Top Picks
Digital experiences for families & children to bring joy to your lockdown.
As we make our way through another week of social distancing here are some of our top picks to keep children entertained indoors. From podcasts and dancing, to making and creating.
1. Laughing & Learning at Home with Squashbox Theatre
Join Craig from Squashbox Theatre on Monday, Wednesday and Friday afternoons as he uploads a new video to Facebook. Expect silly songs and funny appearances from some of your best loved characters from the Squashbox Shows, including The Seashow, Curious Creatures, and Skillywidden. Our favourite so far is Queen Elinor, Queen of all the Faery Folk in Cornwall.
2. Cornwall Heritage Trust Colouring
Get our your pens and pencils and colour 3 designs from Cornwall Heritage Trust. Pick either Hairy Tej (an Iron Age boy who lives in Carn Euny Ancient village), a Miner & Balmaiden, or the CHT logo, then print it out and colour in. Don’t forget to send a photo of your finished piece to Cornwall Heritage Trust so they can share them on their socia media.
3. Primary Creative Writing Club
Each Thursday The Writer’s Block bring you creative writing activities for children aged 8-11 years. Join them at 1pm for quick sketching warm ups, fun character exercises and ways to write poems, plays, stories, and lots more.
4. It's Grimm
Ha-Hum-Ah Theatre have teamed up with intoBodmin (with support from FEAST) to present an anarchic, interactive musical adaptation of the Grimm Fairy Tales. Through this audio experience, travel to a strange musical land and discover a hideously unstable Witch who has captured Hansel and is hell bent on fattening him up. You can help Gretel in her quest to save Hansel by voting after each episode to shape what happens next.
5. Digital Dance Discovery
An online engagement program of weekly movement tasks/challenges from Grace Murdoch. The tasks are suitable for everyone and are a great way to encourage the whole family to keep active. Every Saturday a new movement task is posted on Instagram and Facebook and there is also the option for an additional video feedback and interaction session with Grace too. Get those muscles moving and creativity flowing.
6. Wheal Martyn Create
Every Monday, Wheal Martyn are sharing a historic picture on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, and they are challenging you to recreate it in any way you can! Be as creative as you like, and have fun. Share your creations with Wheal Martyn using the hashtag #WhealMartynCreate and they’ll post their favourites.
7. Percy Pengelly and the VIRTUAL Wibble-Wobble
On Friday, Saturday & Sunday this week, Cousin Jacks present a virtual telling of Percy Pengelly and the Wibble-Wobble, the treasured story by Jenny Steele Scolding. Bring the whole household together at 7pm each evening to watch the filmed, children’s audiobook featuring the full cast from the postponed stage-adaptation. Expect exciting storytelling alongside a special new soundtrack.
8. Kneehigh Windows to the World
Over the past few weeks Kneehigh have been posting creative challenges. Dive into their YouTube for daily inspiration including bread making, at home instruments, singing, dress up, and our favourite, how to make a chicken puppet. Let your sitting room be your stage and your kitchen be your props store. Unclip your imagination and join Kneehigh’s creative club.
9. Little Story Seekers
Story, song and movement sessions for young children and their parents/carers from The Writers’ Block. Join their Facebook group ‘Little Story Seekers’ to access the videos on Mondays at 10am.
10. Miracle Theatre: Play at Home Drama Workshops
Join Miracle Theatre’s Hannah Stephens on Friday 1st May for a FREE one hour drama workshop for families and young people. Expect a positive, creative and high energy hour suitable for all levels of experience. Make new social interactions, play theatre games and, most of all, have fun!
11. Museum Makes
Join the team at the Museum of Cornish Life for crafty makes inspired by the Museum collections each Thursday morning. Recent videos have included Dominoes & Jigsaws inspired by the toy collection, make your own paint looking at the art collection, and flag communication following in the footsteps of Marconi.
12. Yoga
Yoga sessions from Kids Yoga Cornwall brought to your living room. Sessions on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 4pm are suitable for the littlest yogis, with classes at Midday on Saturdays for children aged 8+ and grown ups too! Previous sessions have included special What the Ladybird Heard or Jungle Safari themed practices.
13. One Potato
A simple non contact community project from maker and designer Fiona Chivers. Take one potato, one square of fabric and one pot of paint. Fiona then releases the new design on her Instagram each week for you to follow. A lovely way to create something as a collective from your own home.
14. Magi Ann
12 simple stories to help your child learn Cornish and explore the language. These fun stories for pre-school, nursery and family learning are accessed through the app created by Golden Tree. Come and read along, listen and tap on the words to hear the pronunciation and to see an English translation.
15. Hold on to Your Art
Arty challenges posted by Truro Arts. The challenges are open to everyone, you can use whatever materials you like, digital included. There are no rules, the more creative the better. Share your artworks with Truro Arts so they can share the results.
16. Virtual Family Fun Day
Join Wheal Martyn on Sunday 26 April for a day of fun. Activities include building a track in your sitting room or garden for your model cars, have a go at the Transport Scavenger Quiz, bake, colour, or build a nature raft!