5 Easy Ways to Build Family Creativity
Daily routines often keep families too busy to make time for creative pursuits, but one easy way to spark creativity is simply to look at ordinary things in a different way.The following activities are great for awakening the senses and inspiring new opportunities for sharing creative activities as a family.
1) Explore. Treat every excursion as an adventure, even a trip to the supermarket. Keep your eyes open, both indoors and out. If you’re in a familiar place, imagine it’s your first time there. What you see will surprise you.
2) Collect. Look for items that capture your imagination or delight you. They can range from a shell or a leaf to a bottlecap or postcard. These are meant for your Box of Interesting Things - something every member of the family should have – even moms and dads. Any container, even a shoebox, will do.
3) Record. Keep a journal of your finds, noting the item, the date, the place in which you found it, and why you picked it up. Your notes can be jotted in a pocket notebook, scrawled on sheets of paper, or even documented in a full-fledged scrapbook.
4) Create. When it’s a rainy day or everyone is bored, dig into your Box of Interesting Things and see what you can make. Ideas include a collage or a “found art” mosaic to display for visual inspiration.
5) Share. Start a “round robin” of artwork in your family or with your friends: each person starts a work of art and passes it on to the next person to add his or her own touch. Keep it going until it returns to you, transformed! Take photos of your artwork and shared them via email or on Facebook.
Summer offers a great chance for families to increase their creative quotient. ARTBEAT Creativity Store and Studio offers a creative adventure this summer that the whole family will enjoy. A Summer Tweet has three parts: a Bird Search, a Bird Art Show, and a weekly Story and Art time. This free adventure will get you started with bird watching, creating art projects, and discovering fascinating facts about the challenging world of the songbird. Watch for more information at www.ARTBEATonline.com.
