Painting with Kids

Today, kids are constantly distracted. They are always on their electronic devices, watching T.V. and they don’t get enough play time.

Moreover, kids also lack basic fine motor skills that are important for everyday tasks (such as cutting with scissors and tying shoes).

Today I’m sharing the most amazing kids’ art book written by my dear friend, Barbara Rucci. In case you aren’t familiar with Barbara’s work, she’s a mother, artist, graphic designer, and blogger at Art Bar Blog.

Now that the craziness of Halloween is over, my mind is geared up for Thanksgiving! I love the warm orange and yellow hues along with the smells of cinnamon spice and apple crisp. I also love sitting around the kitchen table and painting with my kids for Thanksgiving.

Have you ever considered creating collaborative art with your children? Making art with your children is a fantastic way to connect and explore with your child. When everyone is engaged in the creative process, conversations flow freely and children show their feelings. A wonderful collaborative family art piece to try is a Doodle Heart Painting.

Fall is such a beautiful time of year, and I feel so blessed to live in a wooded community where I can enjoy all the lovely changes of the season. With all the various maple trees and oak trees in the Midwest, the month of October is just a visual explosion of amazing colors. From deep reds, to bright yellows, there are so many opportunities to create art from nature. So when my daughter’s Montessori teacher asked me to partner in their autumn classroom art project, I jumped at the chance to volunteer.

Do you ever wonder what to do with all those scraps of artwork your kids make? Half the time they wind up in the recycling bin. (Shh.. I didn’t just say that). It’s impossible to save every scrap of artwork, but an easy way to recycle old artwork and create new artwork is to make a simple kids art journal.

Have you ever thought about how kids see themselves? Better yet, have you ever thought about how they represent themselves in their artwork? I have often found that a self portrait exercise is a unique way to gain insight into a child’s psyche. While, most kids love to draw pictures of themselves either in whimsical or realistic ways, it’s not often they have the opportunity to challenge themselves to draw and paint on a large scale.

Are you a parent who loves to encourage your child to draw and from observation, but you have no idea where to start? Maybe you feel you aren’t a strong artist, so the thought of showing your child any drawing techniques is simply overwhelming. Let me show you three easy steps to encourage your child to draw and paint from observation.