This week we are celebrating Children’s Art Week. This national event has three themes of nature, connecting across generations and creative writing and literacy.
The benefits of art (for adults and children) are endless. It can give us a way to express what we cannot always put into words. It can free our mind. It can reveal things about how an individual sees the world. And it can be so very beautiful.
We’ve come up with some art activities that your daughter may enjoy – if she does, we’d love to see her efforts on social media or via info@girlsfriendlysociety.org.uk
Be creative – make your own butterfly mobile
This is a fun, creative way of bringing a little of nature inside and a really cheap way to make some bedroom decorations. Read the instructions and get the template here.
Happy to be me – discover women artists
Take a look at the works of five incredible women artists and see which inspires you the most.
Get active – nature craft challenge
The beautiful things we see in the world around us are often thought of as art in their own right. But what art can you make from nature? Instructions here.
My community – picture this
The say a picture holds 1000 words. This activity challenges you to find old family photographs and imagine what’s going on in them, what your relatives lives might have been like and how they might have felt when the photo was taken. Instructions here.
Skills for life – be a critic
Having the confidence to express how you feel about a piece of art is a great skill. One of the most exciting things about art, is that there are no right or wrong answers, only opinions.
Find a piece of art you’d like to talk about. If you’re short on ideas, why not look up the Mona Lisa by Da Vinci, The Scream by Munch, or Starry Night by Van Gogh. Which one makes you feel something? That’s the one you should review,
Your review could be a video, article for a magazine or a piece of art in itself. When giving your review here are a few things you can think about:
- Do you think the artist was trying to tell a story with this picture?
- Do you think they used enough colours?
- Do you think it could be improved?
- What does the picture remind you of?
- How does the picture make you feel?
- What don’t you like about the picture?
Have fun – media recommendations
If you’ve got the art bug, there are load of fun further resources to inspire and delight.
Websites
Engage have been the key organisers of Children’s Art Week, and their website is full of interesting art activities for little ones.
Head over to Aminah’s World to create your own collages inspired by the artist’s style
bomomo.com is like a spirograph for the digital age – it’s mesmirising and no two artworks are the same.
Books
If you’re feeling inspired, try your hand at some very highbrow colouring in with The Great Big Art History Colouring Book.
My Museum by Joanne Liu is a charming story for young children about find art in the world around us.
Interactive
Every Saturday from 3-5pm Noel Fielding holds Noel’s Art Club on his Twitter account. Each week there is a new theme to inspire a piece of artwork for children – it’s great for connecting kids with other people’s interpretations of a stimulus and you may even get a retweet.
Grayson Perry also used lockdown as an opportunity to bring art into people’s homes. The episodes are still on 4OD and a great one to do with your child.
Finished all of children’s art week? Check out our other fun GFS activities.
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