The NGAkids Art Zone app is a FREE app from National Gallery of Art. It is designed to teach kids art with interactive activities. All activities are inspired by works in the collection of the National Gallery of Art. It is designed for early elementary age kids, but kids younger or older and even adults will find them fun and entertaining too. If you don’t have a mobile device, it is also available on NGA website and you can access on computers.
From NGA: The NGAkids app provides an immersive experience as children visit a virtual art gallery and explore a variety of works spanning more than 300 years of art history. High-resolution graphics, careful attention to detail, and exposure to a variety of subjects, painting styles, and techniques help convey an authentic understanding of the artistic process and reinforce their familiarity with the fundamental elements of art. Unexpected animation and audio features further enliven the program and help make learning fun for all ages.
Kids will see art works by a wide range of artists: Edward Hicks, Fitz Henry Lane, Berthe Morisot, Claude Monet, Vincent van Gogh, Mark Rothko, Josef Albers, and Robert Rauschenberg, along with several anonymous American native painters.
The activities are designed for children to use—unassisted—in a recreational, nonacademic context. They are not meant to be art lessons, instead are low-key activities that help kids to experience art exploration and encourage artistic expression and creativity. According to NGA, the goal of the program is to have a long term impact on kids through fun, absorbing, self-directed interaction with art. The program also encourages kids to share their art works, and hope kids can get inspirations from each other.
There are 10 sections in the app:
• Portrait
• Landscape
• Seascape
• Still Life
• Action Painting
• Exploring Color
• Color Field
• Collage
• Sketchbook
• My Art Gallery
Here is a short video showing the unit that changing background, fore ground and characters in the pictures and watch their effects on the painting.
NGAKids Art Zone app is available on iPad. The content is also available on NGA website and you can access all guided activities via your computer.
If you would like to check it out or purchase it, please use the App Store link provided below. The cost is the same to you, but iGameMom gets a small percentage. Thanks for your support! Note: The link works for all countries.
For more art learning resources for kids, please visit Best Painting and Drawing Learning Tools for Kids, and 10 Art Apps for Kids Encouraging Off Screen Creativities.
