My name is Rob, I'm married to Mrs. Hubs, and we have four kids. Their names are Jack, Hadley, Austin, and Olivia. We make art together as a family but we also love sharing it with you.

Most of our art lessons are self-contained, which means you can jump in and start drawing with us today. All you need is something to draw with, some paper, and coloring supplies!

Where To Watch Our Lessons

There are several places to watch our art lessons. Each place provides a different experience and benefit.

YouTube (free/ads)

You can watch many of our art lessons on YouTube for free with ads ( visit our Channel here). You can watch through a desktop computer, the YouTube mobile app ( Android and iTunes), or even through the YouTube app on a smart TV.

YouTube Kids (free/ads)

If you have some concerns with your children using YouTube, be sure to check out the YouTube Kids app for mobile ( Android and iTunes). You can watch many of our lessons for free with ads on the YouTube Kids app. Visit our channel on YouTube Kids, don't forget to subscribe. Log in through your YouTube/Google account for more parental controls. Did you also know you can watch YouTube Kids on a desktop? Just visit youtubekids.com!

ArtForKidsHub.com (free/ads)

You're already here on this website! This site is a great option for more focus and fewer distractions. You can watch many of our lessons for free with ads, just visit our blog page. The videos on this website are hosted and embedded from YouTube. This means that you'll receive the same ads/commercials you would see on YouTube but you won't see videos from other channels.

ArtForKidsHub.tv (paid/no ads)

Become an Art Hub member and eliminate YouTube/Google ads and YouTube distractions. You can watch our lessons ad-free plus exclusive member lessons only available on artforkidshub.tv. Your membership also gives you access to watch our lessons through our dedicated mobile apps ( Android and iTunes). Visit artforkidshub.tv to learn more and even join.

Latest Art Lesson

Use the navigation or search bar above, or browse through our blog for even more art lessons for kids!
Visit Our Blog
Art Supplies

Would you and your kids like to use the same art supplies we use? Here's what we love using:

Sharpies for drawing

Marker paper to draw on

Bianyo markers for coloring

Colored pencils (sometimes we also use Prismacolor colored pencils)

If you'd like to purchase the exact same art supplies we use, visit our official Amazon Art Supply shop. Each art supply in our shop I have purchased and love. We receive a small commission for purchases made through the shop. We genuinely appreciate your support; it enables us to continue making these lessons for your children.

Thank you!
Art Supply Shop
Weekly Challenges (Challenge-Time)

We post a weekly challenge on Saturday to stretch your child's creativity! You can always visit our challenge page for the latest info. When your child is finished with their drawing, post a photo of it to our Facebook page or tag us on Instagram. We spotlight all of these photos in a slideshow the following Friday.

Your child can see their artwork featured in front of the whole world to see!

We love seeing your children's creations and feel honored to spotlight their creativity on our channel and website!
Challenge-Time
How To Draw eBooks

Did you know that we also sell how-to-draw ebooks?

These ebooks are great to view digitally or print them out for offline learning! Teachers love printing the entire collection, laminating the individual sheets, and allowing their students to browse through them on their own.

You can visit our ebook store to learn more and purchase.

Stay tuned for even more ebooks, soon!
eBook Store
Merch!

Visit our Redbubble store for fun Art For Kids Hub merchandise. Here are a few of our favorites!
Merch Store
Parents and teachers,

We hope you and your kids find a love for art and drawing that lasts a lifetime. If you ever have questions, concerns, or even suggestions you can find us on Facebook, Instagram, or even directly through our contact page. Your kind words and support mean the world to us and allows us to continue making art lessons. Thank you!

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Art For Kids Hub - Art Lessons - How To Draw For Kids

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My name is Rob, I'm married to Mrs. Hubs, and we have four kids. Their names are Jack, Hadley, Austin, and Olivia. We make art together as a family but we also love sharing it with you. Most of our art lessons are self-contained, which means you can jump in and start drawing with us today.

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Choices for ALL ages

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Do the kids love going to the Zoo and learning about animals? Then these Virtual Zoo Tours are perfect to take with the kids right from your living room couch!

Virtual Zoo tours are a great way to get kids seeing animals they love and learning about new animals right from the comfort of your own home. You can watch many different animal live cams to that are set up to show you just how animals act when they are on their own!
Looking for more things to do with the kids while at home? Check these out!
Virtual Zoo Tours
Atlanta Zoo Panda Cam
Head on over here and you can check out what the Panda Bears are doing at the Atlanta Zoo!
Barracuda Cam
Check out the Barracuda in Cape Fear North Carolina. Head on over here to see them.
Decorah Eagles
Check out the Decorah Iowa Bald Eagle nest live steam here.
Explore Africa
Head on over here and you can take a peek at what is going on in South Africa! You can take a virtual visit and check out the live cam of Tau Waterhole, South Africa, Tembe South Africa Elephant Park, and Sabi Sand Game Reserve, South Africa.
Homosassa Springs Underwater Manatees Live Cam
There are 4 different live cameras that you can view of the Manatees in Homosassa Springs! View them here.
Reid Park Zoo
Head on over here and you can watch seven different live cams from the Reid Park Zoo! Take your pick from the Grizzly Bear, Lions, lemur, Giraffe and elephants!
San Diego Zoo Live Cams
The San Diego Zoo has 11 different live cams that you can check out to watch the animals, including Polar Bears, Elephants, Penguins and more! Just head on over here and click on the animal cam you want to check out!
Smithsonian National Zoo Tour
Head on over here and you can watch the 4 different live cams that the Smithsonian National Zoo has. Check out the elephants, the lions, the Giant Panda and the Naked Mole rat!
Shark Lagoon.
Head on over here and watch the Long Beach California Shark Lagoon Live Cam.
USC Wrigley Catalina Marine Reserve
Head on over here and check out the Big Fisherman Cove, Catalina Island, California Live Cam.

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Do the kids love going to the Zoo and learning about animals? Then these Virtual Zoo Tours are perfect to take with the kids right from your living room couch! Virtual Zoo tours are a great way to get kids seeing animals they love and learning about new animals right from the comfort of your own home.

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Science at Home - Easy Science Experiments from Steve Spangler

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Easy science experiments you can do at home from Steve Spangler. Explore cool science experiments and STEM challenges that are fun for the whole family.

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There's good news for all the e-bookworms out there. The New York Public Library released an app today that allows anyone with a library card (and an iOS or Android phone) to "borrow" any of the 300,000 e-books in the collection.

It's called SimplyE and will allow you to read books on your phone, but beware, there might be a wait list for some popular titles, including the Game of Thrones series. (Check out the Harry Potter books, quick!) The online collection will continue to grow, and there are Kindle and web browser versions in development. But, for now, take a break from Pokemon Go and read to your digital heart's content.

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You can now download over 300,000 books from the NYPL for free

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There's good news for all the e-bookworms out there. The New York Public Library released an app today that allows anyone with a library card (and an iOS or Android phone) to "borrow" any of the 300,000 e-books in the collection.

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Exploring the world is something that's always been a bit of a luxury for those who can afford to travel, but technology is changing that. With VR and 360-degree videos, you can now immerse yourself in virtual environments that give you a real sense of what a place is like, without actually being there. Google has been taking advantage of things like VR field trips and virtual reality to transport students to distant lands, but today it's releasing a way to explore scenic wonders closer to home: the U.S. National Parks.

The Hidden Worlds of the National Parks is a new Google Arts & Culture exhibit and interactive documentary, timed to launch in celebration of this month's NPS Centennial.

The exhibit allows you to take 360-degree tours of some of the most remote and beautiful U.S. National Parks. Instead of featuring much-documented vistas like Yosemite or the Grand Canyon, for example, the exhibit instead focuses on a selection of parks you may not have traveled to yet (or may never see), including the Kenai Fjords in Alaska, Hawaiian volcanoes, New Mexico's Carlsbad Caverns, Utah's Bryce Canyon, and Florida's Dry Tortugas - the latter which was reviewed this month in a New York Times travel piece which called it an "under the radar" national park.

In the video experience, a local ranger will guide you through each park, allowing you to do things like fly over the active volcanoes in Hawaii, snorkel the coral reefs in the Dry Tortugas, or kayak through Alaska's fjords, among other things.

The virtual tours are available both online, in the Google Arts & Culture App on iOS and Android, as well as in the Google Expeditions app for use in the classroom.

Expeditions, available here on Google Play, is Google's virtual reality teaching tool that lets students travel the world with their teacher acting as the guide. The app offers 360 degree and 3D imagery of over 200 places around the world, and allows for a VR experience when used with the Google Cardboard viewer.

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Google now lets you explore U.S. National Parks via 360-degree virtual tours

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Exploring the world is something that's always been a bit of a luxury for those who can afford to travel, but technology is changing that. With VR and 360-degree videos, you can now immerse yourself in virtual environments that give you a real sense of what a place is like, without actually b...

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Free access

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With schools and daycares closing across the country, Ranger Rick wants to help your family stay entertained and engaged in the natural world. We are making all digital editions of our magazines free to the public through the end of June.

Please click below to register for a free digital edition of any Ranger Rick magazine. For more than 50 years, Ranger Rick Raccoon has been teaching children about wildlife and nature through award-wining print publications. Proceeds from Ranger Rick subscriptions go to the National Wildlife Federation to help America's wildlife thrive in a changing world.

After registration, you'll start receiving our email newsletter and wildlife updates from the National Wildlife Federation.

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Free Digital Subscription! - NWF | Ranger Rick

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With schools and daycares closing across the country, Ranger Rick wants to help your family stay entertained and engaged in the natural world. We are making all digital editions of our magazines free to the public through the end of June. Please click below to register for a free digital edition of any Ranger Rick magazine.

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FREE Access

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Tinkercad | From mind to design in minutes

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Tinkercad is a free, easy-to-use app for 3D design, electronics, and coding.

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Duolingo is the world's most popular way to learn a language. It's 100% free, fun and science-based. Practice online on duolingo.com or on the apps!

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Going into a self-quarantine can have many complex issues and complications beyond having enough food and supplies for two weeks. In terms of entertainment, it also probably means you're in for a lot of boredom, a lot of Netflix, and a lot of browsing the internet.

But there is a way to get a little culture and education while you're confined to your home. According to Fast Company, Google Arts & Culture teamed up with over 2500 museums and galleries around the world to bring anyone and everyone virtual tours and online exhibits of some of the most famous museums around the world..

Now, you get "go to the museum" and never have to leave your couch.

Google Arts & Culture's collection includes the British Museum in London, the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, the Guggenheim in New York City, and literally hundreds of more places where you can gain knowledge about art, history, and science. This collection is especially good for students who are looking for ways to stay on top of their studies while schools are closed.

Take a look at just some of Google's top museums that are offering online tours and exhibits. Museums around the world are also sharing their most zen art on social media to help people cope with staying home. And if that's not enough culture for you, New York's Metropolitan Opera will be offering free digital shows every night at 7:30 p.m. from March 16 through March 22. Now you can even go "outside" with incredible virtual tours of some of America's best national parks.

British Museum, London

This iconic museum located in the heart of London allows virtual visitors to tour the Great Court and discover the ancient Rosetta Stone and Egyptian mummies. You can also find hundreds of artifacts on the museum's virtual tour.

Guggenheim Museum, New York

Google's Street View feature lets visitors tour the Guggenheim's famous spiral staircase without ever leaving home. From there, you can discover incredible works of art from the Impressionist, Post-Impressionist, Modern and Contemporary eras.

National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.

This famous American art museum features two online exhibits through Google. The first is an exhibit of American fashion from 1740 to 1895, including many renderings of clothes from the colonial and Revolutionary eras. The second is a collection of works from Dutch Baroque painter Johannes Vermeer.

Musée d'Orsay, Paris

You can virtually walk through this popular gallery that houses dozens of famous works from French artists who worked and lived between 1848 and 1914. Get a peek at artworks from Monet, Cézanne, and Gauguin, among others.

National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Seoul

One of Korea's popular museums can be accessed from anywhere around the world. Google's virtual tour takes you through six floors of Contemporary art from Korea and all over the globe.

Pergamon Museum, Berlin

As one of Germany's largest museums, Pergamon has a lot to offer - even if you can't physically be there. This historical museum is home to plenty of ancient artifacts including the Ishtar Gate of Babylon and, of course, the Pergamon Altar.

Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam

Explore the masterworks from the Dutch Golden Age, including works from Vermeer and Rembrandt. Google offers a Street View tour of this iconic museum, so you can feel as if you're actually wandering its halls.

Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam

Anyone who is a fan of this tragic, ingenious painter can see his works up close (or, almost up close) by virtually visiting this museum - the largest collection of artworks by Vincent van Gogh, including over 200 paintings, 500 drawings, and over 750 personal letters.

The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles

European artworks from as far back as the 8th Century can be found in this California art museum. Take a Street View tour to discover a huge collection of paintings, drawings, sculptures, manuscripts, and photographs.

Uffizi Gallery, Florence

This less well-known gallery houses the art collection of one of Florence, Italy's most famous families, the de'Medicis. The building was designed by Giorgio Vasari in 1560 specifically for Cosimo I de'Medici, but anyone can wander its halls from anywhere in the world.

MASP, São Paulo

The Museu de Arte de São Paulo is a non-profit and Brazil's first modern museum. Artworks placed on clear perspex frames make it seem like the artwork is hovering in midair. Take a virtual tour to experience the wondrous display for yourself.

National Museum of Anthropology, Mexico City

Built in 1964, this museum is dedicated to the archaeology and history of Mexico's pre-Hispanic heritage. There are 23 exhibit rooms filled with ancient artifacts, including some from the Mayan civilization.

Sadly, not all popular art museums and galleries could be included on Google Arts & Culture's collection, but some museums are taking it upon themselves to offer online visits. According to Fast Company, the Louvre also offers virtual tours on its website.

To see more of Google Arts & Culture's collection of museums, visit the collection's website. There are thousands of museum Street Views on Google as well. Google Arts & Culture also has an online experience for exploring famous historic and cultural heritage sites.

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Stuck at Home? These 12 Famous Museums Offer Virtual Tours You Can Take on Your Couch

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Going into a self-quarantine can have many complex issues and complications beyond having enough food and supplies for two weeks. In terms of entertainment, it also probably means you're in for a lot of boredom, a lot of Netflix, and a lot of browsing the internet.

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Like me, you're probably now being inundated with emails, links to resources, and social media shares offering free access to educational programming for home learning. You're also juggling directives and restrictions from your district, administration, and technology department. Your students' families are scrambling to figure out working from home, child care, and what supplies they may need while awaiting information from you and the school about home learning. And you've got your own life and family to take care of.

Know that nearly every educator is in the same boat. As a result, the educational community is focusing-a huge professional learning community-on the goal of providing our students with activities they can do to continue to love learning and not lose that spark we've worked so hard to nurture throughout the school year.

I followed up with a short video directed at my students to reassure them there will be some familiar and fun activities coming their way-I have found that watching a video of their teacher can help ease students' fears. And students will have fears about the coronavirus, so I shared a handbook for young kids from Amanda McGuinness, the Autism Educator, to help explain the coronavirus.

Creating a Sense of Familiarity

Next up is sharing a classroom plan for how learning will take place. One of the challenges is to find a way to provide assurance, support, routines, and familiarity.

Let's take a look at some ways you can take your current classroom routines and send them home. If you do a morning meeting, reflect on the elements you have in your meeting and what could be completed virtually at home. If technology allows, record and share daily video announcements and story read-alouds.

I'm going to use Seesaw for two-way communication. Communicate often-students will find comfort in seeing your face and hearing your voice. Record at school if you can, so they see a familiar setting. Have students share a photo or video of a toy, hobby, collection, stuffed animal, pet, or favorite book-students can share only with the teacher using Seesaw, not with each other, but teachers can create a blog to choose what gets shared with the whole class.

Dig out all your ideas for building a responsive classroom from the beginning of the year-I use The First Six Weeks of School-and see what you can use virtually to strengthen the learning community.

When you send work home, include daily SEL prompts for your students to reflect on, ideally one for the beginning and end of their day.

Possible SEL check-ins:

How are you doing?

What have you done today that was fun, and why was it fun?

What's your internal weather?

Roses and Thorns

Get your students communicating with their peers. If technology doesn't allow, create pen pals or other paper-and-pen activities by sending home envelopes, paper, and stamps if your school is able. Or mimic "turn and talk to a neighbor" by setting up phone pals where students call each other on the phone several times a week to discuss specific topics or prompts. Perhaps send home a link to a virtual field trip.

Just as you would in your classroom, be sure to have some individual communication with your students. If time allows, send a personal email, message, or video check-in, especially for students who may have a more difficult transition.

Getting Started on Academics

When you begin work on academic content, I would focus on no new material at first and keep it simple. Start with something successful and build from there. Send activities to students that they can feel confident in completing while they navigate working from home. Review topics are good, especially as your families figure out the technology aspect. We should remember the amount of pressure on families right now, and have realistic expectations about what can be achieved due to juggling work, child care, siblings, illnesses, and caring for extended family.

We all want the best for our students, so let's keep things in perspective. While students will be challenged, they will be learning more about technology, problem-solving, working together, and communicating, as well as any academic concepts we can integrate into our plans.

In the big picture, we're talking about a few weeks to a month or two over the course of a 13-year educational career. While we should try to provide activities that are as meaningful as possible, we should also remember that on short notice we can't switch seamlessly to online learning and tackle everything we wanted to do, especially when many of us and our students and families have limited experience utilizing these technology tools.

It's OK to give ourselves time and permission to figure this out. Please realize home learning will be different, and that's OK too-it will be hard, and it won't replace interacting face-to-face. But we can work to set up home learning activities that we hope our students will use to keep their love of learning alive.

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How to Support Home Learning in Elementary Grades

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Like me, you're probably now being inundated with emails, links to resources, and social media shares offering free access to educational programming for home learning. You're also juggling directives and restrictions from your district, administration, and technology department.

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OLogy: a Science Website for Kids | American Museum of Natural History

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Find out about fossils, the universe, animals, and much more! On OLogy, kids of all ages can play games, do activities, collect cards, and meet scientists.

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We've gathered the top 30 educational Hulu shows that make the most of screentime. For your distance learning curriculum or learning at home with your own kids, these are the best options currently available.
Note to teachers: Some schools block Hulu, which requires you to use Hulu's offline feature to download preferred shows and use them during class. Also, grade recommendations were made by our editorial team, but of course, you are always the best judge of the appropriateness for own children and students.
Best educational Hulu shows for elementary school

This musical series introduces kids to the joys of classical music. Watch orchestral musicians play instruments such as the harp, piano, violin, and flute, interlaced with animated fun.

This fun series encourages kids to create art out of everyday objects. Transform items that would have hit the landfill into artistic masterpieces.

Say hello to the gentle giants of the animal kingdom, elephants.

Visit the habitats of animals and learn more about what makes them tick in this animated, nature-focused series.

Kids will love learning how everyday objects are manufactured in some of the most high-tech factories around the world.

Find inspiration in the life of Jane Goodall as she studies our adorable animal relatives, chimps.

So you think you're a LEGO master? Watch as twelve teams of two compete against each other in brick-building challenges that will inspire kids to take their LEGO collection to an entirely new level.

Explore the amazing life cycles that make our world so unique, from the changing of the seasons to the development stages of the butterfly in this animated mini-series for kids.

Your kids won't even realize that they're soaking in important lessons on geography and science as they follow two adorable penguins in their never-ending quest to survive.

Little ones will enjoy meeting Mr. Snail and exploring our natural world from a snail's perspective.

Best educational Hulu shows for middle school

Experience the challenges and thrills of the Apollo program from the disaster of Apollo 1 to the triumph of Apollo 8.

Take a virtual art class with the master of landscapes, Bob Ross. Meditative and relaxing, this is a great show for any kid looking to hone her art skills and relax her brain for a spell.

Based on the best-selling books for kids, Horrible Histories takes an in-depth and often hilarious look at history's most horrible moments.

Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman, two special effects experts with more than 30 years of experience, set off to dispel common myths via scientific testing.

Jack Randall isn't afraid of reptiles: watch as he dives headfirst into crocodile-infested swamps, reaches into giant lizards' burrows, and visits with deadly pythons in this fun and educational series.

Go behind the scenes at the Columbus zoo, where nearly 6,000 veterinary cases and well over 100 births each year challenge the zoologists that work hard every day to care for the zoo's most precious animals.

Shark Week showcases the world's deadliest marine hunters. You'll learn how they've survived for millions of years, and what dangers they face today.

Learn what it takes to build two engineering marvels, a massive cargo ship, and the International Space Station.

Follow along with Wayden and Brett, owners of the largest aquarium manufacturing company in the US, and learn how they create the most interesting aquariums in the world. Learn the science behind what it takes to care for our favorite finned creatures.

Budding vets will want to watch this show that highlights the lifesaving efforts of the vets at the Emergency Veterinary Trauma Center in Toronto, one of the busiest animal care facilities in Canada.

Best educational Hulu shows for high school

Bizarre Foods will teach kids more about geography, history, and cultures around the world while taking a virtual bite into unique dishes, drinks, and desserts that may or may not make your mouth water.

Explore the many mysteries that still surround some WWII battles and campaigns in this engaging three-episode series.

Meet the business and media leaders who changed our world. Learn the skills they had to hone to get there and the many challenges they faced on the road to success.

Delve into the science and mystery behind the cosmos.

Delve into the exciting world of Marine Biology with biologist and shark suit inventor, Jeremiah Sullivan.

Go behind the scenes with NASA scientists, researchers, and engineers as they work on the projects that will take us out-of-this-world tomorrow.

Reality and natural science collide in this documentary series that profiles venomous snake handlers Simon Keys and Siouxsie Gillett.

Survivorman Les Stroud trained for years to be able to survive in some of the world's harshest environments with little more than a multitool. Learn lessons on nature ... and life ... as you follow along on his incredible adventures in diverse ecosystems.

The Cold War and WW2 spycraft are the focus of this series surrounding genius inventor Nikola Tesla.

Take a seat and experience our planet from afar: see massive tsunamis in action, a whirlpool in the ocean the size of a state, and more incredible happenings best experienced from the comfort of your sofa.
What educational Hulu shows, movies, or documentaries do you use in your classroom? Come share in ourWeAreTeachers HELPLINE group on Facebook. Looking for more educational content to stream STAT? Check out our guide to the best educational shows on Netflix.

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30 Great Educational Hulu Shows to Stream in Your Classroom

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We've gathered the top 30 educational Hulu shows that make the most of screentime. For your distance learning curriculum or learning at home with your own kids, these are the best options currently available. Note to teachers: Some schools block Hulu, which requires you to use Hulu's offline feature to download preferred shows and use them during class.

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PLEASE VISIT OUR NEW SITE: ThatBrickLife.com
Do you have a LEGO fan in your house? If you're following us, you know how much Charlie loves all things LEGO!

Worried about keeping those LEGO bricks clean? Check out our post on how to clean and sanitize LEGO bricks.

Two new LEGO shows just premiered on Netflix: LEGO Friends: The Power of Friendship and LEGO Bionicle: The Journey to One.

To build excitement for their new LEGO shows (not that we needed any), Netflix sent us a couple of LEGO sets! We received the LEGO Friends Birthday Party and LEGO Bionicle Gali Uniter of Water sets.

Be sure to check out the new shows below! Charlie has already watched all of the episodes available for each!

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30 Days of LEGO Play - Free Printable Calendar - The Shirley Journey

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PLEASE VISIT OUR NEW SITE: ThatBrickLife.com Do you have a LEGO fan in your house? If you're following us, you know how much Charlie loves all things LEGO! Worried about keeping those LEGO bricks clean? Check out our post on how to clean and sanitize LEGO bricks.

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Virtual Field Trip

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About Lauren Tarshis

Lauren Tarshis's acclaimed and bestselling I Survived series, which has more than 25 million copies in print and digital formats since its launch in 2010, tells stories of young people and their resilience and strength in the midst of unimaginable disasters. For each book in the series that has captivated kids and educators alike, Tarshis has conducted extensive research on topics such as the sinking of the Titanic, the destruction of Pompeii, Hurricane Katrina, the bombing of Pearl Harbor, and now on the war that brought the United States its independence in I Survived the American Revolution, 1776. In addition to being an author, Lauren oversees the ELA magazines for Scholastic Classroom Magazines, and is the editor of Storyworks. She lives in Connecticut, and can be found online at laurentarshis.com.

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I Survived the American Revolution Webcast | Scholastic.com

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Lauren Tarshis's acclaimed and bestselling I Survived series, which has more than 25 million copies in print and digital formats since its launch in 2010, tells stories of young people and their resilience and strength in the midst of unimaginable disasters.

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BrainPOP - Animated Educational Site for Kids - Science, Social Studies, English, Math, Arts & Music, Health, and Technology

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FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The Kansas City Zoo is offering a unique way to pass the time while at home- a 24-hour live stream featuring the penguins at Helzberg Penguin Plaza.

The $15 million exhibit first opened to the public in October 2013.

The exhibit contains more than 100,000 gallons of salt water and two ice flake machines to produce three inches of snowfall each day for the adorable penguins.

In December the Kansas City Zoo welcomed two new gentoo penguin chicks into the exhibit.

The chicks hatched on Saturday, Dec. 7 and Monday, Dec. 9.

"They have grown so much that they barely fit underneath parents Mali & Beaker and Chuck & Lucy, who have kept them protected in their nests," the zoo said in a December Facebook post said announcing their birth.

In early December the zoo welcomed eight macaroni penguins. They came to KC as eggs from Sea World in San Diego and recently hatched in incubators.

Keep an eye out for all of the new penguins while watching the live stream.

The zoo announced Tuesday that they are still open.

"The Kansas City Zoo's top priority is the safety of our guests, staff, and animals," their website said. "At this time, the Zoo is open but we are taking extra precautions to ensure the health and well-being of all. We will continue to update this website as any additional changes are made."

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Kansas City Zoo offering 24-hour live stream of penguins

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The Kansas City Zoo is offering a unique way to pass the time while at home- a 24-hour live stream featuring the penguins at Helzberg Penguin Plaza. The $15 million exhibit first opened to the public in October 2013. The exhibit contains more than 100,000 gallons of salt water and two ice [...]

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Our list of Boredom Busters includes over 100 fun (and mostly free) activities that you and your kids can enjoy at home. This handy list can easily be printed and placed on the refrigerator - a great way to have instant "ideas" when boredom strikes!

Challenge YOUR kids to do one activity every day all summer long. It's a great way to learn a few new games and activities, while filling those "I'm bored!" moments.

1. Obstacle Course

2. Scavenger Hunt

3. Water Balloons

4. Collect Bugs

5. Study a spider web

6. 3-legged races

7. Wash the dog

8. Wash the car

9. Paint outdoors

10. Stargazing

11. Plant a garden

12. Camp in the backyard

13. Eat watermelon in big wedges

14. Look for 4-leaf clovers

15. Splash in puddles

16. Build a bird house or feeder

17. Make a paper hat

18. Make a paper boat and see if it floats

19. Decorate a T-shirt

20. Send postcards to family & friends

21. Finger painting

22. Make your own Play-doh

23. Make a necklace out of beads or pasta

24. Write an autobiography

25. Have a fashion show

26. Bubbles

27. Hula Hoops

28. Jump Ropes

29. Rearrange your bedroom

30. Have a PJ Party

31. Watch the clouds

32. Create a movie or play

33. Make up a story; Illustrate it

34. Have a talent show in your backyard

35. Learn a Line Dance

36. Practice tongue twisters

37. Learn to juggle

38. Create a house of cards

39. Have paper airplane races

40. Bob for apples

41. Make a Rope Swing

42. Hopscotch

43. Freeze Tag

44. Hide and Seek

45. Red Light Green Light

46. Dodge Ball

47. Learn a YoYo trick

48. Play H-O-R-S-E

49. Egg Toss

50. Make shadow puppets

51. Line up dominoes and watch them drop

52. Play with Shaving Cream & food coloring

53. Create a musical instrument out of recyclables

54. Make a box town out of old boxes

55. Research careers (Interview locals such as a firefighter, dentist, hairdresser, or lifeguard)

56. Learn string games like Cats in the Cradle

57. Have a picnic on the living room floor

58. Learn clapping games like Miss Mary Mack

59. Play cards (Crazy 8s, War, Rummy)

60. Family game night

61. Watch old home movies or look at old pictures

62. Have a watermelon seed spitting contest

63. Build a fort

64. Fly a Kite

65. Play capture the flag

66. Play Freeze Tag

67. Tell scary stories in the dark

68. Go for a hike

69. Learn sign language

70. Learn Morse Code

71. Build a toothpick bridge or building

72. Walk the dog

73. Bake some treats for your neighbors

74. Play chess or checkers

75. Play charades

76. Have a bubble-blowing contest

77. Climb a tree

78. Do blind taste tests with various drinks and food

79. Solve a crossword or word search puzzle

80. Make butterflies from coffee filters

81. Play hangman or tic-tac-toe

82. Dance to 50s music (or any era)

83. Invite neighbors for a family potluck dinner

84. Play free online games

85. Make a Diet Coke and Mentos eruption

86. Jump rope Try double dutch

87. Make a time capsule

88. Learn how to read a map

89. Play hot potato

90. Have breakfast for dinner

91. Make homemade pizza

92. Have thumb wars

93. Arm wrestle

94. Give each other crazy or fancy hair dos

95. Draw a letter, word, or picture on your friend's back and have them guess what you've drawn

96. Have a relay race

97. Color "Easter Eggs" any time

98. Make your own pet rock

99. Play "I Spy"

100. Put together a puzzle

101. Play "20 questions"

102. Make a fort or car out of a large appliance box

103. Try to make each other laugh

104. Create something with beads

105. Write a secret message in "mirror image"

106. Have a staring contest

107. Speak Pig Latin

108. Play Truth or Dare

109. Create a secret code Send each other messages

110. Play Simon Says

111. Play Ping Pong

Be sure to visit Family eGuide's Online Calendar - FULL of family-friendly events in the DFW area!

AND Check out our list of DFW Attractions, complete with lots of photos of our visits!!

Looking for more fun events and activities?

Grapevine, Texas

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Boredom Busters: 110 Fun At-Home Activities for Families & Kids - Family eGuide

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Boredom Busters: 110 Fun At-Home Activities for Families & Kids Our list of Boredom Busters includes over 100 fun (and mostly free) activities that you and your kids can enjoy at home. This handy list can easily be printed and placed on the refrigerator - a great way to have instant "ideas" when boredom strikes!

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We teamed up with our friends at Nickelodeon and Rainforest Alliance to create a fun and interactive Rainforest Animal Flipbook. This flipbook showcases the different levels of the rainforest and (best of all!) the interesting animals that live there.

Teaching about the rainforest always turns out to be one of the highlights of the school year. Students are especially fascinated by learning about all of the interesting animals, plants and ecosystems.

Students will love creating, customizing and exploring through their very own flipbook. Each page represents a layer of the rainforest (emergent layer, canopy layer, understory layer, and forest floor) and features interesting tidbits about the animals and plants native to each habitat.

What's Inside?

In addition to the flipbook (which doubles as a coloring book!), the download includes a teacher guide as well as a student activity pack with engaging worksheets. These extended lessons will help students dig even deeper learning about the rainforest.

Watch students' eyes get wide when they learn fun facts such as; The Goliath Birdeater Tarantula is the size of a dinner plate with its legs spread out? 😲 And yes... it earned its name because it's so big that it can eat birds. (Cue the classroom gasp!)

Plus! A Limited-Time Offer From Nickelodeon!

Not only is this Rainforest Animal Flipbook free, but our friends at Nickelodeon are offering classroom kits to 50 teachers who fill out this form and request the kit. The classroom kits include printed flipbooks and classroom supplies such as markers, crayons, scissors and more. Classroom kits will be prioritized by school needs and the date of request.

So don't be a sloth! Hurry and request your free kit today.
Get My Rainforest Flipbook!
English Language Arts Standards

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.3.7: Use information gained from illustrations (e.g., maps, photographs) and the words in a text to demonstrate understanding of the text (e.g., where, when, why, and how key events occur).

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.4.3: Explain events, procedures, ideas, or concepts in a historical, scientific, or technical text, including what happened and why, based on specific information in the text.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.5.2: Determine two or more main ideas of a text and explain how they are supported by key details; summarize the text.

Next Generation Science Standards

Construct an argument supported by evidence for how plants and animals (including humans) can change the environment to meet their needs.

©2020 Viacom International Inc. All Rights Reserved. Nickelodeon and all related titles, logos and characters are trademarks of Viacom International Inc.

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This Rainforest Animal Flipbook is Filled with Crazy Facts (and It's Free!)

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We teamed up with our friends at Nickelodeon and Rainforest Alliance to create a fun and interactive Rainforest Animal Flipbook. This flipbook showcases the different levels of the rainforest and (best of all!) the interesting animals that live there. Teaching about the rainforest always turns out to be one of the highlights of the school year.

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Kim Jones McClelland, a principal in our Principal Life group on Facebook, shared these brilliant ideas for things to do during COVID closures that is now going viral, for good reason! These low-tech kid activities are great for elementary kids (although I know some middle schoolers who could learn a lot from #4!).

1. Interview a family member.

Taking the time out to learn more about the people in your family might surprise your children. Get them to dig deep and think about their questions and their responses. Save these interviews so you can read them again.

2. Measure the area and perimeter of each room in your home.

This is a math skill everyone needs to know how to do. Bonus points if they do the windows too so they'll know what size curtains would work!

3. Graph the types of birds that frequent your yard or windows.

Bird watching is fascinating for everyone. Check out these tips for identifying birds. Once you've tracked your birds, make a graph to show how many of each kind were in your backyard during a certain period of time.

4. Be completely silent for 60 minutes, then write about the experience.

In a world where there are so many distractions, it's amazing what we notice when we're silent.

5. Write and mail a [real] letter to your teacher or principal or classroom pen pal. Address the envelope yourself.

Learning to write a letter and address an envelope is important even in the age of email. The thrill of getting a letter in the mail cannot be overestimated.

6. Build a "fable fort" out of blankets and chairs. Camp in it all day while you create stories to tell your family over dinner.

Human beings love telling stories. What's a fable? Learn about them and read some here.

7. Learn Morse Code and use it to communicate with your siblings through walls and floors.

It's pretty fun (and clever) to use Morse Code as a way to keep messages hidden.

8. Alphabetize the spices in your kitchen.

Think only books can be alphabetized? The cook in your family will appreciate an organized spice cabinet.

9. Stay up late and stargaze.

When you don't have to go to school in the morning, it can be okay to stay up late once in a while. Stretch out and watch the stars. If kids are curious about them, show them how to learn more.

10. Call a grandparent or older relative. Ask them to teach you the words to a song from their childhood days.

Just like #1, this is something that can really help kids learn more about the people in their lives.

Use this quiet time to tinker and consider how things are made.

12. Determine and chart the times that different liquids require to turn solid in the freezer.

You know that game where kids blindfold each other and then do taste tests with things like hot sauce and beet juice? This one is less messy, or likely to start sibling arguments.

13. Design and build puppets that perform a show about multiplication.

Thinking about things in new ways drives new learning. It'll be fun to get puppets teaching about math, and really nothing helps kids solidify their understanding than teaching someone else.

14. Construct a family tree.

Make this one wide-open and out of the box. Challenge your kids to create any kind of tree they want and include anyone who they consider to be family.

15. Learn ten new big words. Write them in marker on your bathroom mirror.

Don't worry, marker comes off mirrors easily. Meanwhile, yay for big words like: ubiquitous, flippant, and redundant.

16. Draw a map of your home and neighborhood.

In addition to be an important part of understanding how maps work, this activity helps kids define their world. Bonus tip: choose a safe place near your home on the map to meet family members in an emergency.

17. Sit silently for 15 minutes while you write down every sound you hear. When you are done, classify the sounds (high/low pitch, high/low volume, manmade v. naturally occurring, etc.).

Number 4 started kids off paying attention to silence. In this activity, let's get kids making comparisons.

18. Create a Venn Diagram that compares and contrasts two people connected to you in anyway.

Understanding that people who seem very different may have a lot of similarities shifts our perspective and creates room for kindness and understanding.

19. Learn, practice, and perform a magic trick.

From the bendable spoon to the floating card trick, learning magic tricks takes practice. But, when magic works, it's the best.

20 Learn, practice, and tell three new jokes.

Everyone is going to need to laugh in the coming days of social distancing. Here are some jokes to get them started.

21. Use household materials to make and play stringed, percussion, and wind instruments.

Making instruments can be as easy as banging on a pot with a spoon, or you can try out these other ways to make instruments out of household goods.

22. Learn to shine a pair of shoes.

Shining shoes used to be more common when people wore sneakers only to do exercise, but it's important to take care of the things you own.

23. Collect leaves from ten different (non-harmful) plants. Sort them by size, color, and texture.

Go outside and find ten different leaves and then compare them!

24. Put your favorite book, toy, and keepsake on a small table in sunlight. Draw or paint a full color still life.

This is a great way to express your love for something. For a variation on this, try out different ways to paint the still life "like" a famous artist.

25. Find, pick, and dissect a flower.

Think and act like a scientist when you choose a flower and carefully take apart its parts. Not sure what every part is? Check out this site to learn more about dissecting a flower.

26. If you have stairs, walk up and count them. Walk down and count by twos. Walk up and count by threes. Continue through tens.

This simple math practice trick gets kids thinking about numbers and exercising!

27. Determine the volumes of ten containers, them display them in order on your porch.

Not sure how to determine volume? Learn more about measuring volume here.

28. Write a poem on your sidewalk using chalk.

Writing poetry is freeing because there aren't a lot of rules. Or you can establish a rule and see how different people think about it. For example, write a poem about snow without using the words white or cold.

29. Classify twenty everyday objects by shape, size, color, height, mass, and material.

Learning how to classify and organize things is a skill that's helpful for reading, math, science, and history. In other words-everything.

30. Measure the length of your bed using five different nonstandard units.

My bed is 126 pieces of sea glass long, how long is yours?

31. Call a person who speaks a language you do not. Ask them to teach you five common words or phrases.

If you can't do this, change your tv shows to a different language and try to figure out what is happening.

32. Create and use a secret code.

In #7, we worked with Morse Code, now make up your own code. Send people messages in code, have them figure it out, and write back!

33. Using one type of paper (constant), build three different paper airplanes (independent variable) and test to see how far they fly (dependent variable).

34. Set a clock three hours and seven minutes ahead. Whenever someone needs to know the time, help them figure it out by subtracting.

This is both irritating and totally fun. Maybe -3 hrs 07 min can be your new family time zone!

35. Write down every adjective you say for one full day.

Depending on how much your child talks during the day, this might take a while.

36. Color in a map with every state you (or your family) ever visited.

Not only is it important to know where all the states are located, but this is a great way to set travel goals. Try this map for a digital one.

37. Write or tell a story titled "What if humans had to leave the Earth and no one remembered to turn off the last robot?"

Try using some read alouds like The Wild Robot by Peter Brown as a jumping off point.

38. Find ten rocks smaller than a dime.

Kids have the best eyes for this kind of thing. Give them each a dime so they can compare and an old yogurt container to hold the rocks.

39. Using paper, tape, and string, design, build, and test a device that warns you when someone opens the kitchen cabinet.

Developing ideas that can be helpful for human beings is one of the best skills we can develop in kids. If you want to dig a little deeper, teach them about engineering design to help them plan and execute.

40. Imagine, create, and fly a full size flag that tells the world about you.

Everyone deserves to fly their own flag. Talk to kids about symbols and give them the creative stuff they need create their own flag: markers, crayons, paper, fabric, glitter, glue.
There's going to be a lot of time to fill in the coming weeks, but no one needs to be bored. We hope these ideas give you lots to think about. We'd love to hear about other things to do during COVID closures, too! Please share in the comments. Plus, more hands-on activities kids can do at home.

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This Principal's List of Things to Do During COVID Closures Is Going Viral for All the Right Reasons

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Kim Jones McClelland, a principal in our Principal Life group on Facebook, shared these brilliant ideas for things to do during COVID closures that is now going viral, for good reason! These low-tech kid activities are great for elementary kids (although I know some middle schoolers who could learn a lot from #4!).

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While the Cincinnati Zoo is closed and kids are home from school, let us help make your children’s hiatus from school fun and educational.  Join us for a Home Safari Facebook Live each day at 3pm EDT...

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Many of these are now free- use links and codes on this page

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There is nothing more frustrating for teachers than having a weird chunk of time in the classroom and not knowing what to do with it! We have all been there, 10 minutes between Art and Lunch, 15 minutes before an assembly, and those few minutes you may be waiting for a guest teacher or classroom visitor. Without a structured activity, those minutes are wasted, or worse chaotic!

That is why I always have my favorite websites bookmarked on my computer for easy access. These websites are perfect to use to fill those awkward moments with meaningful activities. They are also perfect to use to:

enhance your lessons

have students learn at home

provide independent practice opportunities for students

have instant engagement anytime

Whether you choose to complete activities from these sites together as a class on the smartboard, assign to students to complete independently at home, or use during whole class computer class, they are sure to engage your students!
Language Arts Websites

Time For Kids
I love this site to read nonfiction current event articles. You can access the articles even without a subscription. Highly engaging reading articles to share and discuss together.

SAG Read Alouds: Storyline Online
This is my go-to website, especially during downtime. There are so many fun read-aloud videoes of favorite children's picture books that keep students engaged and are read aloud by many familiar faces. Pause throughout the reading to ask comprehension questions and practice skills and strategies you are teaching.

Epic!
This site has so many popular books and student favorites broken down by age and grade. It also has different videoes, quizzes and activities to go with the books.

ReadWorks
I have used this site for years and am loving the new interface. Visit this site for fiction and nonfiction articles that you can read or print, along with reading comprehension activities. There is also a play button to have the passages be read aloud to the students.

NewsELA
Includes several nonfiction articles about current events, Social Studies topics, Science topics and now Social-Emotional Learning topics. Articles included are for students grades 2-12 and include assessments. There are both free and paid versions of this site.

Read Theory
Great site for quick reading passages with questions to practice reading comprehension.

Common Lit
This site has a wide variety of texts, paired texts, reading guides, interactive pages and so much more!

Dreamscape
Interactive and motivating reading game with easy to use teacher interface. Students are highly motivated and engaged with this site.

Have your students practice the reading strategy of visualizing as they read any passage from these sites with this FREE visualizing activity page. Perfect for classwork or to send home to keep students' skills sharp.

Math Websites

IXL Math
We have used this site for so many years and I love it! Math activities are broken down by grade and skill, making it easy to assign to students. Teacher interface is easy to use.

XTRA Math
This site is all about fact practice for addition, subtraction, division, and multiplication. Activities are straight forward math fact practice. Perfect for quick practice, classwork or homework practice. Free and also comes in app form.

Math Playground (Thinking Blocks)
If you use the bar model to help students solve word problems, this site is for you! Colorful, interactive problem-solving tasks keep students engaged. I love having students work on these problems with a math partner to encourage math discourse.

Math Facts Pro
Math fact practice in different forms including engaging games for kids.

Splash Learn
Math activities are broken down by grade and skill and are highly engaging for students. Easy to monitor and use teacher interface helps you to keep track of student progress.

Encourage your students to break down math word problems they are faced with from these sites with this FREE Math Word Problem Graphic Organizer. Perfect for classwork or to send home to keep students' skills sharp.

Science Websites

Mystery Science
Another of my favorite go-to websites to engage students, this site will truly enhance your curriculum and engage your students with hands-on activities and learning.

Discovery Ed
Great way to bring science into the classroom with videos, lessons, articles, and trending science topics.

Endangered Species (Animal Planet) and More Endangered Species (WWF)
Who doesn't love animals and learning about endangered species? You and your class can get lost in these sites reading about all the different animals who are sadly endangered. During the month of April, I love to read about one animal each day as students are learning about Earth Day and preparing for our animal project. Highly engaging!

DK Find Out!
Great place to go to find out answers to students' science questions, explore different topics, kick-off science units and just learn! Kids love this site.

Engage your students with FREE science nonfiction reading activities HERE. Perfect for classwork or to send home to keep students' skills sharp.

Multiple Subject Websites

BrainPOP
No list of classroom websites is complete without BrainPOP and BrainPOP Jr. To gain access to all the videoes a subscription is needed, but it is worth it! I use these every day, many times a day. There are videoes to help introduce new units, reviews a skill, bring the holidays and current events into the classroom, and just have fun. There are also activities, note pages, questions, and quizzes to use with each video. The kids love them, but I may just love them even more! Don't have a subscription? Check the site each week to watch the free video of the week.Is your school out because of the Coronovirus? Grab FREE access to Brainpop HERE.

BrainPOP Jr
The K-3 version of BrainPOP. Love it!

TEDTalks Kids
Super engaging talks and presentations for students to learn about trending ideas and topics that are popular around the nation.

Freckle
This site offers a unique differentiation platform that spans all subjects, ELA, math, social studies and science. Must check out if you are looking for one site that has it all!

ABCya!
There are so many fun activities across all content areas for grades PreK to middle school that your students will love! Activities are broken down by grade, making it easy to assign or challenge students by advancing to the next grade level.

Creative Websites

Art Hub
This is a fun interactive art website that has several different activities for kids. I love the directed drawing lessons that are included!

Complete a Puzzle
Indoor recess? No problem! Throw one of these puzzles on the smartboard and you will see instant engagement and teamwork from your students. Pick a puzzle design, pick the number of pieces for each puzzle and watch the kids work together to create it. Save and timer options make these puzzles even more fun.

Story Bird
An engaging site to encourage creative writing from students. Use prompts or pictures included to get your students writing and enjoying it!

Engage your students with a FREE creative poetry writing activity HERE. Perfect for classwork or to send home to keep students' skills sharp.

Looking for digital learning resources?

independently in the classroom or remotely at home to keep their skills' sharp.

This is a growing list. Be sure to pin to save this page for easy access to these websites and the new sites that are added.

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The Best Websites to Save for Upper Elementary Classrooms

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There is nothing more frustrating for teachers than having a weird chunk of time in the classroom and not knowing what to do with it! We have all been there, 10 minutes between Art and Lunch, 15 minutes before an assembly, and those few minutes you may be waiting for a guest teacher or classroom visitor.