Activities for kids

Activities for kids
A range of creative ideas, craft activities, videos and online learning resources to bring our museums and galleries into your homes

Make & Do

Waterwheel biscuit baking

Created by Thwaite Watermill. PDF download (820KB)

Homemade biscuits shaped like waterwheels

Take inspiration from the industrial history of Thwaite Watermill to decorate and bake some wave and waterwheel biscuits!

Folded symmetry painting

Created by Thwaite Watermill. PDF download (920KB)

Get stuck into some craft activities inspired by the natural landscape of Thwaite Watermill and the wildlife that lives on our tiny island!

Easter egg crafts

Created by Temple Newsam. PDF download (7.2MB)

Make lots of lovely Easter decorations inspired by the grand and glorious interiors of Temple Newsam House!

British Science Week

Created by Lotherton Wildlife World. Activity Worksheet.

Humboldt penguins at Lotherton Wildlife World

Be inspired by Wildlife World’s animals and have a go at lots of different activities and crafts as part of British Science Week!

Minibeast activities

Created by Leeds City Museum. Various resources.

Get stuck in to the wonderful world of creepy crawlies and minibeasts with our range of videos and activity sheets to download.

Mummification activities

Created by Leeds City Museum. Various resources

The outer decorative coffin of Nesyamun, on display at Leeds City Museum

Find out about the Ancient Egyptians with our range of mummification activities, inspired by the Ancient Worlds gallery at Leeds City Museum.

Carve a banana dolphin

Created by Leeds City Museum. Youtube video.

Find out how to make a dolphin from a banana! Follow our video tutorial and get stuck in.

The Joy of Small Things

Created by Leeds City Museum. Facebook videos.

Have a go at some of our teeny craft activities inspired by the collections at Leeds City Museum using our video tutorials on facebook.

Create your own flick book

Created by Leeds Industrial Museum. PDF download (3MB)

Make a moving image inspired by the early years of film making and the collections of Leeds Industrial Museum’s Media Galleries.

Design your own crown

Created by Temple Newsam. PDF download (17.9MB).

Use our template to design your very own crown fit for a King or Queen. Add some materials from around the house!

Make an Anglo Saxon shield

Created by Temple Newsam. PDF download (2MB).

Two bearded men dressed as an Anglo saxons on either side of a child holding a cardboard shield

Design and make your very own shield suitable for all little warriors!

Create your own Sakura

Created by Lotherton. YouTube video.

Create your own Sakura (cherry blossom) using recyclable materials.

Sew and weave a wooly sheep

Created by Temple Newsam. PDF download (18.4MB).

Make a wooly friend inspired by our springtime babies at Home Farm and the collections of Temple Newsam House.

Make your own Roman Mosaic

Created by Leeds City Museum. YouTube video.

Detail from Mosaic depicting the She-wolf with Romulus and Remus, from Aldborough, 300-400 AD, Leeds City Museum

Create your own Roman style mosaic at home with Emma from Leeds City Museum.

Print with fruit and veg

Created by Leeds City Museum. PDF download (0.2MB).

Artwork created used fruit and veg dipped in paint

Create interesting shapes and patterns using every day food items.

Craft and create a magic key

Created by Temple Newsam. PDF download (3MB).

A selection of homemade keys laid out on a wooden table. Some of the keys have been shaped by pipe cleaners, Lego and clay.

Take inspiration from the original inventory of Temple Newsam to create a key from household materials.

Patterns and shapes with textiles

Created by Temple Newsam. PDF download (29MB).

Make bright and beautiful decorations inspired by textiles of Temple Newsam.

Mindful Creatives

Mindful Creatives: The Lady of Shalott

Created by Leeds Art Gallery. PDF download (3MB).

Mindful colouring-in activities inspired by John William Waterhouse.

Mindful Creatives: The Return of Persephone

Created by Leeds Art Gallery. PDF download (4MB).

Mindful colouring-in activities inspired by Lord Frederic Leyton.

Mindful Creatives: Dawn Souvenir of the Alps

Created by Leeds Art Gallery. PDF download (3.1MB).

Mindful colouring-in activities inspired by Gustav Doré.

Mindful Creatives: Blue Still Life

Created by Leeds Art Gallery. PDF download (1.5MB).

Mindful colouring-in activities inspired by William Scott.

Mindful Creatives: Interior with a Chinese Screen

Created by Leeds Art Gallery. PDF download (2.5MB).

Digital artwork showing a room interior with a Chinese Screen

Mindful colouring-in activities inspired by Francis Wall.

Mindful Creatives: The Sognefjord, Norway

Created by Leeds Art Gallery. PDF download (2.9MB).

Digital sketch of The Sognefjord, Norway

Mindful colouring-in activities inspired Adelsteen Normann.

Mindful Creatives: Island in the Sun

Created by Leeds Art Gallery. PDF download (2.5MB).

Mindful colouring-in activities inspired by Mary Lord.

Mindful Creatives: Anemones and Lemons

Created by Leeds Art Gallery. PDF download (2.5MB).

Mindful colouring-in activities inspired by Patrick Heron.

Mindful Creatives: Penn Ponds in Winter

Created by Leeds Art Gallery. PDF download (2MB).

An illustration of the Penn Ponds in Winter sculpture by Andrew Sabin

Mindful colouring-in activities inspired by Andrew Sabin.

Mindful Creatives: Higo Province, Go-kanosho

Created by Leeds Art Gallery. PDF download (3MB).

Mindful colouring-in activities inspired by Utagawa Hiroshige.

Mindful Creatives: Configuration (Phira)

Created by Leeds Art Gallery. PDF download (1MB).

Mindful colouring-in activities inspired by Barbara Hepworth.

Mindful Creatives: The Artist in Her Studio

Created by Leeds Art Gallery. PDF download (3MB).

An illustration of The Artist in Her Studio by Paul Rego

Mindful colouring-in activities inspired by Paula Rego.

Art at home

Creative colouring in

Created by Temple Newsam. Facebook post.

A weekly colouring in session from Temple Newsam with changing themes each week. Share your creative skills with us on Facebook!

Colouring in sheets

Created by Abbey House Museum. PDF download (0.8MB).

Have fun colouring in an object from Abbey House Museum and a morning scene from Kirkstall Abbey.

Home Farm colouring in

Created by Temple Newsam. PDF download (8MB).

a digital sketch of four cows from the front

Have fun with Home Farm colouring in sheets, featuring our favourite farmyard friends and machinery found on the farm.

Sculpture colouring book

Created by Leeds Art Gallery. PDF download (10MB).

A colouring book of drawings by young people from Bankside Primary school, selected by each class during workshops inspired by sculptures in the Leeds art collection.

Artwork colouring book

Created by Leeds Art Gallery. PDF download (9MB).

A colouring book of drawings of artworks made by young people from Leeds. See how looking at artworks can inspire drawing, and how drawings of them can inspire new art.

Create a poem with Khadijah Ibrahiim

Created by Leeds Art Gallery. YouTube video.

Sketchbooks of sculpture words and drawings by Reception children from Stanningley Primary have been used by Leeds’ poet Khadjiah Ibrahim to make this poem about their visit. Create a poem of your own inspired by the art you can find in your home.