Activities for Kids

If you’re looking for ways to keep the kids entertained or continue their education outside of the classroom there are some brilliant resources from Nottingham and Nottinghamshire’s museums, art galleries and heritage attractions which are available online.


The National Holocaust Centre – Stand Up, Stand Together

These video exercises for students of secondary school age draw upon the parallels between the Holocaust and what is sweeping Britain right now. Hate is a virus. It can spread during worrying times, as we have seen with Brexit. And now Covid-19 is here, we are seeing #CoronaRacism. Happily, we are also seeing people stepping up to confront it. These video exercises explore our choices when we respond to these events, as a bystander, or an upstander.

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The National Justice Museum – Museum From Home

While the museum is closed the team are working hard to expand their brilliant online learning resources so everyone can enjoy a little bit of the museum at home, for free. Their collection has a host of different exercises and activities for KS1-KS3 around the themes of justice, punishment and civic responsibility, from solving a crime in Victorian Nottingham to a game which help students explore different sentences that people could be given as an adult or youth and resources which help them stay safe online.

Find out more.

The National Civil War Centre – Learning From Home

Did you know Nottinghamshire played a key role in the English Civil War?  The Learning Team from the National Civil War Centre located in the Nottinghamshire town of Newark-on-Trent have been hard at work on a raft of projects to support both parents teaching from home and adults who are self-isolating. From guided tours to interactive games, illuminating podcasts and more as well as ‘Making History’ craft tutorials helping you make exciting history-themed projects with what you have at home, there should be plenty to keep you engaged and entertained during this difficult time. 

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Lakeside Arts – In with Lakeside

While their doors may be closed, Lakeside Arts’ team, associate artists and the many fabulous companies and artists they work with continue to work hard to bring you insights, activities, recommended reading and music playlists, and much more to help nourish as many minds as they can during these strange times.

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Nottingham Castle - Heritage Hunters

Ahead of its fantastic £30m regeneration in 2021, why not try some Nottingham Castle creative learning ideas and join the Nottingham Heritage Hunters? You'll be delving into Nottingham's past to discover some of the amazing and totally real things that Robin Hood and his companions got up to in our city many years ago before designing a plaque to tell their stories. You can even share your finished plaque on social media using the hashtag #NottmHeritageHunters, and there'll be a special prize for the best one!

Find out more.

New Art Exchange – Online Activities

New Art Exchange are still running their art clubs and programmes for young people, but they've now gone online.

YARD Youth Theatre Online - YARD (Youth Arts Research and Development) is a creative hub for young people (ages 8-16) to develop skills as performers and creative producers. While New Art Exchange is closed the group leaders have been busy behind the scenes designing and posting creative packs full of tailor-made challenges to members. Here you’ll find some of the challenges from the packs that you can get stuck in to at home.

Explore Art Club Online - Fun and engaging activities for ages 8 to 11 which use common household items, uploaded each Tuesday.

Saturday Art Club -  Virtual Workshops each Saturday. Fun and engaging videos so you can drop-in virtually for family friendly workshops.

Find out more.

Nottingham Forest

Are you having a hard time trying to get your kids motivated for this newfound home learning? Luckily the Nottingham Forest Community have found a way to put the fun into learning with a little help from the Premier League. Especially for children of Key Stage 1 and 2 they have prepared lessons for Maths, Literacy and PSHE – making them easy to follow and as fun and engaging as possible. Each subject has a total of 10 lessons and each lesson lasts around 40-60 minutes.

Find out more.

Inspire - Culture, Learning, Libraries

Whilst the Inspire library buildings are closed, they've gathered details of all of the online resources you can still access from home. By signing up for a free library membership, you'll be able to access eBooks, eMagazines and eNewspapers, audio books, videos and activities especially for children and much more. 

Find out more.

Creswell Crags

Puzzled by the Palaeolithic? Simply head to Creswell Crags' Teaching Resources page to see a handy free guide for teachers as well as downloadable activities and resources for use in the classroom. This work was supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund through the Ice Age Journeys project.

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Colour in our city with images by Ben Rawson

We're all missing the stunning skyline and beautiful architecture of our beloved Nottingham, but thanks to Ben Rawson of Rawson Photography you can download and print free sketch-style images to colour in at home. From the impressive Council House to the magnificent Wollaton Hall to the stately Nottingham Castle, it's a great excuse to get out your crayons and let your creativity flow.

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East Midlands Railway  - Community activities

East Midlands Railway have created a range of fun activities for all ages to get involved with to help you pass the time at home. From drawing and colouring, to puzzles and inspiring stories, there's plenty to help keep everyone amused whilst you're staying indoors - and there's even the chance to have your artwork displayed at your local train station!

Find out more.

Stonebridge City Farm - Activities, ideas and resources

The lovely people at Stonebridge City Farm have collated a series of activities, ideas and resources to help keep children and families entertained at home. From places to visit virtually (including Chester Zoo, the Natural History Museum and the Deep), creative activities, stories and games, cooking and keeping fit - and plenty of animal related activities! - there's something for everyone.

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Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club

Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club has a range of educational resources, including their Trent Bridge Classroom workbook which is ideal for children in Key Stage 2. This gives a fascinating history of Trent Bridge Cricket Ground and some cricket-related educational activities which is ideal for budding sports enthusiasts. Fun activities for children can also be found in the Trent Bridge online shop.

Find out more.