Art Activities Archives

July Art Challenge

It’s time for the July Art Challenge! 🎨🗓Each month, we follow a set of art prompts that are open to interpretation. The goal is to build an art practice that helps us explore new ideas and experience joy through self expression. Sometimes we need a little boost to remind us to create! All ages and skill levels are welcome. Use any media: pencil, paint, photography, 💃🏽 dance…it’s up to you. Grab a sketchbook and jump in anywhere, anytime.

❤️New this month! My daughters have been involved in this challenge for years, and my eldest volunteered to create all the line art shown around the July calendar. ❤️💃🏻

If you have children in your life, these prompts are made for you. 👩‍👧Share the daily prompt with your child and see what happens! 💫For summertime trips and downtime, the challenge can be your daily creative companion, giving your family an artsy brain break.

💃🏼HOW TO PLAY >>

. Find a sketchbook or stack of paper. Beyond that, use any materials you like. Paint, pencil, collage papers, dirt. It’s up to you. You could even go paper-free and make this a photo challenge.
If you’re on Instagram, you can follow and join the challenge there, too. Tag me @tinkerlab so I can reshare your posts in my stories. Upload your photos with the hashtags #tinkerlabartchallenge and #tinkersketch > July Art Challenge on Instagram
Have Fun!
Starts July 1

Cut and Paste Prompt List for the July Art Challenge

If you’d rather cut and paste the list into a document or something else, here’s the full list for the July Art Challenge:

parallel
torn
air
crack
glitzy
vintage
equal
yummy
crush
tangle
wild
spiral
fresh
dust
dance
walk
east
dinner
wheel
lazy
diamond
fuzzy
even
zigzag
story
clock
spare
zoom
bubble
texture
orbit

FAQ

What is the TinkerSketch Art Challenge?

TinkerSketch is a daily sketchbook practice that invites you to experiment and play with ideas and materials in a low-stress, fun, and mind-stretching way.

Who is this Art Challenge for?

Anyone who wants a creative art boost. The stakes are low and it’s super easy to do, even if you have no experience or low confidence with making.

How much time will it take?

While you can spend as much time at this as you like, just set aside 5-10 minutes each day and you’re in business.

I need some tips for carving out 5-10 minutes

Carry a sketchbook in your bag and pull it out when you’re waiting in line
Designate “creative time” where you and your child draw in sketchbooks side-by-side
Wake up a little earlier than usual. You can make this more pleasant by lighting a candle, brewing tea, and sitting with your sketchbook for a few minutes before the rest of your home wakes up

What’s the goal?

Improve your drawing, painting, mark-making skills
Try and explore new ways of art-making
Land on new ideas that wouldn’t have emerged otherwise
Have fun
Model creative thinking for your child (if you’re a parent or teacher)
Celebrate the imperfection of your ideas
Think creatively

What Tools Will I Need?

A sketchbook or a ream of paper. Even post-its or old receipts will work.
Mark-making tools like pens and pencils
Paint and brush
“Attaching” materials such as glue and tape will come in handy
Collage materials such as scrap paper, newspaper, old homework, or magazines.
Anything else that strikes your fancy. We’ve used hole punchers, chalk markers, tea, and okra (they make beautiful stamps).

See our Resources Page for a full list of recommended supplies for tinkering, art journal keeping, and art making with kids.

Can I see Examples of How this Works?

To see images from TinkerSketch past, click over here or search Instagram for #tinkersketch. You’ll see so many inspiring entries.

How do I interpret the prompts?

You can interpret the daily prompts however you want. “Drips” to one person may mean flicking watercolors off a toothbrush and to another person it might mean covering a page in marker and then leaving the page outside on a drizzly morning. You can take the prompts literally or not — this is completely up to you.

The Art of Noticing – Two Projects and a Book Review

By Rachelle Leave a Comment

The Art of Noticing, hot off the press, is a creativity book that’s jam-packed with inspiring activities that help us look at the world differently, move out of our comfort zones, and get creative juices flowing. I don’t often share books here, and when I do it’s because they are GOOD! This is one of those books.

Note: This post may contain affiliate links.

In The Art of Noticing, author and educator Rob Walker shares 131 ways to spark creativity, find inspiration, and discover joy in the everyday. It’s available as a book, kindle, and audible. The girls and I bought it for Scott for father’s day and we’ve been stealing it from each other ever since. He left the room when I popped in to grab it, but it was under a watchful eye. So appropriate.

To give you a taste of what’s inside, I’ll share a couple projects that we’ve enjoyed from the book.

1. Reframe the Familiar

Walker pays homage to one of my creativity heroes, Sister Corita Kent, in this prompt, and I like this fresh twist on her viewfinder activity, borrowed from one of Walker’s student Lucy Knops.

Make a viewfinder from an old slide or simply cut a frame from heavy paper. Look for a view to frame up and then summarize what you see in one or two words. Then, move the viewfinder to frame up something else. How does the word influence what you’re looking at? For example…

This one is pretty simple and I encourage you to give it a try. The next one is more involved, but doesn’t require anything more than time.

2. Look for Ghosts and Ruins

For this act of noticing, you get to venture out into the world and hunt for visible remnants that give clues into the past. We heard about an old series of steam tunnels on the Stanford campus and decided to go in search of them.

If you want to try this, keep your eyes peeled for evidence of unused architectural features such as phone booths, sealed off underpasses, or the foundation remains of a building. What clues do they offer into their original purpose? What questions remain?

My daughter and I ventured out at night, which added to the mystery and intrigue. Many of the tunnel entrances can be found around the main quad, so we started there…

We read online that the entrances are locked (makes sense!). While we knew we couldn’t go inside, we hoped to get a glimpse into these secret spaces and dreamed up stories about them along the way. Here’s a peek at what we found…

You can see a bit of a descending ladder in this one.

It’s hard to tell from the photos, but we were able to see 15 feet underground into some of these holes, and ladders down the side were clues that these were in fact entrances!

The Art of Noticing

Back to The Art of Noticing: This book full of so many rich and novel ideas for experiencing life, and most don’t require fancy tools to pull off.

Some of the other interventions, at a glance:

Take a photo walk, with no camera
Keep a nature log
Get there the hard way
Count with the numbers you find
Detect imaginary clues
Meet a friend half way
Look like a child
Track the moon

Don’t these ideas make you want to dive in a play? At the end of the day, the activities will make your life richer and full of more possibilities than you had previously imagined.

Order a copy of The The Art of Noticing or Take a Look Inside the Book

The Artful Parent – Revised Edition

By Rachelle Leave a Comment

Holy art goodness! The Artful Parent (aff), revised edition from Roost Books just hit the shelves! I adore the original book and this new edition is simply beyond. It’s jam-packed with endless art activities for you and your young kids.

First, there are endless projects you can try with your preschooler. Second, it includes detailed chapters on things like setting up your art space, making room for action art, storing art (a big challenge for many of us!), drawing games ideas, and how to set up art playdates and parties. Jean spent hours taking new photos and updating the original, and the result is impressive.

A peek inside…

Being a new parent can be hard work and blogs, like Jean’s The Artful Parent, are a treasure trove of solid ideas that save the day. As a new mama, I hung on her words, tried her projects, started my own blog, and became an Artful Parent lifer. Over time, our friendship grew, we swapped stories, met in Nashville, and she introduced me to her editor at Roost Books (who became my book publisher), which was a huge act of generosity. Simply put, Jean is a good person and a creativity trailblazer in the world of kids art.

Let’s take a look inside the book…

Here’s my article, Playful Exploration of Art Ideas and Materials…

Instagram Giveaway

Would you like to toss your hat in the ring to win a copy of this book?! Just like @tinkerlab and @theartfulparent on Instagram and leave a comment in my Insta post with your favorite kids art project. For extra entries, tag friends in separate comments. Open to U.S. residents. Deadline to enter: Friday, June 28, 2019, 8 pm ET. Winner will be notified by direct message on 6/28 and will have 24 hours to claim their prize. Instagram does not endorse this giveaway. Good luck, friends!

Order your copy

To skip the line and get your copy now, click here to get your copy on Amazon and learn more about the book.

11 Classic Summer Camp Crafts for Kids

By Rachelle 21 Comments

Now that summer is officially underway, I’ve been getting nostalgic for classic summer camp crafts. You know, the ones that you would make every year — things to wear, hang on your wall, and gift to your parents at the end of summer.

These projects are intended to take you back to your childhood, and maybe inspire you to bring some of this time-tested goodness back into your life this summer. I know that my 4-year old will enjoy tie-dying and sand casting, so I’m adding those to my summer bucket list.

What crafts do you remember from your camp days?

Tie Dye Tutorial, Home Made Simple. You could also try this one-step tie dye kit.

Friendship Bracelets. For all the supplies you’ll need, I love this multi-pack of embroidery floss.

God’s Eye, Make and Takes. For a colorful selection of yarn, you might like this bright 8-pack of tiny, soft yarn skeins.

Paint Birdhouses. TinkerLab. Pic up inexpensive wooden birdhouses at the craft store, add acrylic paint, and you’ll have a birdhouse or bird feeder for summer. For non-toxic acrylic paint, you could try Reeves non-toxic acrylic paint set (affiliate)

Sand Casting with Plaster and Shells, Paint Cute Paste. Need plaster of paris? Amazon has you covered!

DIY Wind Chimes, Hands on: As we grow. Need brushes? You could try these silicon basting brushes.

DIY: Rain Stick, The Imagination Tree

Sand Candles, Child Central Station. If you need candle wax, this natural soy wax (in a 10 lb. bag) is an Amazon bestseller.

Colored Rice Bottle Art, Plain Vanilla Mom

Nature Impressions in Sculpey, Plum Pudding. Sculpey is a polymer clay that’s easy to use and bakes hard in your oven. Awesome stuff. And there’s a great deal on it over here.

Bell Shaker Instrument, Mini Eco

Papier Mache Bowl, Art Projects for Kids

June Art Challenge from TinkerLab

By Rachelle Leave a Comment

It’s time for the June Art Challenge! 🎨🗓Each month, we follow a set of art prompts that are open to interpretation with a goal is to build an art practice that helps us explore new ideas and experience joy through self expression. Sometimes we need a little boost to remind us to create! All ages and skill levels are welcome. Use any media: pencil, paint, photography, 💃🏽 dance…it’s up to you.

If you have children or if you’re a teacher, these prompts are made for you. 👩‍👧Share the daily prompt with your child and see what happens! 💫If your summer is kicking off, the challenge can be your daily creative companion, giving your family a an artsy brain break. Plus, sketchbooks 🧳 travel well and this is easy to take on the road. For family bonding, we’re fans of setting of side-by-side collaborative sketchbook time. Mamas, maybe you need your own creative break? Gift yourself a sketchbook and a few minutes daily of pure “me time”.🤫📝

Don’t worry if you miss days…just join when you can. Inspire your imagination to fly and leave perfection at the door. This is all about process, play, and experimentation.

Grab the May Art Challenge image and save to your phone or desktop. Print it out and glue into your art journal. Re-share on your Instagram wall. Post to Facebook. Art challenges are more fun with friends, so be sure to ask a buddy to join you.

💃🏼HOW TO PLAY >>

. Find a sketchbook or stack of paper. Beyond that, use any materials you like. Paint, pencil, collage papers, dirt. It’s up to you. You could even go paper-free and make this a photo challenge.
If you’re on Instagram, you can follow and join the challenge there, too. Tag me @tinkerlab so I can reshare your posts in my stories. Upload your photos with the hashtags #tinkerlabartchallenge and #tinkersketch > June Art Challenge on Instagram
Have Fun!
Starts June 1

Cut and Paste Prompt List for the June Art Challenge

If you’d rather cut and paste the list into a document or something else, here’s the full list for the May Art Challenge:

Fruit
Middle
Mismatched
Whimsy
White
Roll
Curve
Moon
Chaos
Gravity
Mistake
Crown
Sign
Salt and Pepper
Uneven
Growth
Blank
Minute
Warm
Flower
Out of Focus
Splash of Color
Magnify
On my Table
Typography
Memento
Pastel
Contrast
Numbers
Endless

FAQ

What is the TinkerSketch Art Challenge?

TinkerSketch is a daily sketchbook practice that invites you to experiment and play with ideas and materials in a low-stress, fun, and mind-stretching way.

Who is this Art Challenge for?

Anyone who wants a creative art boost. The stakes are low and it’s super easy to do, even if you have no experience or low confidence with making.

How much time will it take?

While you can spend as much time at this as you like, just set aside 5-10 minutes each day and you’re in business.

I need some tips for carving out 5-10 minutes

Carry a sketchbook in your bag and pull it out when you’re waiting in line
Designate “creative time” where you and your child draw in sketchbooks side-by-side
Wake up a little earlier than usual. You can make this more pleasant by lighting a candle, brewing tea, and sitting with your sketchbook for a few minutes before the rest of your home wakes up

What’s the goal?

Improve your drawing, painting, mark-making skills
Try and explore new ways of art-making
Land on new ideas that wouldn’t have emerged otherwise
Have fun
Model creative thinking for your child (if you’re a parent or teacher)
Celebrate the imperfection of your ideas
Think creatively

What Tools Will I Need?

A sketchbook or a ream of paper. Even post-its or old receipts will work.
Mark-making tools like pens and pencils
Paint and brush
“Attaching” materials such as glue and tape will come in handy
Collage materials such as scrap paper, newspaper, old homework, or magazines.
Anything else that strikes your fancy. We’ve used hole punchers, chalk markers, tea, and okra (they make beautiful stamps).

See our Resources Page for a full list of recommended supplies for tinkering, art journal keeping, and art making with kids.

Can I see Examples of How this Works?

To see images from TinkerSketch past, click over here or search Instagram for #tinkersketch. You’ll see so many inspiring entries.

How do I interpret the prompts?

Sculpture Project Ideas for Preschool and Kindergarten Kids

By Rachelle Leave a Comment

While a lot of kids gravitate to building and sculpting in 3-D, finding an engaging sculpture project for young children can be a real challenge. We gathered sixteen winning sculpture activities from five of our favorite art bloggers.

If you don’t have fancy art supplies handy, many of these ideas will be your friend, asking you to just source the recycling bin, kitchen pantry, or garden.

These sculpture ideas will encourage your child or students to think in three dimensions as they build, imagine, and invent. In short, they foster 21st century skills of innovation and creative thinking.