Kids are naturally creative. In “Pinkalicious and Peterrific,” Pinkalicious sees creative possibilities everywhere she looks! She is an artist at heart, and together with her brother, Peter, she always seems to find a way to turn her imaginative ideas into something tangible and fun. Experimenting with the arts is not only a creative activity, but is also beneficial to your child's development. Remind children that creating is all about the process — there’s no one right way to make art! The art process supports safe risk-taking, values “failure” as part of the creative problem-solving process, and results in art that is unique, personal and original.
Find More Ways to Play!
- Watch PBS KIDS shows on the PBS KIDS Video app.
- Play games on the arts on the PBS KIDS website.
- Download and print activities about the arts for PreK-K and grades 1-2.
PBS KIDS Podcasts
Listen together as a family with your favorite PBS KIDS characters with these new podcasts!
Get those creative juices flowing (just like Pinkalicious does!) with games and activities around art, music and dance that will inspire. You can encourage your child’s creativity by:
- Providing basic materials and giving them the freedom to explore. Make a corner of your home a “maker space” with versatile building materials such as blocks, paints, crayons, scissors, glue, pipe cleaners, sticks, origami paper, string, tape, fabric and old magazines.
- Encouraging persistence. Creativity requires sticking to it! Try these prompts to inspire your child: “Tell me more about this.” “Show me how this works.” “What are you going to try next?”
- Expanding your definition of creativity. Everything can have a creative element — from math to cooking to sports — so encourage kids to exercise their imagination in different domains.
And remember, kids are creative in different ways. Sometimes it just takes some time and practice to figure out what unleashes their creative mind!
Art Activities for Kids
Make Your Own Lucky Rock
30 min activityChildren love collecting rocks of all shapes and sizes. A lucky rock can be any rock they choose. Let your child turn a rock into a lucky rock by painting it their favorite color and then adding a one-of-a-kind design.
Make a Mosaic
45 min activityMosaics are beautiful pictures made from colorful tiles of different shapes and sizes. Help your child make an inspiring piece of art that they can share with family and friends with this mosaic activity for kids.
Create a Pinkatastic Magical Creature
60 min activityPets, stuffed animals, imaginary friends and pretend magical creatures can all help children feel safe and secure. Create a fantastical, pinkatastic creature just for fun or to help your child feel brave when they are scared.
Make a DIY Fairy House
30 min activityGet creative with your fairy-loving child by creating a DIY fairy house using an empty glass jar, paint and a few decorative items from nature.
Beading Art
Let's bead with Molly! Your child can follow step-by-step instructions to recreate Molly's bead designs or create new designs and patterns.
How to Make Sidewalk Chalk
Learn how to create your own sidewalk chalk and open up a world of new ways to play.
Wood Carving Arts
Create beautiful Alaska Native wood carvings with Molly at Mr. Patak’s woodshop!
Build Confidence With a Self-Portrait
20 min activityCelebrate your child's interests and talents by creating a self-portrait together.
BoomBox Kids Craft
15 min activityEver wish you had a musical BoomBox buddy, just like Christina and Andrés from the podcast “Jamming on the Job?” Make your own BoomBox in this creative and musical DIY craft activity.
Alaskan Adventure
Explore the Alaskan wilderness with Molly, her mom, and Nina. Take photos of amazing animals and record what you find in your notebook.
Hold a Family Awards Ceremony
15 min activityBoost your child’s self-esteem by helping them create awards recognizing their personal talents.
Jamming on the Job: Online Merchant
What are some of your favorite things or things to do? Design your own T-shirt with something you like.
Music Activities for Kids
Make a Peruvian Siku Flute!
20 min activityCreate a siku flute to play and dance with family and friends — the Peruvian way!
7 Music Games for Practicing Self-Regulation
Young children respond naturally to music and it can be used to help children practice important skills, like self-regulation. Here are a few self-regulation activities to try at home.
Carmen's World Orchestra
In this game, Carmen is putting on a concert with instruments from Mexico, India, and Egypt. Players can interact with the Carmen, Andy, and Leo to hear their solos or the instrument buttons to contribute to the concert.
Add Music Into Your Family's Daily Routines
Parenting is like making music — both require creativity. Grammy-nominated artist Pierce Freelon, the voice of BoomBox in the “Jamming on the Job” podcast, shares three ways parents can use music to improvise, collaborate, and think outside the box.
Beat Nuts: Pistachio-Inspired Musical Craft!
15 min activityChristina, Andrés, and BoomBox play lots of different musical instruments on the podcast “Jamming on the Job.” Make your own instruments at home with this nutty kids' craft!
Create a Hero Song
30 min activityDoes your child have a hero? This fun musical activity will engage your child’s creative side as they write a hero song to celebrate someone they admire.
Make Music With Everyday Objects
30 min activityThere are so many ways to make and experience music. One possibility is to explore how different items around your house sound as musical instruments.
Feel the Music
Music is one way people can express how they are feeling. In this game, your child can express themself by choosing instruments and sounds that represent the feelings of happy, sad, and mad.
Dance Activities for Kids
Pinkalicious Dance Game
It's time to dance! Learn some new Pinka moves with Pinkalicious or play freeze dance with Peterrific.
Learning Memorization Strategies Through Dance
Give your mind and body a workout by choreographing a multi-step dance with your child.
Practice Self-Control by Playing Freeze Dance
Here’s a jazzy way to help your child practice self-control by combining music with this "freeze" game.
Make Up a Pinkamazing Animal Dance
15 min activityGet moving with your child! Make up a pinkamazing animal dance by imitating the moments of their favorite animals.
Learn to Hoof Dance With Donkey Hodie
25 min activityThis family dancing activity is a great way to have fun and incorporate physical movement into your day! Sing along with Donkey Hodie and Grampy as you learn the steps with your child.
Create a Yup’ik Dance Fan
15 min activityIllustrate your stories with a feathery dance fan called a Tegumiaq in the Yup’ik language.
Theater Activities for Kids
Being Confident on Stage: Preparing Your Kids for a Performance
From recitals to school performances, kids are taking the stage to share their talents — maybe even for the first time! Here’s how you can support them and help them overcome stage fright and feel confident on stage.
Explore the Life Cycle of a Frog — and Act it Out!
60 min activityAll frogs go through a few stages in their life cycles. From start to finish, they make major transformations! Try this activity with your child to learn about the different stages together.
5 Ways to Build Your Preschooler’s Confidence
Building self-confidence for preschoolers is essential. We want our kids to see what’s good about themselves, to believe in themselves, and to know they are important. Here are some ideas, with help from Donkey Hodie and her pals.
Act Out the Life Cycle of a Butterfly
Help your child learn about the stages of metamorphosis!
Put on a Puppet Show
Explore the basic elements of storytelling while you craft Peg-themed puppets and a theater for your show.
Create Careers
“Jamming on the Job” Helps Kids Explore Interesting Careers
Go on a musical adventure with "Jamming on the Job," a new podcast! Christina Sanabria and Andrés Salguero, the music duo known as 123 Andrés, and Beatmaster BoomBox, voiced by Pierce Freelon, find out what people do for work.
10 Picture Books About Careers
Just how do you help children explore the world of work and how jobs can be fueled by people’s passions and interests? With books, of course! Here are 10 books about jobs that align with the amazing skills and interests children possess.
Read More
Unleashing Your Child’s Inner Artist
Making art doesn't have to be expensive! Here are some simple, low-cost ways to make art a part of your family’s everyday life.
Every Child Is an Architect
When unstructured play becomes the norm, kids become builders, scientists, mathematicians and architects simply because they can!
Super Scribbles!: How Young Artists Grow
Look at toddlers banging pans, wiggling to music, and scribbling on the floor. They are exploring their world and making their mark on it. How does this exploration become artistic skill?
Nurturing Your Child’s Creative Mind
Ever notice how kids often have more fun playing with an empty box than with what was inside of it? That’s their imagination at work, and we should nurture this creative spirit.
Helping Kids Express Themselves Through Music
Music can be a powerful helper when it comes to understanding and expressing our feelings. Here's how, plus ways your family can interact with music to help identify and regulate all kinds of feelings.