IT MIGHT not feel like school is out for summer, but formal lessons are over until September.
And after six months of homeschooling, the prospect of six weeks of no lessons might seem tough for families.
Help is at hand thanks to a Maidenhead-based arts centre.
Norden Farm Centre for the Arts is planning a range of online activities that can be enjoyed from the safety of your home – the site itself is still closed.
Activities get underway on Monday with a weekly session called Kayleigh’s Crafts. It runs from 10.30am to 11.15am and sees Kayleigh Galvin lead a different crafty creation each week. Plans include making a fantasy castle, musical instruments, an out of this world lava lamp and slime.
It’s aimed at children aged four and upwards, place cost £5 per session.
Magician and performer Patrick Ashe will continue to lead a weekly Magic & Storytelling session each Tuesday from 1.30pm-2pm across the holidays.
Alongside the stories, Patrick shows how the magic works and teaches a trick or two. As Patrick is in the magic circle you must promise to keep the secrets.
Aimed at ages five upwards, places are £5 per session.
Kite Making takes place on Thursdays between 11am and 11.45am. Places cost £10 per kite, which includes materials. The packs must be collected in advance from Norden Farm.
And there’s also a Community Kite Project via Zoom to create a Japanese Sode Kite.
Children aged 5-11 can take part in a yoga activity called Chill Club. The weekly sessions are led by Carly Brown and run on Fridays from 10.30am to 11am. Places cost £8 per session.
Also on Fridays, young people can get involved in a special Digi Den: Summer Sessions course. Tickets are £32 for the four-week term, running from Friday, July 31, between 5.15pm and 5.45pm.
Led by DJ Mhlanga, the sessions are said to be a great opportunity to share creativity, explore music and film editing.
The course is suitable for school years 7 to 13.
Norden Farm’s Activity Weeks are also going digital this summer, taking place over Zoom.
Art Week: Back to Life, Back to Reality runs from Monday, Augsut 3-Friday, August 7, between 10am and 4pm.
Artist Lawrence Dodgson will lead the week that’s packed with different activities including drawing, painting, creative writing and sculpture.
Plans include self-portraits, making a coronavirus-hat and starring in a music video.
Suitable for ages eight upwards, places cost £95 per person.
.And there is also a dance week, running from 10am to 1pm from Monday, August 17 through to Friday, August 21, between 10am and 1pm.
Led by dance teacher Charlie Dixon, participants can enjoy contemporary dance technique classes, choreography workshops and the opportunity to participate in designing and crafting a brand new dance film – Dancing from my Sofa.
It is an open level course for dancers with mixed abilities that’s suitable for ages eight and up. Tickets cost £80.
For more details, or to book, log on to https://norden.farm/pages/online-classes-and-workshops
