Creative Connections
Creative Connections are virtual learning tools designed by Trust Arts Education Teaching Artists for learners of all ages.
Each lesson is only a few minutes long and uses materials that most people already have on hand. Featuring visual arts, movement, music, and more, you can connect with the arts from wherever you are!
Like, comment, and share these lessons with your network by visiting the Trust Arts Education Facebook page.
Creative Connections is a project of Trust Arts Education.
Visual Arts Activities
T Shirt Pocket Bunnies
Recycle an old shirt into a new friend with step-by-step instructions on how to make a pocket bunny.
Recommended for Ages 5+ with the help of an adult
Materials needed:
- an old T-Shirt
- scissors
- a marker
Led by Annabelle Leibering
Junk Mail Journal
Learn how to bind a simple book using scrap paper as well as journaling techniques with writing and drawing. You will also explore how your journal can help you express feelings big and small.
Recommended for Ages 8+
Materials needed:
- unwanted mail
- glue or tape
- writing utensil
- rubber band
Led by Lindsay Woge
Creative Connections Coloring Sheet
Show us your color and flare! print and color your Creative Connections coloring sheet.
Recommended for All Ages
Materials needed:
- printer
- coloring tools
Created by Dustin Wickett
Click here to download PDF.Still Life Photography
You will take photos of toys (or objects around their home) in front of a paper backdrop creating a still life image.
Recommended for ages 5-18
Materials needed:
- paper for backdrop
- table
- toys
- scrap paper
- camera
Led by Randall Coleman
Collage Dinosaur [Available in English & Spanish]
Recommended for ages 3-6
Materials needed:
- Variety of papers for decorating (newspaper, wrapping paper, grocery bags, etc
- 1 piece of paper for background
- Fabric, ribbons, pompons, etc
- glue stick
- markers
- Cloth Pins
- scissors
- Sticks
- As available: tempera paint, cardboard (cereal box), bubble wrap, straws, rubber bands, etc.
Led by Veronica Lopez
Spanish
Un Dinosaurio Muy Colorido
El Dinosaurio Colorido es un collage en el que se usan variedad de papeles, cintas, tela o cualquier material que tengan en casa para decorar
También incluye como imprimir en casa usando distintas texturas como globo de embalaje, elásticos, etc
-Para el Dinosaurio:
- Variedad de materiales para decorar, papel, bolsas de supermercado, papel de regalo, tela , cintas, pompones, etc
- Palitos de colores
- Goma de pegar
- Tijera
- Marcadores
- Trabas para colgar la ropa
-Para imprimir:
- Cualquier papel liso
- Pintura
- Globo de embalaje, sorbetes, elásticos, etc
- Cartón de caja de cereal, etc
Learn to Draw Kawaii
Love Japanese Kawaii? Learn how-to kawaii characters in this very easy tutorial! You will learn how to draw super cute Kawaii characters using simple step-by-step instructions.
Recommended for ages 5+
Materials needed:
- Paper
- Pencil with eraser
- Black marker
- colorful markers or colored pencils
Led by Alison Zapata
Stack the Cats Activities
Stack and count and create your own cat puppets to go along with the book, Stack the Cats.
Recommended for ages 5-10
Materials needed:
- white paper
- colored paper
- markers
- pillows
- paper lunch bag
- scissors
- glue stick
Led by Joanna Abel
Symmetrical Drawings
Have you ever tried drawing with your non-dominant hand? Explore how your non-dominant hand will copy the other in order to make symmetric drawings. Follow along to draw a bear and then create your own.
Recommended for ages 8+
Materials needed:
- paper
- writing utensils
Led by Ron Coleman
Movement Activities
A Healthy Step
Rhythmically use your own body to create fun, repetitious sounds using healthy foods to identify each movement. Follow along, then create your own combinations. or make a new move with your favorite healthy food.
Recommended for All Ages
Materials needed:
- your body
- an open space for moving around
Led by Dennis Garner
Ballet Storytelling
After a fun silly warm up you will learn three key ballet terms and use them to tell the story of a flamingo's first ballet class!
Recommended for ages 4-6
Materials needed:
- imagination
- space to move
Led by Brittany Tague
Capoeira: Flip, Kick and A Twist
Capoeira is an exciting martial art that combines dance, acrobatics, culture and music. You will learn the basics of capoeira movement and with that knowledge they will begin to learn how to play the game of capoeira.
Recommended for ages 5+
Materials needed:
- an open space
- stool or small chair
Led by Akin Lowman-Jackson
Kente Colors Storytime
Listen to a reading of the book “Kente Colors” and then join in a movement activity that related to the story.
Recommended for ages 3-7
Materials needed:
- your body
- an open space
Led by Celeta Hickman
Musical Theater Dance Combination
Warm up and stretch your body and then learn a new dance combination! Get creative and add the next 8 counts of movement to the song.
Recommended for ages 8+
Materials needed:
- your body
- an open space
Led by Bianca Brandon
Belly Dancing Fundamentals
Shimmy and shake, isolate and undulate! Learn the art of belly dance with a breakdown of basic hip and chest movements. Combine what you learn with music and dance along.
Recommended for All ages
Materials needed:
- your body
- an open space
Led by Joanna Abel
Stretch, Wiggle, and Move
Get your body moving and learn elements of dance with a series of warm-ups, games, and cool downs to activate every part of the body.
Recommended for ages 3 - 7
Materials needed:
- your body
- an open space
Led by Taylor Couch
Music Activities
Adapted West African Drumming
Learn the basics of West African drumming with a breakdown of sounds and the building blocks for creating songs. Use household items to play along and build your own rhythms.
Recommended for ages 5+
Materials needed:
- pots, pans, bowls, or other household items to make sounds
Led by Dante Mitchell
Alive with Rhythm!
Learn something new about music, including tempo, emotion, dynamics, rhythm, and the role instruments play in a band.
Recommended for ages 4-8
Materials needed:
- your body
Led by James Johnson III and Lorenze Jefferson
Digital Overflow - A Survival Kit
Based on his research from “Mind Body Problem” solo performance, Gil Teixeira shares some practical tips that people can deploy in their daily routine to help them find a balance between your digital and physical life.
Recommended for ages 12 and up
No materials needed
Led by Gil Teixeira
The Poetry of Rhythm
Turn your favorite stories or poems into music! Arrange imaginative language, sounds, and rhythm into musical chants, songs, and movement designs by using the syllables of words from a favorite reading.
Recommended for All Ages
Materials needed:
- book, prose, or story
- your body or a household item to create sounds
Led by Jeff Berman
Down by the Bay! It’s Rhyming Time!
Using the folk tune “Down by the Bay,” which is a rhyming echo song, we will practice recognizing rhymes and making up new ones!
Recommended for Ages 3-5
Materials needed:
- your body
- an open space
- paper and crayons or writing utensils
Led by Margaret Hooton
Analyzing a Musical Theater Song
Learn some tips and tricks on how to analyze musical theatre text and translate that analysis into vocal and acting technique. This analysis will be applied to the song "On My Own" from the perspective of the character Eponine from Les Miserables.
Recommended for Ages 10+
Materials needed:
- Sheet music for "On My Own" from Les Miserables
- Highlighter
- Pencil
Led by Cassidy Adkins
Singing and Playing with Diary of a Wombat
How does a Wombat spend its days? Find out as we go through their diary! Enjoy singing along and making music as we go through the week.
Recommended for Ages 3-6
Materials needed:
- Any type of bag or box
- Stuffed animals or other objects to put in your bag to create your own story
- Paper
- Markers
- To make the instrument: paper plates, hole punch, string, dried beans or pebbles
Led by Amber Fantini
Theater Arts Activities
Acting Out Emotions
There are many ways to use drama and acting to identify and express emotions in a positive way. Follow along to learn how to create an emotions poster and an emotions runway activity.
Recommended for Grades 1-3
Materials needed:
- Imagination
- Paper
- Pens, Crayons or Markers
Led by Liz Foster-Shaner
Building a Storytelling Jar
Learn the building blocks of telling a story (beginning, middle, and end). Then create a Storytelling Jar by writing any words you can think of onto small pieces of paper and placing them in your container. Use your words one at a time to prompt your own story.
Recommended for ages 4-8
Materials needed:
- paper
- writing utensils
- Toys
- scrap paper
- clean, empty container
Led by Cassidy Adkins
Tips and Tricks for Young Actors
Get some expert tips and tricks to make you the best actor that you can be! This advice can help you to know how to control your volume, warm-up your voice, what to do with your hands, and more.
Recommended for ages 9+
Materials needed:
- a ready to learn attitude
Led by David Minniefield
Hand Puppet Performance
Learn how to make a puppet using your hands. Then, make you puppet move, talk, and perform your own concert!
Recommended for ages 7-11
Materials needed:
- card stock paper
- scissors
- pen
- pipe cleaner and twist tie
Led by Susan Swarthout
Life in Scale - Theater Scaling
Learning what scale means and how to measure things in different scales. Then, create your own figures and place them in theatrical scenes. Think about how this applies to theatre and the film industry and how you can create your own scenes!
Recommended for ages 10+
Materials needed:
- paper
- ruler
- camera
- markers
- tape
- printer for figure template
- optional - playdough or clay
Led by Tucker Topel
Click here to download PDF
Toddler Storyplay
Retell the story of the Three Bears, using props easily found in your house. The focus of the activity is the interaction between the adult and child, the child’s growing concept of story, and the exploration of play materials.
Recommended for Ages 1-3
Materials needed:
- 3 stuffed animals or puppets of different sizes
- 3 spoons of different sizes
- 3 non-glass bowls of different types
- 3 pillows or cushions of different types
- 3 cloths of different types
- 1 action figure or doll
Led by Betty Dell
Click here to download PDF
