Magic Travel Box
Some time ago, probably going on two years, I began looking for ideas to make road trips and plane trips more enjoyable for my then-toddler. After scouring stores, talking with parents and caregivers, exploring Pinterest, and knowing what my kiddo loved, I began to experiment with a travel kit. What came of it is our ever-evolving magic travel box. It's chock full of open-ended activities for your kidlets when you need a break or time to kill sitting on a plane or in a restaurant, at the beach, while camping, in the car... Where will you take it? Where will it take you?
1. Plastic snap-lid oversized pencil box with a piece of LEGO "land" cut to size and hot glued to top.
2. Kids pan watercolor set and brush (all you need is paper, a water cup to wash your brush, and a napkin to dry your brush
3. Stickers! We subscribe to a monthly sticker club and it's AWESOME!
4. Scissors
5. Dry erase markers and a homemade double-sided tic tac toe/what we call the "making squares" game...does anyone know the official name?...on a heavy piece of paper wrapped in clear packing tape.
6. Games from the dollar bin...word search, car bingo...
7. A notepad, copy paper folded and stapled into a blank sketchbook, watercolor scrap paper
9. Markers and a soft carrying pouch
10. LEGO's and a carrying pouch
Optional:
Figurines, washi tape, pencils, puzzles, a Spirograph...the possibilities are endless...space dependent ;-)
Pics above from Left to Right: that darned "making squares" game; Ooly markers and Walker mesh bag; getting packed up...when packing, the thinner the layers the better; all packed up and ready to close/go! And it fits nicely in a backpack, too.
It's important to note...one needn't run out and buy everything on the above list...they're merely suggestions of our favorite things. It's amazing how much of these things we can gather up around our house. Ziplocks work in a pinch for the carrying pouch. You can make your own puzzle...blog post a few back:-) And if you happen to have extra contents, please consider giving to a family less fortunate. Be kind. Make Art.
Fourth of July Decor
Planning on riding in a parade on the 4th? Get in on creating decorations for your bikes and making memories with your family. No bike? No problem. Read on...
What You'll Need:
- Red, White, and Blue Construction Paper
- Blue Painters Tape
- Silver Glitter Pipe Cleaners
Directions:
- Cut construction paper into 1-1.5" strips, about 12" long.
- With adult help, curl about halfway down each strip of paper using open scissors (optional).
- Using blue tape, attach ends of construction paper to ends of handle bars, leaving the majority of the paper to hang free off the sides.
- Wrap pipe cleaners over tape.
- Always wear a helmut.
And if you don't have a bike, THAT'S OK! Decorating empty paper towel tubes in place of bike handles gives you an instant wand to wave.
We'd love to see your decor! Tag us on Instagram @thearterieartstudio
Boredom Sticks...a Little DIY
I don't know about your kids but my kid LOVES the tub! So yesterday, while he was in the bath, we generated a list of things to do this summer when he's looking for something to do. At the top of his list?...TAKE A BATH
Our list turned into the making of a set of boredom sticks. A simple art project that was so easy to do, gave us an opportunity to connect, share ideas, and laugh, and the process generated some pretty gorgeous colors of paint.
Learn how we made our boredom sticks here.
Dada and Neo Dada Art with Our 7-10yo Artists
What is Dada art? A deeply complex art movement of the early 20th century, Dada artists (as many artists do) responded to world events and politics of the time by rejecting societal norms and aestheticism. How does something potentially confusing for young children get their attention? By showing Marcel Duchamp's version of the Mona Lisa.
This painting definitely was a conversation starter. We discussed "readymades" and artists of the time creating something new and different, even at the risk of being criticized. Students became eager to transform their chosen works of art--traditional paintings that could be viewed as stuffy or boring by the Dada artists. Students were given a variety of collage and mixed media materials to work with and the results were spectacular!
We then turned to another artist emerging from the Dada era, considered one of the pioneers of the Happenings and Fluxus movements, Wolf Vostell. Vostell was known for embedding objects, in particular vehicles and televisions into concrete...a different use of a ready-made. Before we began introducing Vostell's work, students were asked to choose one small plastic animal or a small car and observe it, draw it, and then sink it inside plaster students mixed. Once sunken, students were again asked to draw their observations. Upon the plaster hardening, students used ink to stain the plaster.
The next part of our Dadaist-inspired art making came from acclaimed assemablage artist, Robert Rauschenberg, who many think kick started the Pop Art movement. Students were given a variety of materials to work from to create their own mini-assemblages...mixing 2D and 3D planes, again inciting great conversation and questioning of the art movement and artists.
