Overview: Kids with an interest in fine art can access a surprising number of online resources: educational resources from art museums, particularly non-profit facilities run by the government; online training courses; and art games can help kids develop a knowledge of art while developing their skills.
Learning About Fine Art
Attending a museum is a complicated endeavor for any family that often involves a day trip. Happily, for kids interested in learning more about art and art history, the internet has made the fine arts more accessible to everyone.
Not only are the lives of artists at your kids’ fingertips on websites such as Wikipedia, but museums and art schools have developed online resources to help kids gain a better understanding of art and how it’s made.
Museums
Many museums have a “kids” section or a section for educators offering free materials and ideas for use by anyone. The National Gallery of Art, for example, offers materials divided by grades all the way up to college age.
Many also offer “digital collections,” high-resolution scans or photography of the museum’s collections. Some offer full, three-dimensional scans that allow users to rotate, zoom in to inspect more closely, and more.
A few take that one step further. The Smithsonian, for example, offers a selection of three-dimensional scans that can be printed with a 3D printer, offering fine detail, tactile learning, and even materials kids can work into their art.
Where to start:
Online Courses
For kids who want to learn the basics of art beyond what they can get in school, there’s a multitude of both free and paid online art courses for them to consider. Many courses will explore the basics of art theory, often using paint-along or draw-along instruction to help kids understand the concepts.
Kid-focused courses are available from both non-profit organizations and for-profit entities. Older kids can also make use of adult-focused courses. Though most are clearly labeled with age recommendations, you may want to look deeper into content in some cases. Figure drawing, for example, may involve models in various states of undress that may not be appropriate for younger kids.
Where to start:
Online Art Games
There are quite a few art games available for kids who want to have fun while building their skills. Google, for example, has a game called “Quick, Draw!” where a user attempts to draw something within a set time limit, usually twenty seconds or less. It encourages kids to draw from instinct instead of overthinking their art, and it doesn’t require drawing supplies.
Google also offers AutoDraw, which can help kids who are still developing their skills practice or simply want to have a little fun. The user draws a rough sketch, and Google’s AI tools try to guess what they’re drawing.
The classic art game Pictionary is also available online in a variety of different styles, which can bring the whole family into the game.
Finally, kids can refine their color sense with games like Blendoku, which uses subtle shades of color to create different puzzles. It’s a fun way to develop more awareness of color and the relationships between different shades.
Where to start:
Screen Time Helps Your Kids Explore Safely
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