Educational Activities for Children at Home
Take time to observe and draw the buildings around you, and share your masterpiece with PHLF. Together, we can create a virtual quilt! E-mail your drawing to sarahg@phlf.org or share it with us on social media using the handle @renewingcommunities, hashtag #phlf, or #pittsburghhistory&landmarksfoundation.
Ever wondered what gargoyles and grotesques are? Have you noticed where they live in Pittsburgh? Have you thought about what creates a lively and fun main street? What would your house or apartment look like if an artist painted it? Through the many educational resources available on our website, learners of any age can engage with the world from the comfort of their home, learning more about architecture, history, math, art, and science through the historic buildings which are the fabric of our neighborhoods.
To find out what grotesques are and where they live, go on a Downtown Dragons VIRTUAL TOUR! Through this fun-filled tour, learners can explore the many creatures carved in stone which live on Pittsburgh’s buildings. In the process, the history of Pittsburgh comes alive!
If you miss walking down the historic main streets of Pittsburgh, you can still learn all about the concept of our MAIN STREETS through fact sheets, fun quizzes, and more!
Using pencils, crayons, markers, charcoal, paint––whatever materials desired! ––you can draw your home! Look closely at the details that give character to your home. If you involve your children in this activity, ask them to identify the shapes and colors that they see. What shape is their house/apartment? What shape are the windows and doors? Is their home attached to another home or does it stand alone? Is their home part of a larger building? If so, where is it located on the building? Be sure to initial your artwork, and share a picture of the final masterpiece on Facebook or Instagram tagging PHLF @renewingcommunities, or #phlf, or #pittsburghhistory&landmarksfoundation.
More of our resources for at-home learners are listed below:
Architecture and Body-building
DRAW your neighborhood as you learn English and Spanish!
STEAM materials: at-home trivia cards, word problems based on Pittsburgh’s historic bridges and buildings, historic Pittsburgh images, timelines, French and Indian War geography, Kennywood simple art activities, and more can be found here.
Architecture Bingo (In Spanish/En espanol!) for the more advanced Spanish student.
Historic Preservation Word Search (In Spanish/En espanol!)
Architecture, the Building Art
The more advanced learner can take in Architectural Historian Albert Tannler’s thought-provoking articles on significant architectural topics relevant to anyone living in the Pittsburgh region HERE.
Visit our ONLINE GALLERY of past education programs to see examples of some of these resources and for more inspiration.
If you have questions about how to implement these ideas, please contact Sarah Greenwald, PHLF’s co-director of education at sarahg@phlf.org, and share your stories of connection with us on social media!