All Ages Creative Academy
Learning technology in logical, useful and enjoyable online classes.
"Adobe Photoshop for Beginners" and "Marketing design with Canva" courses will be released later in 2024, so stay tuned!
The inaugural 2024 launch of All Ages Creative Academy begins with
Kids Get Creative with Canva
A fun and inspirational online Canva mini course for 6-12 year old kids.
Device time can actually be a good thing!
What is Canva?
Canva is literally a global phenomenon. It's an online design tool used daily by people of all ages and walks of life, business owners, schools, artists, communities and just about anyone who needs to create visual content.
Many primary schools have recognised the value of integrating Canva into their teaching, and are either using it with students or demonstrating in class.
Free, convenient and easy to access
There are no software installation hassles, it's easily accessed through your desktop or laptop browser or an app on iPads and tablets. We're using the free Canva subscription in this course - it has everything we need and way more.
Watch the sample lesson
Have a look at 'Pineapples', the sample lesson, down this page a bit. It's deceptively simplistic, fun and looks sweet, but also intentionally designed to develop foundational skills without feeling like schoolwork.
Creative expression at home
Watch your kids flourish creatively! No need for drawing or painting skills – Canva empowers them to express their unique vision in digital projects, breaking barriers that often hinder artistic exploration.
Tech Literacy for the Future
Beyond the fun, Canva is a key player in boosting your kid's tech literacy.
In our increasingly digital world, these skills are as vital as traditional literacy.
As they immerse themselves in creating, kids are gearing up for the possibilities and challenges of their tech-driven futures.
12 months access to Kids Get Creative With Canva is just USD$34
This is a one-time payment for 12 months access. You don't have to remember to unsubscribe, at the end of 12 months your subscription simply finishes, making this super easy for you to manage.
Sign up for creative funSample lesson:
Pineapples
The lessons all build on each other, introducing new skills and ways to use Canva.
In this lesson we look at how to rotate elements on a page.
This follows an earlier lesson about moving, flipping, duplicating and resizing elements, which we also use in this project.
In 'Pineapples' we first get to practice the concept of rotating, then in our 'Get Creative' project we use this skill to have some fun!
Students download the template used in the video to work along.
'Kids Get Creative with Canva' has been developed specifically for kids. I’ve seen how differently they learn and process the possibilities of new technology.
This generation is tech-savvy, and they can fly with this tool if given the chance.
Sarah Lorien
What's in this mini-course?
This is made up of bite-sized projects covering the most essential skills in Canva, skills that will give your kids a huge head start in the digital landscape.
All of the lessons are self contained, using child-safe content.
Foundational skills are SO important and most often the step that gets missed when learning from random youtube tutorials or in the classroom.
Now, I mention the classroom because I know a lot of schools now include Canva modules. The thing is, teaching platforms like Canva is a specialised skill, and one that we shouldn't expect our school teachers to be expert in. I've designed this course to help support them in their classes as well.
MODULE 2 will be added to the course in June 2024. This will take the learning journey further, including using your own photographs and videos in projects.
Do you provide course materials?
Lessons are accompanied by custom templates I’ve created just for you.
Templates are pre-designed documents that contain everything you need for the lesson. They'll open directly into your Canva window, making it super easy to work along.
In MODULE 2 (released June 2024) we'll also be:
- starting projects from scratch (a blank canvas!)
- modifying templates that Canva provides to help the creative process (These templates make a lot more sense once you know how to use them, which is what we'll cover.)
- importing and using your own photographs and videos in your projects.
12 months access to Kids Get Creative With Canva for just USD$34
Weekly device time can be time creating and learning, without feeling like school work.
Sign up for creative fun
How much does Canva cost?
For this course we use the Free Canva Subscription - it has everything we need and more.
How do we access the course?
You can view the course on one screen and use Canva on another, or do both on one device.
Kids Get Creative with Canva is hosted on the online course platform Kajabi, and can be viewed on:
- desktop computer
- laptop
- via an app on your iPad/tablet or phone.
If you only have access to one computer or iPad then you can certainly watch the course on your phone, and play with Canva on the larger device.
Canva can be used on:
- desktop computer
- laptop
- iPad/tablet.
There is a phone app as well for Canva, but the whole layout looks different because it's a smaller area, so I don’t recommend it for learning.
I've provided instructions for you inside the course for how to sign up and access both Kajabi and Canva.
Both the course and Canva require connection to the internet.
What's in the course right now?
In MODULE 1 there are 7 guided lessons ready to go, covering the most important Canva skills your young creator needs to get started.
The projects include a link to the lesson template I'm demonstrating in the video, so you can work along easily.
The videos can be paused as needed, or sped up if you're a fast learner!
Everything is designed to be done at your own pace, and you are welcome to modify the designs to create your own vision as well!
MODULE 2 will be added to the course in June 2024. This will take the learning journey further, including using your own photographs and videos in projects!
From July 2024 the price of the course will increase as it surpasses the 'mini' course and expands with Module 2.
By purchasing now you're gaining the full course training for a mini-course price!
Why is Canva good for kids?
I see Canva itself as an opportunity for kids to experiment with design and creative ideas quickly and easily, building their confidence and technical skills. These abilities will also give them a head start as they use other software and online platforms in the future.
Another huge advantage of Canva is that we don’t need to be ‘good at drawing’. I've heard many kids say they 'don't like drawing' and then when questioned further, it turns out they just don't feel confident in their drawing or painting abilities.
This then becomes a wonderful opportunity for those kids to be visually creative.
In Canva, all of the elements we need are right there in the software. We can combine and re-arrange them, producing our own works of art, or lists to print out, or party invitations or posters… The options are literally endless.
Those skills learned in creative play can then seamlessly flow into producing 'more serious' projects as well.
My teaching experience
I came to Canva after more than 20 years of working with the Adobe suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, Premiere Pro, etc).
For the past 11+ years I’ve been a tutor at Northern Beaches Mosman College, teaching design and editing classes. I also teach custom classes to individuals and corporate teams.
My students have ranged from 8 to 90 years old, and from all walks of life.
Seeing how these students, in all their diversity, have responded to lessons and materials has helped me understand how to explain software in ways that are helpful and inclusive.
It always comes back to the basics, explained clearly. Once you understand those, everything else gets a whole lot easier.
12 months access to Kids Get Creative With Canva is just USD$34
This is a one-time payment for 12 months access. You don't have to remember to unsubscribe, at the end of 12 months your subscription simply finishes, making this super easy for you to manage.
Sign up for creative funChild safety online
Whenever any of us subscribe to an online platform or app we have to agree to their terms and conditions. (You know, those boxes we usually tick without reading that long, long agreement document...)
And when we hand devices over to kids for technology time, especially when they're under the age of 13, these agreements apply to them under our supervision.
As the course creator I'm required to remind you of this.
Both Canva and Kajabi (the platform this course is on) comply with government regulations for online child safety and privacy protection.
Their Terms and Conditions include the requirement of you as the parent or guardian to be bound to their terms of use, on behalf of your child. This includes the supervision of your child using the platforms.
Please sign up to Canva and this course using your own email and details, and supervise your child's participation.
There will be no online communities, forums or social media groups for this course. Parents are welcome to contact me with feedback or questions, but at no time will children be asked to do so.
There will be social media accounts on Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube and maybe even Facebook (when I have a minute to do them!). If you comment on posts please do not include any details - name/age/location etc - of your kids.
No drawing or painting skills are required. There's no mess to clean up, nor yet another kind of paint or glue to be added to the craft cupboard.
12 months access to Kids Get Creative With Canva for just USD$34
Weekly device time can be time creating and learning, without feeling like school work.
Sign up for creative funThis course is not associated with or representative of Canva. I've created it myself, using over 11 years of teaching Adobe and Canva to students, and seeing the ways I can help you best when you're learning.
