For arts practitioners and the creative community, the response to COVID has meant cancellations or postponements and a rethinking of how to share stories. The same too can be said for how students experience the arts in school. For two years in a row the biennial and much anticipated school production was cancelled due to COVID disruptions, not to mention assembly performances and kapa haka experiences. Yet all children have a right to arts education, one that is enriching and meaningful (O'Farrell, 2016). So how, in this topsy-turvy COVID world, can it be ensured that students experience creative art encounters? How can one give students the space and support to create, play and share their stories?