TO HELP cure boredom during the coronavirus lockdown, an illustrator is turning on her camera to offer free art classes to homeschooled children.
Noopur Thakur uses Instagram Live to broadcast a daily interactive drawing sessions that help parents create a sense of routine in what she hopes is a fun and educational way.
Ms Thakur illustrates colourful animal storybooks such as Five Little Monkeys and Playful Tiger from her home in Finchampstead.
She normally offers drawing lessons for adults and children, but the recent lockdown restrictions inspired her to take her classes online.
She said: “I found my two children suddenly at home and missing their schools, so I wanted to give them structured learning in a fun environment.
“This inspired me to reach out to as many children as I could by using online tools.”
Now, herself and her five-year-old stream their art classes to an audience of around 30 people.
The group often draws characters from Ms Thakur’s books, but sometimes the children choose a theme for the week and she bases their drawings on it, she said: “Last week we had a transportation theme and drew an NHS Ambulance, a space shuttle and a truck.
“Last week was dedicated to Easter, and the children enjoyed drawing spring flowers, the Easter bunny and painting eggs.”
Most days the group uses paper and pencil to create their masterpieces, which the children then share with everyone on Ms Thakur’s Instagram page.
She added: “I am getting a huge positive response from both parents and kids – some tell me it is one of the biggest highlights of their children’s days, and they plan their time around it.
“Others told me that this activity helps them to deal with their anxiety which was really encouraging for me.”
Ms Thakur goes live every weekday at 11am on her Instagram @noopur.illustrations, and afterwards the classes are available on YouTube.
