Look! I figured out how to post a picture!
Unfortunately I couldn't figure out how to rotate the first one or I would have. Yesterday started out with a ridiculous amount of glittler. Of course this was after my husband left for work. Not that he has a fancy job or anything. I mean, he loves glitter as much as the next guy-which is not at all!
The first picture is from my 18 month old daughter and the second one is from my three year old son. My four year old son made something as well. Contact paper with glitter and paint but it's in with the napping kids. There was also shaving cream and corn starch. If you haven't tried it you are missing out on a massage for your brain!
My favorite thing about art is how you can give a group of kids the same access to art supplies and they will all come up with completely different designs. My oldest doesn't like to get messy. Sad, I know. He's kind of like me in that way. He also has different things he won't eat because of the textures like applesauce. Just like me! Now I'm all for getting messy with art and while you're outside. I loved the corn starch and shaving cream. Corn starch and water, the goop stuff. Adding corn starch to paint. It makes it silky to the touch when it dries! Sorry if this is so rambly, I just love the process of art!
This is how art happens at our house. We have limited space and because we live in an apartment I can't put up that many shelves. I am also not a super organized person so I know where everything is but it looks like a mess! The boys have an art caddy that holds crayons, markers, watercolor paints, scissors, small paper, and colored pencils. These are kept in the kitchen by the table for easy access. If they are feeling arty they can always grab stuff out of their case and go for it! Because I have a one year old, and a very independent three year old, the glitter, paint, and assorted collage materials are kept in their bedroom closet. They know all they have to do is ask for those materials but I keep those materials out of their reach so I don't walk in to a rainbow on the wall after I switch the laundry!
My three year old would think nothing of opening a tub of paint and glitter and going at it. And while I admire his ability to set up his own art project, I don't really enjoy scrubbing paint out of the carpet after my daughter tracks it down the hall. Thankfully this hasn't happened. Yet!
My oldest is just the opposite. He's not really big on getting messy so I try to have creative things he can do and still have enough freedom to make creative choices. He's really in to cutting out shapes and oddly enough, even with all his texture preferences and not wanting to get painted, he loves chalk! He also only loves dark colors. He says he likes black and brown and blue because they are warm. Like any worrier parent, I'm looking for signs of depression and totally phyco-analyzing all his paintings!
It is totally different with my daughter! Instead of picking one color, she points to all the different colors she wants. She grabs the sequins, the glitter. She creates with such energy! It's almost ferocious the way she attacks the paper with her paint brush! And she talks the whole time. I hear the word "pretty" amidst her jabber and singing.
This is the best place. Letting our minds wander and tune out whatever stress might be buzzing in our ear. Sometimes we talk about things that are on their minds, letting it unravel and looking for solutions to the problems we find. Usually, we plan more art projects! This afternoon we're going to was and maybe paint some rocks. Where do art projects take you? Ours usually end up in the bathtub!
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