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TSA Playlist | August: Kids
This month’s playlist is for the youngest ones in the family! Join us as we learn all about what it means to build a city, find out who makes all the cool buildings and landscapes, and what is the process of making dreams into reality. From construction site lullabies to green roof inspecting giraffes, this fun and informative collection of short animations, videos, and website resources is for everyone who gets excited about building, no matter how big or small!
Arthur: Castles in the Sky
2004 | 10 min
“Who says a building has to look like a box?” says world-renowned architect Frank Gehry, making a guest appearance in this special Arthur episode. In “Castles in the Sky,” Arthur and friends’ neighbourhood treehouse collapses and the gang brainstorms what kind of imaginative design their new treehouse should have that benefits everyone. There are so many great ideas, but which one is the best?
Find the Next Airtime
*Note: this episode can be viewed online or on your local PBS station for free only at the times indicated in the link above.
Bonus Content: Join Arthur and friends in this nifty Animal Home Builder game, where children use blueprints to design and build their own pet houses, offering a great opportunity to be creative and learn about building from start to finish.
Architecture Adventure: Crash Course Kids
2016 | 5 min
Crash Course Kids is a YouTube channel exploring the wide world of science. In this episode, Sabrina is looking for some space to call her own and uses the engineering process to find the best solution — the perfect treehouse! A great introduction to the process of defining a problem, coming up with possible solutions and testing them out.
Watch it on YouTube
Let’s Build a City: Crash Course Kids
2016 | 4 min
Sabrina is keeping busy! After finishing her treehouse, she now is thinking bigger, MUCH BIGGER. In “Let’s Build a City,” Sabrina introduces urban planning and applies the engineering process to consider how you would design your own city, making sure that it is safe, fun, and sustainable to live in.
Watch it on YouTube
Architecture For Kids Series – Glazer Children’s Museum
2020 | 1-2 min each (8 min total)
How are buildings designed and what are the tools architects use to figure it all out? The Architecture For Kids series includes four videos from the Glazer Children’s Museum and the Tampa Bay Foundation for Architecture & Design introducing the “Building Blocks” of architecture through sharing their in-person programs for young children.
The video series includes:
- Architects: Let’s Get Started
- Building Blocks: Floor Plans – How Architects Construct Space
- Building Blocks: Diagrams – How Architects Develop Space
- Building Blocks: Model Building – Understanding How Structure Works
Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site
2012 | 9 min
Even big trucks need sleep! This animated telling of the #1 New York Times Best Seller takes children through the different trucks at a construction site and their roles, as they each say goodnight after a hard day’s work.
Watch it on Kanopy
“Architect”, Songs About Professions by StoryBots | Netflix Jr
2015 | 2 min
What exactly is an architect? This short but adorable song from the Songs About Professions collection gives a playful outline of the role of an architect, focusing on their skills in planning and creativity! This video serves as a quick introduction to what being an architect is all about.
Watch it on YouTube
I Want To Be An Architect! – Kids’ Dream Jobs: Can You Imagine That?
2017 | 5 min
Can you imagine being an architect? Ellery sure can, it’s his dream job! Check out the video to see how Ellery would design his ideal tall buildings (Hint: it involves giant slides!).
Watch it on YouTube
Iggy Peck Architect
2007 | 9 min
This rhyming classic tells the story of Iggy Peck the architect and his quirky creations. Iggy’s challenge is to convince the grownups in his life that building things is fun and can definitely come in handy in a pinch!
Watch it on Hoopla
Roberto the Insect Architect
2005 | 11 min
Roberto the termite liked to play with his food—he dreamed of being an architect! Discouraged by his wood-eating family, Roberto leaves home to pursue his dream. To face his big-city challenges, Roberto thinks up innovative ways of building houses for his community. This story will encourage children to be creative and persevere to fulfil their dreams.
Watch it on Kanopy
Zoo Jobs: Meet a Landscape Architect – Smithsonian’s National Zoo
2015 | 6 min
She predicts the future… and then works tirelessly to make that future come true! Meet landscape architect Jen Daniels who works behind the scenes to design the 163 acres of the Smithsonian’s National Zoo. A perfect introduction for middle school students to the world of landscape architecture.
Watch it on YouTube
Landscape Architecture for Kids: What is a Green Roof?
2017 | 4 min
A long neck sure comes in handy when taking a look at green roofs! In this short video from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln College of Architecture, join this landscape architect giraffe as she introduces us to the role green roofs play in the big city and what exactly it means to be a landscape architect.
Watch it on YouTube
Resources and Activities
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Architecture Project for Kids: Norma Sklarek & the Blue Whale Looking for inspiration for your next family craft? Look no further. Using recycled materials and supplies from around the house, this how-to instructional will give children a hands-on introduction to architecture through creating their own versions of the famous “Blue Whale” building. |
ASLA Discover Landscape Architecture Activity Books These two activity books are for artistic kids and teens who love landscape architecture and detail. The books give youth the opportunity to witness the detail and creativity that landscape architects employ in their drawings, plans, and finished products. |
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Made by Joel Made by Joel is a repository of inspiration for crafts of all kinds, where families can explore the wide world of arts, crafts, and handmade education projects for children. |
ArchKIDtecture “When kids learn about architecture, BIG ideas are built.” This resource features many diverse architecture-related stories, projects, and lists of toys and books, perfect for that curious kid in your life! |
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| Petitarchitect
Petit Architect is Vancouver’s only program dedicated to architecture for kids! They are committed to delivering a curriculum full of camps, workshops, birthday parties, and downloadable classes and kits, that all embrace students’ creative processes. Visit the Website |
Bonus Content: If your kiddo can’t get enough of architecture and design, or is just interested in trying something new, architecture summer camps might be the perfect fit! Check out the TSA’s Upcoming Events page for the camps offered in the Toronto area.
About the TSA Playlist
The TSA Playlist is a monthly curated list of free online films touching upon issues of architecture, the built environment, and design. Our thematic lists do more than just entertain; they inspire us, enrich us, and challenge our perspectives helping bring the conversation of the built environment to new audiences and encourage conversation and debate.
Have a suggestion of a film or theme you would like to see featured? Let us know at tsa@torontosocietyofarchitects.ca
Be sure to also check out the past editions of the TSA Playlist.