Get your creative juices flowing! Whatever kind of children’s service you are running – from nursery to children’s centre, out of school scheme to extended school and youth centre, the following websites can support your activity programme.
Take inspiration from the links below for fresh ideas, resources, exciting projects, a whole host of themes and creative ways in which children and young people can express themselves.
Zoom into action
www.tate.org.uk/schoolsteachers/zoomroom/
Zoom into fresh ideas for making art. The Zoom Room contains an archive of informal art activities carried out by children in the Tate galleries. Get new ideas and tips for making collages, creating snow globes, putting on performances, or carving soap sculptures.
Fun stuff from museums and galleries
www.show.me.uk/
Show Me is the place to visit to find out everything you need to know about what’s going on for children in the UK’s museums and galleries. Check out inspiring theme based ideas such as the fish Olympics and animal survival and find out what is on at museums and galleries near you. Many of these activities are free and prearranged group workshops can often be organised.
Graffitti art
www.banksy.co.uk/
Many teenagers love the challenging messages and art forms of Banksy, and the Banksy website can be an inspirational place to start. It will be important not to encourage anything that can get young people into trouble, though, so street art and graffiti in the local community will be out. Instead, turn your space into an indoor gallery with lots of opportunities for creative art and expression.
Get creative with Blast
www.bbc.co.uk/blast/
Blast is the BBC site for art and design, music, writing and film for young people. Each week, a new BlastCast will give you the lowdown on how to get creative in eco-fashion, b-boying, writing, VJing, MCing, making animations, scratching, film directing and beatboxing. Check out the Blast on Tour dates, great activities and lots of links to related sites.
Creative Minds
www.creativeminds.org.uk/
Download creative activity ideas from the Yorkshire and Humber based Creative Minds Project.
Eureka!
www.eureka.org.uk/
Be inspired by events at this Museum for Children which is the first and foremost hands-on children’s museum in the UK and is designed especially for 0–11 year olds. Find out how the body and senses work, discover the realities of daily life, travel from the familiar backyard to amazing, faraway places around the globe and explore the science behind sound, rhythm and performance – check out the great Eureka beach idea!
Get sporty
www.bbc.co.uk/cbbc/sport/
Children can find out everything they want to know about sport on this packed CBBC website. Learn about rules, hear about sports stars and find out more about how to get involved.
CBBC
http://www.bbc.co.uk/cbbc/
Get masses of information on everything from wildlife to art, gardening to cartoons from this fantastic resource.
Creative projects
www.creative-partnerships.com/projects/
The Government’s flagship creativity programme for schools and young people. Take a look at some of the creative projects underway to inspire ideas for your playscheme.
Gallery 37
www.youthmusic.org.uk/Partnership_programmes/Gallery37_Plus.jsp
A cross-arts youth engagement programme for 16–24 year olds which focuses on intensive summer activity involving a range of art forms including media, fashion, dance, design and the visual and performing arts.
Make music!
bongoclub.org.uk
An online resource for early years music making hosted by Youth Music. Full of ideas and inspiration for both parents and early years practitioners.
Get active
promotingsport.sportengland.org/default.aspx
The Promoting Sport Toolkit is a collection of simple-to-use tools to help promote sport and active recreation.
The world about us
http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/
The Science Museum turns science into a thrilling learning experience – and so can you! Get online ideas, inspiration and information here.
For kids
www.vam.ac.uk/moc/
More good ideas from the V&A Museum of Childhood.
It’s only natural
www.nhm.ac.uk/
Everything you need to know about the natural world with information, activities and nature cams from the Natural History Museum.
Sounds good
www.youthmusic.org.uk/Youthmusic_initiative/SoundStation.jsp
A resource for young people to help them learn more about all genres of music, share musical experiences, get career advice and hear the latest about Youth Music projects and initiatives in their area. Use the Local Events section to find Youth Music projects in your area, play interactive music games, test your knowledge on the monthly music quiz and leave messages on the Bulletin Board.
Drawing for everyone!
www.campaignfordrawing.org
Try fun online drawing activities, and be inspired by photo galleries of events held for The Big Draw, the Campaign for Drawing’s annual October showpiece – showing how drawing can be a public activity as well as a private passion, at everyone’s fingertips!
Crafty ideas
www.4children.org.uk/crafts4kids
Browse the wide range of resources from Crafts4Kids.co.uk – arts & crafts materials, kits, books, inspiring creative projects and tips. With discounts on sale items for 4Children members!
Planet Science
http://www.planet-science.com
A free website and weekly newsletter for children who study science and the teachers and other adults who support them. The aim is to engage young people in science and the site offers science-themed games, party ideas, practical experiments for out of school environments and a fortnightly junior newletter with activities and free giveaways.
