5 x ways to get your kids inspired and creating this Summer

6 weeks is a long time to have kids at home wanting to be entertained.

It is easy to just let them hide in their rooms, staring into their devices, playing video games or watching tv while eating their fifth Zooper Dooper. It means they aren’t bothering us- right?!  Lets make this next 6 weeks an engaging and creative summer – with our kids being encouraged to swipe less, and create more!  

I have put together my 5 top creative ideas to inspire creative kids – and it might even get you inspired too!!

 Our top 5 creative boredom busters….

1. Arting and Crafting……of course this is my number one boredom buster for all kids. Get off that device NOW (right now!), pick up a piece of paper, a pen, and draw, or grab some scissors and cut, a paint brush, anything………just get those hands creating. Need inspiration?? Go and visit one of my favourite local art shops The Art Shed in West End, and stock up on a few awesome supplies – just looking around this shop will get those juices flowing! Or – set up a cool still life – a vase, a pear, an interesting object – draw it/ paint it/ collage it……….Or grab some old magazines and go all Edward scissor hands, cut and chop and cut them some more – every word, image, picture – and create some awesome collages. Head to Officeworks and buy a couple of scrapbooks to fill up with sketches, paintings and collages…………get creating!!!

2. Visit the art Gallery ……a close second to actually creating art, is going and looking at it!! There are amazing galleries throughout Brisbane – GOMA, Qld Art Gallery, Institute of Modern Art, and a few on the outer fringes of Brissie…….Redcliffe City Art Gallery, Noosa Regional Gallery, Logan Art Gallery, Ipswich Gallery. All worth a visit over the holidays – explore local artists, national and international art – and all types of art – 2D, 3D, installation art, performance art – old art, new art……good art, bad art – you can play critic for the day. Throw in a milkshake, and that sounds like a fun creative day out!

3. Photography session………..use those phones for good not evil!! Get outside and take some arty photos – go visit a cemetery or an industrial site, or an old country town, or a creek, or just your back yard. Set up some cool objects on the kitchen table – arrange and snap away! Play around with scale/filters/cropping on the computer – and finally PRINT them – have an afternoon at a photo kiosk and get those images printed. Definitely an important part of the creative process. Display them all on a blank wall in your house. Host your own exhibition opening. Snap!

4. Found object walk……..forget everything, and just go for a wander around your backyard, street, local park, beach, and have a relaxed explore – try and find as many interesting bits and bobs as you can – whatever form they might take – natural, plastic, metal, paper – obviously nothing big, disgusting, or belonging to someone – just the cool little things, that one would normally just walk straight past…….a yellow leaf, a small sprig of purple flowers, a dead butterfly, a worn out piece of faded plastic, a gum nut, a crab shell, an orange rock, a very old rusty 2 cent coin……………..collect them, pop them in a jar, lay them all out on the table when you get them home, create labels for them – make a mini museum display. Write a story about each object – create a dialogue around them- asking questions like – I wonder who owned it, where it came from, what is it made of, what would you call that colour, how does it feel, how old it is, how it got here??

5. Pull out the sewing machine………….always a winner with not just your kids, but all the kids in the neighbourhood will be wondering what this strange thing is?? Once kids see that sewing machine in action, they will be lining up for a go of that pedal!. Cut some long strips of random fabric – and let kids sew in long straight lines – all different stitches – join bits of fabric together in strips……they don’t have to become anything – although they will want to wear them as ninja headbands. Such a fun tactile process. Maybe they might even want to then learn how to make something??? Perhaps a simple cushion cover or a tote bag is a super easy project to start with. Tie it in with a trip to Spotlight and buy a few buttons and trims. Haberdashery bliss!!

Can’t wait to get creative this break!!

Happy holidays folks!

Tracy x