Running out of ideas for those long summer days or on a rainy day? All parents have witnessed the child who loves to play in the box and use their imagination. Well, how about those small shoe boxes or whatever size you happen to have in the house. I gave both children a box and pulled out all the little things that we have around the house that I should have thrown away.  I just knew they would be used and come in handy! It is good to re-use and recycle.

You will also need some glue, tape, scissors and markers to get started.  Next, your child may just take off and not need any help to get started . For the others, ask questions about what they like to play….dolls, cars etc. This may help them to make a choice to make a house for their little animals, design a car for characters etc. My son was into gadgets and rockets. Below you can see his control box that has been used for many missions to the moon.

For this project he wrapped white paper around the box, I cut the slit for him to put his sliding piece of cardboard in, a bolt served as his on and off switch and the plastic squares were around the home as counting squares and last a mosaic piece filled in as the last button.  Any tiny craft things would work including buttons, pom poms and stickers. My son was about six years old when he created this “thing” and I am thinking we need to do this again and see what he comes up with this time.  I do not have my four year old’s version pictured and I am sorry I do not have it because it was quite hilarious as she made a control box as well.  I love how different each child is and you can really see it when you let them have free reign of their projects and crafts.

Creativity is the key!

“Creativity is a great motivator because because it makes people interested in what they are doing.  Creativity gives hope that there can be a worthwhile idea.  Creativity gives the possibility of some sort of achievement to everyone. Creativity makes life more fun and more interesting.”   Edward de Bono

*Edward de Bono wrote and studied about the brain and creativity. He was the author of The Mechanism of Mind and introduced the term “lateral thinking.”

Show dad how much he rocks with this cool gift! Make dad an easy, but useful paper weight for his desk or dresser at home. The reminder of his thoughtful child will bring him smiles all year long.  If you need to buy rocks, first check your local hardware store and ask for a sample of a smooth river rock (I also found them labeled as Mexican river rock and large beach pebbles.)

HOW TO DECORATE  YOUR ROCK

Choose a special rock.

Rinse it off and dry.

Set out glitter glue and different material to decorate.

Example of materials: buttons, pom poms, confetti, small items

Smear glitter glue with sponge or paint brush onto rock.

Let it dry completely.

decorated rocks

MONEY SAVING TIP:  For large groups, cut up padding for seat cushions. I found mine at a craft store for $2.00 and cut up into 30-40 pieces.

Much more cost effective than sponge brushes.

Need to make a fun and simple art project to go with a desert animal theme or lesson?  Children love texture and glue. You will need to pre-cut the animals for little ones or make a sample to trace.  The sample below is a scorpion with different sized beans glued on the card stock. Snakes, lizards and gila monsters would also look fantastic!

You will need: heavy paper (card stock), scissors, glue and beans.

Coffee filters are such a great find for artists and teachers!  These simple flowers look great when a whole class puts them together on a branch or hanging from a ribbon or string.  We have not done, but you could decorate for a bridal shower, Mother’s Day or birthday party by making into a garland and using the theme of the celebration colors.

You will need:

White coffee filters

Spray bottle with watered down tempera paint (I add until watery consistency and easy to spray)

Thin wire to twist around and tie onto stick or string/pipe cleaners

String to make garland or branch/stick to decorate for home

What to do:

Prepare an area…it will be messy

Lay out coffee filter and spray

Allow to dry a few minutes and fold to look like flower

Twist tie/wire or pipe cleaner around bottom of flower.

Add to string/branch or garland!

Each child could tie to straw or stick to bring home to mom for Mother’s Day.

Little fingers at work, twisting the pipe cleaner to complete the flower.

Adding different amounts of water and how much each child sprays leads to

a unique flower amongst the garden.

This beautiful art project looks great on your little girl’s wall after it is all dry!  The art project is perfect for birthday parties, groups like girl scouts and as a class project during spring or Mother’s Day. Oh, and how about the grandma who has everything, a precious gift this would be to hang on her wall.

I started my shopping early to utilize coupons and watch for sales, especially on the canvas.  At any craft or art supply store you can get plain canvas wraps. I used the 11×14 for our project, but it would be beautiful on a larger canvas if you have the space.  The loose flowers were a hunt. If you have a Joann’s or craft store carrying silk flowers they may give you the flower heads that have fallen off and will be thrown away anyway. It is worth asking.  A friend of mine had a manager at Michael’s tell her no, and even said they would still be throwing them away (and mind you this was for Girl Scouts.) On the other side, Joann’s collected them and had a bag ready for pick up.  If this is not an option, buy them on sale and pull off yourself.

You will need:

canvas

glue (all-purpose like Elmers)

sponge brush (any thing to spread glue)

acrylic paint (any color)

paintbrush (I used popsicle sticks)

loose flowers/petals

First:

Prepare area with paper/cloth and write name on back.

Second:

Pour generous amount of glue and spread with sponge brush over whole canvas.

Third:

Choose paint color and spread in any design, using paintbrush or sticks.

Fourth: Add flowers and press into glue.  (The flowers need to be cut close.)

Last: Allow to dry for a day or longer if paint and glue were heavily applied.

The French celebrate Poisson d’Avril.  To do something a little different in your home or classroom this year celebrate April Fish with your little ones.  In France, children will make paper fish and tape them on another child’s back without them knowing it.  When they find out, the prankster will say “Poisson d’Avril.”

As a family or class make and decorate paper fish and state the allowed times to try and put fish on others back.

This simple and fun activity will surely put a new twist on the day!

Why not tie this in with The Rainbow Fish if you have little ones to teach or at home.  What a fun day!

As I try to instill art and culture into our home, I find it is hard to find the time. So, I am  looking for simple and fun activities to do with my children before they grow up on me!  It can be challenging to squeeze in these art lessons now that both children are in school and the days zzzzoom on by. So, this year I am going to have an artist wall for about a month. On this wall we will add facts, quotes and pieces of art found online, in magazines or on postcards.  Although we have been to the art museum, I am hoping to visit this summer with fresh new artist eyes!

I will post on our experiences and include our art projects as we go.

TO PREPARE

First, get  a large binder. This will become the artist binder. As your family studies an artist you can put the information into this binder. If you have a bulletin or wall you can place into the binder after displaying for the week/month. Try to keep the facts and art work 8×10 size, so it will fit into the binder. They do have larger scrapbook sized books that would also be nice and then you could have larger sizes of artwork from the children.

Next, give each child an art journal. This can be a binder or notebook. I got my children a sketch book that has no lines.

*Tip: limited on wall space, use a science bulletin board that folds into thirds. You can display and easily put in the closet when company comes over.

Deciding your artist could come directly from the children or look into what artists you have at your closest art museum. As for me, I am starting with Gauguin because I just taught about him at my son’s school for art masterpiece and I already have a book. So, whatever your method, get started!

First session with your children or class:

Give them art journals and decorate front, include name.

Introduce artist name.

Ask what they know about artist? Make a list.

Ask what they want to know? Write responses.

Leave a blank paper labeled “What we Learned about ……”

*Write as group on large paper/poster board or dry erase board OR have each child write in their own art journal.

This could end first session or you could read book on artist or show some of the artwork and discuss what they think of the shown pieces.  All of this can be found at library or on-line.

Looking forward to sharing about our first session and artist, Gauguin.

Need a quick and simple activity for the children or classroom?  This no-cook recipe is simple and perfect for creative children. It can also be used as a learning tool and game.  Give each child a portion of the dough and have them make formations appropriate for their age.  For example, “make two spheres, form a line that is three inches long,” or “make a smiley face!”  I use this recipe as a last minute activity when we are going to be home inside or having a play date.

NO-COOK MODELING DOUGH

2 Cups flour

1 cup salt

water

tempera paint powder

Mix ingredients, adding water to make the dough pliable.  Not too much it will be too sticky.

The dough can air dry to harden or can be baked at 300 degrees for an hour.  The time may depend on the thickness of the creation.

Recycling wine corks can be lots of fun and a simple summer craft or game for children.

Make a Boat:

You will need: Corks, popsicle stick, tape (electrical), hot glue, some form of fabric, plastic or foam to make sail.

Before you involve the children hot glue several wine corks together and allow to cool.  Then with the children, design a triangle shape foam or plastic sheet.  The size is up to you depending on the size of the boat. Use the tape to adhere to popsicle stick. Push in between cork. Or, you can glue popsicle stick in with corks prior to activity. Now the fun begins, use the boat in a river, pool or bath tub!

Pool Game:

The most simple activity is to bring the wine corks into the pool to play the old game of dibble-dabble.  All players are standing on the side of the pool and the “dabbler” swims to the bottom of the pool with the cork and leaves it on the bottom of the pool.  When the dabbler is up they yell go. All the other players may jump in the pool and the first to come up with the cork says dibble dabble. It is now that persons turn to swim to the bottom.  A simple game that keeps a group of children having fun in the pool!

Have you ever wondered what to do with those old crayons?  One idea is to melt them all up into a super sized crayon.  We tried this a while ago and my four year old keeps asking to do it again!

What I learned: Do not use a favorite pan, you can spray pan or use foil lining.  You can also buy any shaped tins you would like to match a theme.  Wouldn’t it be fun to use flower shaped crayons at a spring themed party or Easter?

Here they are cooling down.

All you need:

OLD non-stick muffin pans

crayons

What to do:
Preheat your oven to 250

Peel the paper off the crayons

Break up crayons and place in muffin tins, this is the favorite part, mixina all different colors!

Place the muffin tins in the oven until the crayons melt

Let the new crayons cool

Remove the crayons and color away!

They are super fun to use on large paper.