Did you know that you can learn just about anything you want by watching YouTube videos? Our kids can simply searching Google for “learn to draw” or “change a spark plug” or “stop toilet from running” and a myriad of step-by-step videos will appear that will tell them exactly what they need to know. This is an amazing resource!
But did you also know that YouTube contains many videos which are inappropriate for our kids? Whether the videos are scary, suggestive, or full of profanity, YouTube isn’t always a safe environment for us to release our children into. And even if the video content your child is trying to watch it good, the ads which YouTube plays beforehand can be just as inappropriate for our children’s eyes.
So, what’s a parent to do? The internet is an amazing resource filled with lots of wonderful learning opportunities for our kids. Should we ban them from taking part because of a fear of what they might see?
An Alternative to YouTube for Online Art Lessons
Fortunately, not all internet learning is such a mine field. Sparketh is a site that contains lots of art videos which ARE appropriate for our kids.
I received a membership to Sparketh for free and I was compensated for my time. But all of my opinions are honest and I wasn’t required to post a positive review.
Sparketh has 400+ videos on their site which are broken into beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels. These videos are AD FREE so that our kids aren’t subjected to any objectionable material. Sparketh videos give our kids access to talented mentors who make the concepts they are teaching simple to understand.
Sparketh also has worksheets, printouts, and course files available for download at no extra cost.
Our Experience with Sparketh Online Art Lessons
My son has been taking online art lessons using Sparketh and he has enjoyed the process. His favorites so far have been classes called Three Point Perspective and Cylinders In-Depth.
The lessons are step-by-step and easy to follow. As you can see here, the instructor actually does what he or she is asking the student to do so that they can see what is expected of them.
Students can watch the lesson and pause whenever they need more time to complete their work. You can see below a picture of my son doing his three point perspective drawing.
I love how it turned out!
Here is his work from the Cylinders In-Depth class. I think these cylinders look amazing!!! The fun thing is that I was checking some of my son’s other work and he has been doodling lots of shaded cylinders ever since taking this class!
My son is enjoying these videos so much that he actually chose to go through a few of them during his lunch break rather than playing video games. He has NEVER done that because of a YouTube video!
The only issue we ran into was that one time, we had difficulty playing a video. I don’t know if it was because of a slow internet connection or what – but the video was jerky. I emailed Sparketh and they responded VERY QUICKLY asking which video was giving us grief and offered to send us that video right away so that we could watch it locally instead. I was very impressed with their customer service and their fast response time. FYI – We never had any other issues playing their videos. They were all nice and smooth.
Sparketh classes are geared for children ages 8-18. They are an engaging and safe way for our kids to receive online art lessons. My son has enjoyed the Sparketh classes and is looking forward to taking more through the coming year. For more information about Sparketh, check out their website or follow them on Facebook, Pinterest, or Instagram.
Do your kids enjoy taking online art lessons? Do you have any safeguards that you’ve set up to ensure their safety while learning online? Please leave a comment below.
My 8 yr old is way into art already. Not crafting, mind you. Art. We may have to check this out in the coming months…
You might want to enter the giveaway for a free month to see if it will be something your child will enjoy. I always love to check stuff out before I have to pay for it. 🙂
This is a fantastic resource!!! You are absolutely right about how some videos or sites can be inappropriate for children. Thank you for sharing this gem!! Would you know of good sites that would help special needs children too? It could be academic or it could be fun stuff.
I don’t have any personal experience with sites that would be beneficial for kids with special needs. I did a quick Google Search, however, and came up with a site called Do2Learn which looks like it might be helpful. Does anyone else have experience with sites that they could recommend? Maybe if you tell us what types of special needs your kids are dealing with, we can give you even more targeted advice. 🙂
At what age do you think it could be of true benefit? My 7 yo loves to draw, is that too young to begin these courses?
I think a 7-year-old could definitely benefit. I would enter the giveaway for a free month so that you can hopefully try it out and make sure it’ll work well for him. 🙂
What a great resource! Even kids in public/private school settings could benefit from this, as art classes are not offered like they used to be. Could be a supplement to school during the summer when regular classes are over and after school activities have stopped.
Great point! Thanks for sharing that. 🙂