There is inspiration all around us at the moment, to get us thinking and talking about art! I bet all your little ones are already talking about the riot of colours festooned on our deciduous trees in our streets. Take a moment to go outside in the beautiful autumn light and collect a handful of different sized and shaped leaves to use in our resist print, ‘Autumn Inspired Artwork.’ You will need the following: A canvas or A3 (or larger)...
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Easter is upon us and if you’re anything like my family we are looking for any excuse to get into the spirit of things and make it fun for the kids! This year we have decided to decorate our home ‘Easter’ style with a few fun art activities Bunny Ears… You will need: Cardboard Glitter/textas/sparkly things! Scissors Craft Glue Paintbrush Hot glue gun Wool/string Method: Cut out two bunny ear shapes and one long thin rectangle Let your...
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In the lead up to Easter it’s pretty much a craft bonanza at our house. We have a few rules: It’s got to be kid-oriented and age appropriate (eg. no origami or glass blowing!) . This year my kids are 3 and 2 (and 10 weeks, but he doesn’t really count this year- sorry little man!). It should be an activity that the kids can do the majority of themselves so they can work on their fine motor skills, creativity and imagination....
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We have just discovered the BEST way to keep the kids busy, give them positive ‘screen time’ and learn some amazing art skills – ARTVENTURE! If you haven’t heard of Artventure before, it is an online video art lesson platform giving kids the ability to express themselves, extend their art skills and build their confidence. It’s perfect for kids aged 4-12 or for your teenager, their Art Eye Deer program will be...
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Looking for a meaningful way to engage kids in learning about ANZAC Day? Crafts are a fun and creative way to explore this important day of remembrance. Below are some easy and engaging ANZAC Day craft activities that are perfect for children of all ages. These crafts will allow them to express their creativity while learning about the significance of the ANZAC Day and the story of the red poppy. HANDY ANZAC WREATHS! You will need: Up to 20...
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Ever wanted to create a great playroom for your kids? Playrooms can be a valuable addition to your home, keeping kids busy and entertained and letting them have lots of imaginative fun without messing up the entire house in the process! Here are some great ideas for creating an inexpensive and fun playroom. Choose fabrics and rugs that are durable and easy to wash. A playroom looks much cosier and more comfortable with a range of different...
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Halloween – you either love it or loathe it! But there’s no denying it’s growing in popularity every year in Australia. With so much marketing in the shops these days Mr 4 has been so inquisitive about what it is, but mainly how he to can get candy (thanks YouTube). So I decided this would be the year we go all out with Halloween celebrations and no better way to get in the spirit than with some pumpkin carving! Firstly, a few...
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We love to get messy with paint and finding new things to paint each week, and with the sun out if we can do it outside it’s a winner for us. The best news is little man has taken to Mumma’s plant obsession (can hardly contain my happiness) So with Spring Sprung and Mumma looking for any excuse to head to Bunnings we came home with these cute little pots ready to paint with all sorts of different patterns. I also thought putting a...
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This Mother’s Day is an opportunity for lot’s of dads to be involved (if they’re at home) to help make it extra special, or maybe older siblings can be given the opportunity to create with little ones, if you’re a hardworking solo parent!Many Mums have been at home with their children 24/7 for weeks on end now, with no respite, chance to have some time on their own or to reenergize, which, let’s face it, we all need to be the best we can...
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Playdough has to be one of our favourite activities to do with children at home. It’s quick, easy, lasts in the fridge for ages and provides HOURS of fun, even for older children. Here is our easiest and best playdough recipes! The Best Playdough Recipe 1 1/2 cups plain flour1/2 cup self raising flour (this gives the playdough a wonderfully soft and fluffy texture!)2 tablespoons of oil (we use coconut or olive oil)1/2 cup salt2 tablespoons...
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Trying to keep young children who are stuck at home entertained is no mean feat. Especially during these stressful times, children are possibly being exposed to world news that may seem scary or confronting to them, as it certainly is for us. Maintaining a sense of calm amidst the chaos will help to keep children at ease, and therefore make all of our lives a little less hectic. Here are 14 art activities for young children and we hope to...
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The leaves are beginning to slowly change colour, which can mean only one thing, autumn is on it’s way! Autumn is the season of colour, and by far my favourite. I remember I used to go out of my way to step on a crunchy leaf, and for some reason it still brings out the child in me! These activities have been created with young children and preschoolers in mind, but they’re equally as satisfying for older age groups too (ahem, even really big...
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We explored Mindfulness in Art with our last instalment on Kids in Adelaide with the Shell Mobiles you created from your slow walks along the beach…or fast walks if your children are smaller and faster! In this instalment of Mindfulness in Art we are using nothing but our own bodies and our imaginations. This activity can be used from children as young as three to your teenagers, boy or girl! Regardless of age, it is engaging and teaches the...
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We explored Mindfulness in Art with our last instalment on Kids in Adelaide with Nature Mandalas, with objects collected from the beach and the dunes. Thanks for the great images that came in with your beautiful mandalas…..amazing!! In this instalment of Mindfulness in Art we are using all the beautiful shells we collected for our nature mandala to create a mobile. A project like this is even more satisfying when you are on holidays, creating...
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As the warmer weather is approaching and we are able to enjoy our parks and beaches again I want to explore two of my favourite things…art and mindfulness! We can create art anywhere! It is such a great medium to allow us to be ‘present’ or ‘in the moment’ as we are thinking and concentrating on creating, allowing the pace of the world to just slow down. So welcome to the first part of Mindfulness in Art! Nature Mandalas A Mandala is a Sanskrit...
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If your house is similar to mine, where your children are slightly obsessed with scratch paper – then this art is for you! The absolute thrill of scratching off the top colour to find another nestled beneath is akin to magic for our little and big children. However, the cost of these magical papers is quite astounding…so, let’s make our own! You will need: A4 paperA scratch tool (or something pointy – I use the end of a paintbrush for my kids...
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Love Stones for Daddies The Fathers in this world hold their children in their arms and hearts and carry the thought of them all through their days. For this, we are so very grateful. Love Stones for Daddies is a beautiful gift idea for Father’s Day. It allows your child to think of all the things that they would love to do, or already do, with their Dads and they get to pick a love stone when ever the need arises – for sharing special times...
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We look all over the world to find inspiration for our art. In the Mexican markets, in the brightly coloured stalls, you can find mirrors made from tin foil. So, in true inspiring fashion you can create these beautiful pieces of art with your little ones. If you are thinking about explaining the art elements to your little one, then we are using lines as repetitions and patterns! You will need: Embossing foil (found at art stores) or you can...
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The meaning of mandala comes from the Sanskrit word meaning ‘circle’ and is a representation of the universe. They are A LOT of fun to create and children just love colouring them in! So…this is an activity for Mums and Babes on those cold, wintry days when all you want to do is be quieter, calmer and drink cups of tea! You don’t need much to get started, just a compass, eraser, pencil, ruler, white paper and nice artline pen. Plus colouring in...
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Here’s a cute little activity great for all ages. And particularly great for Autumn time in Adelaide where there are all those gorgeous coloured leaves around to collect and use. We scavenged our local park (in our raincoats and gumboots which made it even more fun) and found a basket full of sticks, leaves, berries and other natural “ingredients” to make our faces. Then all you’ll need is a nice flat tree trunk to make...
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Have you made Fluffy Slime before? This slime recipe is a follow up to our original Super Simple Slime recipe. We decided to UP the slime skills and try making Fluffy Slime. Just as easy, only needs a few extra ingredients. What you’ll need to make fluffy slime: Contact Lens/Saline solution ** MUST CONTAIN BORIC ACID **Craft Glue. We used white craft PVA glue from Kmart. $4WaterShaving creamCornstarchFoaming hand washMoisturiser...
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Do you even have kids if you’ve never made slime? I have a love/hate relationship with the stuff. She loves it / I hate it because it’s messy and almost always ends up somewhere it’s not meant to be. BUT I do have to admit that it is pretty fun to make and also VERY satisfying when you get the recipe just right and make perfect slime. I feel like we’ve made every slime recipe known to man. We have whole books dedicated...
Read MoreMaking a bird feeder that brings some of our awesome birdlife to your backyard doesn’t have to cost a fortune nor take any special skills. In fact, our 3 and 12 year old helpers were able to make the 3 different types below with almost zero adult assistance – so they are definitely a great holiday activity for the kids. The shaped cookie cutter ones also make awesome home made gifts as well. When we first started feeding our local...
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I absolutely ADORE this Stick People Community craft idea from Danya Banya. Who wouldn’t want a community of Stick People at their house? We have created many stick people (and toilet paper people!) in the past few years, and, as the girls get older, it’s fun seeing and hearing what imaginative adventures the kids create for their Stick People to get involved in. We have Stick People in the fairy garden, Stick People...
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