Teach Art to Your Children v 2.0

Summer is here and more and more parents are asking me if I teach "art camp".. I do not teach art camp for children but I write this weekly blog in hopes that more parents will dive into the "art pool" and take a swim with their kids. It's so easy to teach art.. I hope you decide to spend some quality creative time with your child this summer.

If you're just getting started with art, you can run over to the store and grab a few essentials. I think the key is to have these items organized and ready to go so that when your child has the creative spark, they can go with it right then and there. Stock your creative corner with:

• White Cardstock. I buy mine online here. Great for making cards and it will hold up to watercolor.
• Markers: I like the thin Pentel set as well as basic Crayola markers. As Kate gets older, she is drawing more detailed images and the thin pens hit the mark.
• Dye based ink pads. The kids love Ed Emberley. They will stay busy for a long time if they have a lot of colors to play with.
• Glue sticks and White School Glue
• Scissors
• Stickers
• Coloring Books
• Art journals. It's great to have a painting to hang up on the fridge once in a while..but give your child a pack of that cardstock and you will soon have enough pictures to wallpaper the master bedroom. The art journal keeps all of the artwork in one place and you can save it to show to guests at his/her wedding.

So you don't need a big fancy studio space for the magic to happen. Your child will be so  happy to have a small corner stocked with these great supplies... Make the time to organize your art space and you will be well on your way to teaching art. The next step is to sit with your child for 30 minutes or so and color. Just. Color. Talk about what you are drawing...add in details your child may not have thought about. It will be a great skill building summer. Trust me.