KidzArt Official Blog

Is your child in tune with the artwork of Van Gogh, Rembrandt or Andy Warhol? In the name of art education and as a great teaching tool, try introducing your youngster to some great artists and their works.

As budding artists, it’s important for children to become familiar with different art styles and techniques. What better way than to show them master pieces of famous artists?

Learning about and copying art methods can be both fun and inspirational for kids of all ages. “Hands on” work and imitation can be a good approaches to learning and understanding. By performing art activities related to an artist, children can practice their observation, critical thinking and creative skills.

To help you get started, here are two books that not only introduce artists and their works but also offer games and activities that encourage children to learn by doing.

Discovering Great Artists by Mary Ann Kohl and Kim Solga

13 Artists Children Should Know by Angela Wenzel

Bookmark It

read comments (0)

If you’ve never thought of holiday baking as an art form, then think again. The creativity, attention to detail and talent that goes into making beautiful  and delicious holiday treats can be achieved even by young artists with a little bit of help! The most interesting and adorable creations are usually made with the help of children. In addition to decorating traditional cutout cookies or making gingerbread houses, here are a few tasty and artful recipes that you can enjoy making with the whole family.

Candy Sleighs

photo by TasteTester

Ingredients

• 24 fun-size Nestle crunch bars ( any other fun size bar will work)
• 48 miniature candy canes
• 48 gummy bears
• 1 cup chocolate chips

Directions

1. Unwrap candies and have ready, you will need to work quickly.
2. Place chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl and microwave on 50% or mediumin 30 second intervals stirring between each interval, until chocolate is thoroughly melted.
3. Use melted chocolate to attach candy canes onto the sides of the the candy bar to create a sleigh.
4. Attach gummy bears sitting on the top of the candy bar with the melted chocolate.

Snowman Pops

photo by 5hungrykids

Ingredients

• 32 large marshmallows ( 1 bag)
• 1 lb almond bark ( white)
• 16 sturdy wooden skewers ( long)
• 1 cup white icing
• food coloring

Directions

1. Place two marshmallows on the flat end of each of the 16 skewers. Do not pierce all of the way thru the top marshmallow. Be sure the pointed end of the skewer is down and not inside the marshmallows!
2. Break almond bark into chunks. Place into micro safe bowl & cook 1 minute in the microwave. Stir. Continue microwaving 30 seconds at a time until melted. Stir each time.
3. Dip the skewers into the melted almond bark. Roll until well covered. Let dry.
4. Color the icing in desired colors and pipe on or decorate with eyes, a carrot nose, mouth, and a scarf or buttons. Let dry completely before proceeding to arrange or wrap.

Source: www.Food.com

Bookmark It

read comments (0)

Spiders are fascinating creatures who produce beautiful works of art: their webs. Try this fun Halloween project by seeking an empty spider web and turning it into art!

Materials:

• Non-toxic white enamel spray paint

• Black construction paper

• Newspaper

Directions:

1. Find an EMPTY spider web and place sheets of newspaper around the area to protect it from the spray paint.

2. Spray both sides of your web with short, gentle bursts of paint. Don’t spray too much or your web will break.

3. When the entire web is covered with paint, press a sheet of construction paper to one side of the web and pull the web down on it. Let the web dry.

4. Once your web has dried to the construction paper, you’ll have a beautiful Halloween decoration! Take time to examine the details and patterns of each web you find!

Bookmark It

read comments (0)

From Guest Blogger: Terry Groehler from Art Innovators in West Los Angeles:

Painting/Collage Project Overview:

Students of Malibu’s Webster Elementary School painted a watercolor wash background on watercolor paper. They drew the jaguar with Sharpies and Prisma markers on drawing paper with options of Prisma water color pencils, Art Stix and the Portfolio Series water based crayons. Then they cut out the jaguar and pasted it on torn heavy black construction paper which was pre-glued to the dried background wash. The foliage was made from torn specialty paper and pasted on. Students were very focused with the drawing part; this took two days to complete allowing time for background wash and glue to dry.  The students loved exploring different mediums with this fun painting/collage project.

Bookmark It

read comments (0)

Your kids or students will surely get in the Halloween mood with this easy ghost necklace craft!

Materials:

White Construction Paper

Heavy Yarn (white)

Hole Punch

Black Marker

Scissors

Tape

Directions:

1. Print out your favorite ghost patterns.

2. Trace each pattern on white construction paper.

2. Cut each ghost out and punch two holes 1/4″ from the top of the ghost’s head, 1/2″ apart.

3. With a black marker draw eyes and mouth on each ghost.

4. Cut 30” of heavy yarn. Thread yarn through holes punched at the top of each ghost (wrap a small piece of tape around the end of the yarn to make it easier to thread through the holes). Center all three ghosts in the middle of the yarn. Tie necklace off at the ends.

Bookmark It

read comments (0)

As the parent or teacher of young children, it’s important to recognize how children learn and the steps they go through in their development. The following information, taken from the US Department of Education web site, offers ideas and activities which will enable him/her to learn, grow and have fun- while building fine motor skills! Check out these great ideas for “constructive play” and share yours too!

Toddlers can use their hands and fingers to play with toys and to do many things for themselves.
• Keep toys on low, open shelves so that toddlers can choose what they want to play with and put things away when done. Put things that are used together near each other. For example, put crayons on the same shelf as the paper.
• Encourage toddlers to help take care of their toys and to keep the child care setting tidy. Have several clean-up times each day. Provide toddler-size cleaning tools, such as small brooms and dust- pans.
• Follow a schedule that gives toddlers plenty of time to take part in routines such as eating, handwashing, and getting ready to go outdoors. Make it easy for toddlers to do things without your help:
 Place cubbies and coat hooks at toddlers’ height and show them how to hang up their coats.
 Provide cups and eating utensils small enough to fit in toddlers’ hands.
 Mark each toothbrush with a special symbol–a star, an X, a dot–so children can know which toothbrush is theirs.
 Place tissues and paper towels where toddlers can reach them.
• Provide an assortment of table toys and materials that encourage toddlers to use their hands and fingers, such as pegs to place in pegboards and blocks to stack and then knock down. These items must be large enough so that toddlers won’t choke on them.
• Offer new materials as toddlers’ skills improve. Older toddlers can build eye-hand coordination while doing puzzles with more pieces and while fitting small blocks together. They may be ready to use a sifter in the sand box and small boats at a water play table.
Toddlers can use a variety of drawing and writing tools.
• Provide many things to draw and write with and on. Store crayons, washable markers, and chalk where toddlers can get them without help from an adult. Large paper is best for toddlers’ drawing and writing because toddlers need space to make wide movements with their arms. For variety, toddlers can draw and write on chalkboards and on the sidewalk.
• Set up easels, washable paint in a few colors, and brushes with short handles and wide bristles for toddlers to use every day.
• Encourage toddlers to use their fingers to make wavy lines and circles with fingerpaint on trays or a plastic tablecloth.
Toddlers are beginning to notice letters and writing.
• Introduce letters in a casual way. Provide some alphabet blocks, puzzles, stamps, and magnets for toddlers to play with.
• Let toddlers see you writing. Sit down with a toddler while making a shopping list, talk about the sign you are making, and explain what’s in the note you are sending home to families. Toddlers are likely to copy your writing in the same way they copy other adult activities.

Source: http://www2.ed.gov/Family/RSRforCaregvr/toddlers.html

Bookmark It

read comments (0)

Three-dimensional art is both fun and educational for kids of all ages- even preschoolers! It offers the opportunity to teach kids about dimension, perspective and depth perception.

Creating a diorama (using a shoebox) is often the first lesson in three-dimensional art but kids can get creative with other inexpensive materials found at home and simple instructions. Try making three-dimensional paper mobiles using paper and ribbon that are folded, scored, crumpled or twisted. Or a large sheet of foil can be manipulated into three-dimensional shapes or animals. Decorate them with paint or markers.

Here are other materials to consider for your three-dimensional creations: buttons, boxes, cans, egg cartons, paper cups, tape, twist-ties, paperclips, rocks or leftover hardware.

This student from KidzArt in Korea glued and painted pieces of Foamcore to create a 3D bathtub!

Bookmark It

read comments (0)

Have you heard of Lights On Afterschool? It’s a nationwide celebration of individual events designed to put the spotlight on the need for and value of quality afterschool programs. The 2011 Lights On Afterschool observance is Thursday, October 20th when communities around the US will be celebrating the afterschool programs that keep our kids safe, inspire them to learn and help working families. 
 

Did you know that:

• More than 15 million school-age children (26 percent) are on their own after school? Among them are more than 1 million are in grades K through 5. (Afterschool Alliance, 2009)

• More than 27 million parents of school-age children are employed, including 23 million who work full time? (U.S. Department of Labor, 2010)

• Only 8.4 million K-12 children (15 percent) participate in afterschool programs. An additional 18.5 million would participate if a quality program were available in their community? (Afterschool Alliance, 2009)

• The hours between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. are the peak hours for juvenile crime and experimentation with drugs, alcohol, cigarettes and sex? (Fight Crime: Invest in Kids, 2002)

Studies show that children in afterschool programs do better in school, stay in school longer and have greater expectations for the future. Quality afterschool programs like KidzArt/Art Innovators are successful because they provide children “added value” academic, social and emotional learning opportunities beyond the formal school day. 
 
 
Visit the AfterSchool Alliance web site to find out more about Lights On Afterschool events in your area or call your local KidzArt to join in their celebration!

Bookmark It

read comments (0)

In his bestselling book, A Whole New Mind, author and right brain thinking advocate Daniel Pink suggests that artists, inventors and individuals with creative thinking skills possess a mindset that will thrive in our changing world.He analyzes “a new age” where creative thinking skills have become vital to professional success.
Incorporating learning techniques that foster this creativity and develop the right side of the brain are an important part of a child’s educational development, especially in the pre-school years.
To better understand, take a look at what different parts of the brain are responsible for doing. While memorization, repetition and testing are left brain functions, visualization, photographic memory capabilities and creativity happen in the right hemisphere. Everything that’s logical, analytical and rational comes from the left brain. Emotions, intuition and our “mind’s eye” are right brain functions.
Does conventional education do enough to develop the right brain? Fostering new ideas, thinking “out of the box” and continuing to develop children’s resourcefulness, imagination and originality are critical elements of developing a balanced brain.
Here are a few tips to enhance learning and engage a child’s right and left brain:
·        Play games that are simple, straightforward and focused. Avoid over-stimulation by using chaotic, confusing images or animations. Less is more: with fewer distractions, more learning can take place.
·        Learning games for kids should not be competitive. Competition can block right brain function and stimulation.
·        To enhance learning, incorporate soothing music such as classical or sounds of nature.
KidzArt’s international program is designed to enhance right brain functions. We create a nurturing, non-competitive environment where children take part in activities that enhance learning. Our students are exposed to a variety of artistic styles, cultural interpretations, and mediums incorporated with elements of brainstorming and critical thinking.
What ways do you inspire and develop your children or students to become innovative thinkers?   

Bookmark It

read comments (0)

Some people assume that creativity is a talent that you’re born with. Others believe that it’s a skill that can be developed and enhanced. Providing resources children need to grow their imaginations and creativity are an essential part of their brain development. And research tells us that the early you start the better: most children from 3 to 5 years old reveal a superior level of creative behavior. Recent research has found that at the age of 10 years few are still at this level and that number decreases into the teen years.

Here are a few tips ways to cultivate your child’s inventiveness and imagination, at any age:

1) Make art supplies, dress up clothes, disposable cameras and other spare craft materials readily available. 

2) Give your children freedom to explore their ideas and thoughts without judgment.

3) Support your children’s participation in the arts (drawing, music, theater, etc.) which has both academic and social benefits.

4) Encourage reading for pleasure! The benefits are endless.

What other ways do you promote your children’s creativity?

Bookmark It

read comments (0)