Boredom Buster Arts and Crafts

How is your summer going so far? As you enjoy (I use that word lightly) quantity time with your kids I want to encourage you to stimulate your their creativity. Go visit a museum or art gallery together. Get a few books about famous artists and artwork from the library. Allow the kids to create their own works of art throughout the summer. You may even want to take some time to do scrap-booking with the kids. Here are a few simple and inexpensive ideas to do at home or you may want to go to an arts and crafts store where you can pick out a project to do together.

Morning Sketches - A large, blank sketch or art pad can allow our kids to open up their minds to draw new ideas or express thoughts and emotions. Just after breakfast while the mind is fresh with new thoughts and ideas is a good time to hand out sketch pads. A variety of markers, crayons, colored pencils and water colors adds variety to art. You may choose to use a different medium each day or each week. I’m always on the look out for nice sketch pads or art paper on sale in the clearance section of hobby or crafts stores. You can also purchase special watercolor art pads and paper.

Trash Art - Don’t throw away those cereal boxes, plastic jugs and aluminum cans! They are works of art in the making. You can use them as building blocks to create a castle. You can spray paint them and decorate them with sequins and jewels. You can cut away the top of the jug to make a planter or a knick knack bowl. Take a giant box outside and let the kids paint it. They can paint the whole thing one color or they can paint pictures all over it and create a collection of master pieces.

Duct Tape Creations - One time for a long car trip we gave each of the girls (and their two friends) a roll of duct tape and scissors and told them to create something. We encouraged them to think outside the box and design some sort of usable object with the duct tape. One girl made a wallet (which she still uses to this day), one made a pair of flip flops, and two of the girls made the most unique purses you have ever seen. Loads of simple, inexpensive fun from a roll of tape!