Keep your kids busy and creative with these free online drawing tutorials this summer

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Ready your sketch pads, little artists. Art is having a moment with free online drawing tutorials everywhere to help kids let their creative juices flow this summer. With sessions led by celebrated children's authors such as Mo Willems and Dav Pilkey, there are certainly no shortages for your child to get arty!

Pixar ‘How to Draw’ tutorials

Pixar’s YouTube channel is the perfect boredom buster for kiddos in need of an activity, starting with free ‘How To Draw’ tutorials from the company’s animators and experts. A series of five-minute videos provide step-by-step instructions needed for young illustrators to get started. Kids can bring their favourite characters to life, including Mater and Lightning McQueen from Cars, Woody from Toy Story, Duke Caboom from Toy Story 4 and Barley Lightfood from Onward. For those youngsters who are looking to dive into a deep creative project, there’s also a guide on how to make an Onward-inspired flipbook on the channel.

LUNCH DOODLES with Mo Willems

For three weeks this spring, illustrator Mo Willems, led popular free online drawing session LUNCH DOODLES. The 15 episodes have been archived so your little ones can see the magic behind the mind that came up with Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!, Knuffle Bunny and many more contemporary classics. Sessions and their downloadable activities are available at The Kennedy Center site or on YouTube. Kids are encouraged to share their artwork with the world on social media using #MoLunchDoodles.

Pilkey at Home

Dav Pilkey, the author of the Captain Underpants and Dog Man series, is posting a free online video series called Dav Pilkey at Home on the websites of Scholastic and the US Library of Congress featuring read-a-louds, drawing lessons and other kid-friendly fun with characters from Dog Man and Captain Underpants. Each week is themed (‘What are the ways you do good?’ for example) with plenty of downloadable reading and creative activities.

‘Let’s Draw Star Wars’

No need to venture to a galaxy far, far away for an out-of-this-world art lesson. All you need to do is visit Star Wars Kids on YouTube. The channel is perfect for young stormtroopers who can’t get enough of the intergalactic series: Thanks to video clips, fun trivia and other cool activities, George Lucas' youngest fan base has something entertaining to tackle while at home. In particular, we are most excited about the channel’s ‘Let's Draw Star Wars' series with step-by-step videos on over 15 characters to master, including The Child (aka Baby Yoda), Kylo Ren, Porgs, BB-8 and Maul. Ready the coloured pencils and may the force be with you, animators.

Free colouring books

Grab a fresh box of crayons, untwist the marker tops and get ready to create a masterpiece with any of the free colouring books available online. From classic Disney princess movies to fun cartoons for kids, Disney LOL offers free print-outs of characters old and new: Belle, Ariel, Vampirina, Miguel and anyone else you could possibly imagine. Nickelodeon lets kids take a crack at making their favourite characters from Paw Patrol, SpongeBob SquarePants, Shimmer and Shine, Bubble Guppies and other Nick shows come to life. Art supplies company Crayola doesn’t miss a trick. A variety of pages are available: seasons, characters, plants, animals, places and so on. Parents can even join in the fun with the selection of free print-outs for adults! (No judgment if you opt for the same pattern your tot is working on.)

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Posted: 9:36 pm, 28 May 2020