Children express themselves through art, and introducing them to drawing can open them to a world of imagination.
We’ve come up with a list of drawing tricks that will have your kids handing you their masterpieces in no time.
1. Handprints
The fascination for fingers and hands is welcome during art time. Set up a little station with paper, crayons, colored pencils, and any other supplies your children love. Have a station set up beside them so you can participate, too! Allow your child to select any color they want. Place their hand on the paper with their fingers spread apart, then trace it or have them watch you so they can do it on their own piece of paper. After you trace the hand, let them pick any color and ask why they chose that color. Their responses, laughter, and artwork make this activity fun!
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You probably have countless photos of your kids, but having a self-portrait drawing can be just as special. Grab a photo of your child and place it next to them or have them create a self-portrait without a reference. This can be great for their imagination and a great way for them to express how they see themselves.
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There is nothing like going outside to inspire artwork. Go outside and let your kids pick up rocks, leaves, and other objects. Let them bring everything inside and place the items in front of them. Interacting with nature may entice them to draw things they see or feel.
4. Sponge Art
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Sponges can do more than clean: they can also be used for fun art projects! Put various colors of paints on a plate, then hand a sponge to your kids for them to dip into the paint. They can press the sponge against paper to make everything from trees, flowers, animals, and so much more.
5. Slime It Out
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Using glue for artwork can do more than hold things together. The glue itself can be a project! Grab some white school glue or clear glue. Mix the glue, water, and liquid starch and keep mixing until it’s thick and slimy. Then knead the mixture. Or let your kids knead the mixture, then grab some markers to draw on top of the creation.
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Another way to embrace nature is to take your kids, a few toys, and the art supplies outdoors. Place the toys on a piece of paper and allow the sun to cast shadows that your kids can trace. This activity gives the kids a chance to incorporate their familiar toys with art in a new way.
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If you have a lot of leaves outside, save some of them; they can be used for art projects. Place a few leaves in front of your kids, then sit beside them and draw a repetitive pattern, or Zentangle, on one corner of the leaf with metallic sharpie markers. Using this kind of sharpie will make the artwork shine. As your kids watch, encourage them to create repetitive shapes in another corner of a leaf, then repeat with different patterns.
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Who says cookie cutters are only for making cookies? These kitchen tools make great art tools, too. Grab a few of your kids' favorite cookie cutters, markers or colored pencils, and paper or a canvas. Hand your kids the cookie cutters and markers, then watch them repeatedly trace each shape. In the end, you will have multiple pieces of art you can cut out and hang around your house.
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Take coloring to a new level by using household items can add more excitement to an art project. Grab a few of your kids’ coloring books or go online to print some drawings. Place baby oil cotton swabs, paper towels, plates, and colored pencils near the drawings.
After your kids color in a portion of a drawing, hand them a cotton swab doused in baby oil. Instruct them to rub the cotton swab across some of their partly colored drawings and watch their eyes glimmer with excitement as the color spreads and blends across the paper. This technique transforms normal colored pencil art into beautiful watercolor pieces.
10. Animal Drawings
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Kids love animals. From their favorite cartoon characters to the animals they learn about at school, getting those images on paper can make for an exciting project. Ask your children to draw their favorite animal or the last one they saw or learned about. Most animals start with simple shapes. This is also a great time to review shapes with your kids.
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While doing at-home art projects is fun, they can get messy. Visiting a studio dedicated to art can be fun without the extra cleanup.
PLAYDAY art programs and creative classes are aimed at helping children build confidence and life-long cognitive skills. All their art classes are taught by experienced artists.
During PLAYDAY’s hour-long Doodle class, kids ages 5 to 12 are free to let their imagination run wild as they capture their thoughts with crayons, colored pencils, and so much more.