Who knew heroes could come in the form of Joe Wicks, Sir Patrick Stewart and Carol Vorderman?! Back when schools around the world closed during the pandemic, a huge range of well-known faces stepped up to help entertain and educate kids stuck at home. PE, music, maths, cooking, drawing and more were all covered by celebrities from every corner of entertainment and sport.
It turned out to be such a brilliant, varied collection of ideas that we’ve kept it here as a go-to list of fun celebrity lessons and activities — perfect for a rainy day, a school holiday, or any time you need a break from the usual screen-time routine.
Filling the hours with something vaguely educational can be a big ask, so cut yourself some slack. Some of these were originally live, daily sessions; others are ongoing resources you can dip into whenever suits you. Where a celebrity’s original series was tied to a specific weekday schedule, we’ve kept the description of what it involved and a link to their channel, so you can see what’s currently available.
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Your Round-Up of Celebrity Lessons and Activities
PE With Joe Wicks
Joe Wicks, aka The Body Coach, became a household name for parents everywhere when he launched a daily 30-minute PE class for kids during school closures. His family workout videos live on The Body Coach TV YouTube channel, where you can still work through sessions at your own pace — no equipment needed, just some floor space and a bit of energy to burn.
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Myleene’s Music Klass
Television star, singer and classically-trained pianist Myleene Klass, together with her daughters Ava and Hero, put together a series of online music classes covering rhythm, reading music, making instruments and simply having fun with sound. No instruments are needed to join in — you’ll find the sessions on Myleene’s YouTube channel.
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#DrawWithRob with Rob Biddulph
Rob Biddulph is an internationally bestselling and multi award-winning children’s author and illustrator, and was the official World Book Day Illustrator for 2019, 2020 and 2021. His draw-along videos talk kids through simple, step-by-step pictures — a lovely way to build confidence with a pencil. Tag any pictures your child makes with #DrawWithRob to share, and find the sessions on Twitter, YouTube, Instagram or Rob’s website.
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Elevenses With The World of David Walliams
David Walliams’ Elevenses series brought some of his most eccentric and hilarious characters to life with daily stories from The World’s Worst Children series, each one about 20 minutes long. You’ll find the collection over at The World of David Walliams.
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Dancing With Oti Mabuse
Jive and salsa your way around the living room with professional dancer and BBC Strictly Come Dancing champion Oti Mabuse. Her family-friendly dance sessions can be found on Facebook and Instagram.
Theo Cooks With Kids
Chef, presenter and author Theo Michaels put together a series of simple, store-cupboard-friendly cook-alongs designed for kids to get properly stuck into. You’ll find the recipes and videos on his Instagram and YouTube channel.
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The Adventure & Wilderness Lesson With Ben Fogle
British broadcaster, writer and adventurer Ben Fogle hosted a series of adventure and wilderness lessons designed as a fun break from homeschooling, covering everything from outdoor skills to wildlife know-how. You can find his content on Instagram.
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Doodles with Mo Willems
Acclaimed children’s author, illustrator and The Kennedy Center’s first-ever Education Artist-in-Residence, Mo Willems, put together a doodle series inviting kids to grab some paper and pencils, pens or crayons and draw along with him. You’ll find the full playlist on The Kennedy Center’s YouTube channel.
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Cooking With Jamie Oliver
Jamie Oliver’s Keep Cooking and Carry On series is packed with easy, flexible family recipes, clever swaps and tips for making the most of what’s already in your freezer and store cupboard — a great way to get the kids cooking alongside you. Catch up on the recipes over at Jamie’s website.
Stay At Home Storytime With Oliver Jeffers
Oliver Jeffers is the acclaimed author behind children’s books like Lost and Found, The Incredible Book-Eating Boy and How to Catch a Star — books that have picked up an incredible array of awards, including The New York Times Best Illustrated Books, a Smarties Award, Irish Book of the Year and The Blue Peter Book of the Year. His storytime series sees him reading one of his books aloud and talking through how it came together. Watch on Oliver’s Instagram or his website.
National Geographic Explorer Classroom
The National Geographic Explorer Classroom gives kids a chance to hear real stories from real explorers — scientists, researchers, educators and storytellers working across all seven continents. It’s a lovely way to bring exploration and geography to life from your own living room.
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More Great Celebrity Lessons to Enjoy
The Great Indoors Activities with Bear Grylls
Former SAS serviceman and adventurer Bear Grylls, Chief Ambassador to World Scouting, put together a collection of 100 indoor activities designed to keep kids learning new skills without setting foot outside — think twig raft building, origami challenges and plenty more. Explore the full list on the Scouts’ Great Indoors page.
Shakespeare With Sir Patrick Stewart
Indulge in a bit of literary genius with a Shakespeare sonnet read aloud by the legendary Sir Patrick Stewart. He began the series with a simple thought: reading a sonnet a day, just like his mother once encouraged an apple a day. You can catch up on the sonnets over on Sir Patrick’s Instagram.
Math With Carol Vorderman
Carol Vorderman’s online maths programme, The Maths Factor, is designed for children aged 4 to 12 and follows the school curriculum. It contains over 1,000 maths sessions, with Carol teaching each topic through a lively video followed by practice sessions to build your child’s confidence.
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#WeWillDraw With Will Sliney
Will Sliney, artist for Marvel’s Star Wars, Spider-Man and Everton, launched the #WeWillDraw art challenge on his Twitter account. He posts a daily theme — superheroes, Star Wars and more — and kids everywhere can join in by sharing their artwork with the #WeWillDraw tag.
Dancing With Dianne Buswell
Another Strictly Come Dancing pro, Dianne Buswell, shares a series of dance tutorials on Instagram, teaching everything from the Cha Cha and the Charleston to hip hop and jive.
Drum Lessons With Harry Judd
McFly drummer Harry Judd shares drum lessons on Instagram, teaching his own son Kit how to play — no equipment required, so it’s easy to follow along with just your hands and a flat surface.
Cooking With Joanna Gaines
Interiors guru and HGTV favourite Joanna Gaines and her family share cooking videos from their gorgeous kitchen, from chocolate chip cookies to hearty family chilli. Watch along on the Magnolia YouTube channel.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Are these celebrity lessons still available to watch?
Many of the celebrities featured here have kept their videos archived on YouTube, Instagram or their own websites, so there’s a good chance you’ll still find plenty to explore. Availability can change over time, so it’s worth checking each link directly for what’s currently there.
What age group are these activities suitable for?
It’s a real mixed bag — some, like the drawing and doodle sessions, suit younger children, while others, like the Shakespeare sonnets or maths sessions, work well for older kids too. Most families will find something to match different ages in the one household.
Do we need any special equipment?
Mostly no. Most of these sessions were designed to work with whatever you have at home — paper and pens for drawing, a bit of floor space for PE and dance, and basic store-cupboard ingredients for cooking.
Is this list still being updated?
This is a curated round-up rather than a live schedule. We’ve kept the original line-up together as a handy, flexible resource for stuck-at-home days, rather than a day-by-day timetable.
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