Getting Creative-arts & crafts for all ages.
This is only a small selection of ideas that you can create in your home with your children, for more ideas do check out our Instagram page.
Why not try a window art display, it could be themed ( we are currently working on our St. Patrick's Day window display), a family colouring competition, a paper plane competition, salt dough decorations, the list goes on. Creating art expands a child's ability to interact with the world around them, improve their fine motor skills, enhance their creative abilities, allows them to communicate through art and allows for self - expression. Creating art together as a family can strengthen those family bonds, create memories and can help us all emotionally.
Painting:
You can use lots of different materials to paint, you don't need to be restricted to just paint brushes. By changing what they use to paint, it becomes a completely new & exciting activity. We also love painting different materials such as rocks, pumpkins, cars etc. You can combine painting with a wash up activity afterwards.
Boxes:
Never underestimate a good box! A box can open the world of endless possibilities to your child's imagination & creativity. How many times at Christmas has your child's new toy sat untouched while they play inside the box it came with! A box can be a car, a boat, a house, a plane, it can be a maze for your hamster or a ball run. Boxes are great for allowing your child to use their imagination and creativity because it is a blank canvas and all it needs is your child's imagination to bring it alive.
Tinker tray & Collages:
This is random materials set out in a tray or plate and allows your child to express themselves through art by freely choosing the different materials. You can use paper, cards, rice, leaves, feathers anything you have and let them create!
Great for imagination, creativity, problem solving skills and fine motor skills.
Books:
Using books opens up new creative ideas of play, not just for art & crafts. Books are a great base for getting your child to get creative. You can use them in a variety of ways. We love adding books into our set ups and our play. For more bookish play see our Instagram page.
Baking:
Baking or cooking teaches children so many things. It gives children lots of opportunities to develop new skills such as math's concepts, fine motor skills, teaches scientific concepts, introduces life skills and they end up with a yummy treat to eat! It doesn't have to be made from scratch, even ready made packs where you add in a few ingredients still have plenty of learning in them. Children who help prepare dinner or help to bake are more likely to try what they helped to cook and baking/ cooking together can strengthen bonds between you and your child.
Toilet Roll art:
Great for creativity & imagination. It can be what they want it to be! A robot, a cat, a rabbit, a popper or even a bird feeder. We always keep our empty toilet roll and kitchen rolls for arts and crafts.
Using natural resources:
By using natural resources it give a more tactile stimulation to your child and is very accessible and of course its a free resource! Paint some rocks, make some birds with pinecones, paint with flowers, create a wreath for your door.
Why not combine it with a Scavenger hunt or a nature walk!
Letting kids be creative allows them to freely express their thoughts, ideas & feelings, great for building self esteem, confidence, sense of self accomplishment, helps develop all those fine motor skills to name a few and by displaying your child's work you are showing your child support which is a great way to boost confidence &self-esteem too.