Art and design resources for home educators
Looking for art and design resources to use at home? This collection brings together useful websites, online art lessons, creative projects, drawing resources and design ideas for home educated children and teenagers. Whether your child loves making art or needs a little more encouragement to get started, there are options here for different ages, interests and levels of confidence.
Check out the Mixed Subjects link, for sites that cover all subjects including art, and our Courses & Lessons page has art providers, or discover some of our favourite art books for home ed children
Art lessons, history and creative activities
|
Website |
Ages / level |
|
|---|---|---|
|
Mainly KS2–secondary |
Free art and design lessons covering drawing, painting, colour theory, perspective, graphic design and art history. Includes step-by-step tutorials, artist studies and practical projects. |
|
|
Children and teenagers; varies by workshop |
Live online comic art and manga workshops for home educated children, exploring character design, cartooning, illustration and visual storytelling. Small-group Zoom sessions with an experienced illustrator. Paid workshops. |
|
|
Mainly primary, approx. 5–12 |
Playful art history resources introducing famous artists, artworks and creative techniques through hands-on projects, discussion and observation. Includes free activities and paid art guides and programmes. |
|
|
4–12; separate teen programme for ages 13–19 |
Step-by-step online drawing and painting lessons designed to develop creativity, artistic skills and confidence. Includes a large library of video tutorials, a free introductory lesson and paid subscriptions. Older learners can explore the separate Art Eye Deer programme. |
|
|
Mixed ages; adaptable for families |
A 20-week art and art history course introducing artists, techniques and creative movements through biographies, artwork discussions and practical projects. Also offers shorter themed courses and downloadable resources. Paid courses. |
|
|
All ages; activities vary |
Free creative activities and artist-inspired projects from Tate, encouraging experimentation with drawing, painting, sculpture, collage and different materials. |
|
|
Mainly 5–12 |
Free child-friendly art activities, games, quizzes, artist information and creative challenges exploring famous artworks, artistic techniques and the world of art. |
|
|
All ages, with guidance for younger children |
Explore thousands of artworks from different cultures and historical periods through a free online collection. Includes paintings, sculptures, photography and design objects, with information about artists and their work. |
|
|
Primary–A level; all ages welcome |
Free access to artworks from public collections across the UK, including paintings, sculpture and other art forms. Includes artist biographies, themed collections, creative activities and educational resources. |
|
|
Mainly 4–13, adaptable |
Free step-by-step drawing videos covering animals, characters, cartoons, seasonal themes and imaginative projects. Designed for children and families to follow along together. Additional membership content available. |
|
|
Mainly early years–primary |
Free and paid printable craft projects, worksheets and creative activities linked to topics including nature, science, history, seasons and literature. US-based, with many activities suitable for home education. |
|
|
Mainly 3–11 |
Free craft tutorials, printable activities, nature crafts, sensory projects and seasonal art ideas using everyday materials. Particularly useful for younger children and hands-on creative learning. |
|
|
Mainly 5–12 |
Free drawing videos featuring children's author and illustrator Mo Willems, encouraging children to doodle, create characters and explore storytelling through illustration. |
|
|
Primary–secondary, depending on project |
Free art tutorials and creative projects exploring drawing, painting, mixed media and different artistic techniques. Includes guided activities and ideas for experimenting with materials and styles. |
Comic making, animation and digital art
|
Website |
Ages / level |
|
|---|---|---|
|
Approx. 6+, with support for younger children |
Free online comic strip maker with illustrated characters, backgrounds and speech bubbles. Encourages creative writing, storytelling and visual communication, with additional writing prompts and printable activities. |
|
|
Approx. 7+, adaptable |
Browser-based stop-motion animation tool for creating short films using photographs, drawings, models and everyday objects. Includes frame-by-frame editing and basic animation tools. Free starter plan with optional paid features. |
|
|
Approx. 8+, with supervision for community features |
Free online pixel art editor for creating digital drawings, characters, sprites and animations. Includes drawing tools, colour palettes and an online art community where users can share their work. |
|
|
Mainly 10+, adaptable |
Free, open-source 3D modelling and animation software for creating low-poly models, characters and textures. Particularly popular for Minecraft creations, but also useful for learning digital design and 3D modelling. |
Arts Award qualifications
|
Website |
Ages / level |
Description |
|---|---|---|
|
Ages 5–25, depending on level |
A nationally recognised programme encouraging children and young people to explore the arts, develop creative skills, research artists and share their work. Offers five levels, from Discover and Explore through to Bronze, Silver and Gold. Can be completed outside school through a registered Arts Award centre and trained adviser, including online options. |
Home educating families can explore online Arts Award opportunities through the Arts Award Initiative and HomeEducated.org.uk. Both offer routes to completing Arts Award outside a traditional school setting. I've also seen the award offered as a class on The £2 Tuition Hub.
Graphic design and creative software
|
Website |
Ages / level |
Description |
|---|---|---|
|
Mainly older children and teenagers, with adult guidance |
An easy-to-use online design platform for creating posters, presentations, infographics, digital artwork, videos and other visual projects. Includes templates, images, illustrations and design tools. A generous free version is available, with optional paid features. |
|
|
Teenagers and adults; useful for family projects |
A large collection of free, high-quality photographs covering nature, architecture, people, landscapes and everyday life. Useful for creative projects, presentations, design work and visual research. Images can generally be used without attribution, subject to the Unsplash licence. |
|
|
Teenagers and adults; useful for family projects |
A collection of free and paid vector illustrations, photographs, graphics and videos for creative projects and digital design. Free downloads generally require attribution, with additional licensing options for commercial use. |
|
|
Mainly 10+, depending on experience |
Free, open-source digital painting and illustration software with brushes, drawing tools, layers and animation features. Suitable for exploring digital art, character design, comics and more advanced illustration. |
|
|
Mainly teenagers and confident younger learners |
Free, open-source 3D creation software for modelling, sculpting, animation, rendering and visual effects. Particularly suited to teenagers interested in digital art, game design, animation and 3D environments. |
