In a perfect world, we'd all be gathered around the kitchen table with our kids, holding hands, singing songs and making Valentine's Day crafts involving a minimum of ten or twenty steps. Glue would be distributed neatly in trays, a glitter station would be set up in the corner and paint pens would be lined up nicely in a row, organized by colour.
You could go to the store and pick up ready-made Valentine's Day cards for your kids to distribute among friends and family on February 14th. Or, you could show them how to recycle some household paper goods into sweet messages of love and affection.
The required materials are few, and chances are you've already got everything you need in your office or basement.
Hearts appear often in works of art. And why not? They're easily recognizable as the universal symbol of love. Plus, they're just plain fun to make.
To celebrate Valentine's Day, I thought it would be fun to share a cool mixed media art project your kids can do alone, or side by side with you. I'm a big fan of mixed media and while it may sound complicated, all it means is that you are using more than one art medium - in this case, watercolour paint and markers (and paper too, of course).
I've got a creative challenge for you and your kids.
All you need is a permanent marker, some watercolour paint, a couple of paintbrushes, water (in a cup), and some heavy paper (watercolour paper or poster board).
Exposure to art provides kids with the tools they need to develop creative problem solving skills, communicate opinions in a variety of ways and adapt to and respect other points of view. Not only that, when a child is able to express him or herself in a creative way, he or she develops self-esteem, self-discipline and self-motivation - all key life skills.
A young friend was visiting our house when he threw a word-bomb into the living room and waited for my then 5 year-old daughter to catch it. I cringed the moment I heard the words falling from his mouth.
“You must be bored, living here, with nothing to do.”
If one of your New Year's resolutions is to be more creative, then there's no better time than New Year's Eve to get started.
You could head to the store to pick up ready-made blowers, noisemakers and hats. Or, you could spend some quality time with your kids as you - and they - ring in the new year with these nifty DIY creations.
If you're celebrating the holidays, chances are you're baking. And if you're baking, chances are you've got a few egg cartons kicking around the house.
There's no easy way to say what I have to say, so I'll just go ahead and say it:
You, your kids, and your kitchen are probably going to get messy when you try out these cool holiday painting ideas. But here's the thing: Sometimes making art means getting dirty and in fact, the best projects are often the ones that leave a trail.
My uber-crafty mom and I were recently asked to run one of six Christmas ornament craft stations for six groups of kids ranging in age from three to sixteen. Rather than coming up with several crafts for different age groups, we decided to keep our activity ideas simple enough for little ones yet make them challenging enough for older kids. We also – selfishly – made a pact to stay clear of anything that involved paint while at the same time making use of easily accessible materials.
It’s a rainy afternoon - maybe even a snow day - and you’re itching to sit down with your kids and make something cool. Only, you’re pretty sure they already know how to draw stick figures and beyond that, you’re feeling kind of inadequate.
Before you abandon the idea altogether, see if you can answer the following questions.
You know what’s great about those restaurants where they cover the tables with paper and let the customers draw all over them?
They cover the tables with paper and let the customers draw all over them!
You can’t tell me you’ve never doodled with your friends or family while waiting for your appetizer to arrive because, let’s face it, you love spinach and you really love cheese and you know that no matter what is added to that combo - artichokes, peppers, mud - that dip will always be perfection in a bowl.
What does it mean to be creative? Is it the ability to paint, sing, or dance? Or is it simply the willingness to try something you might not normally attempt?
Pablo Picasso was right when he said, “Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once s/he grows up.” We are all born to create. You’ve probably witnessed this in your kids.
Fun Food: Easy To Make Heart Shaped Rice Krispies Pops
