15 Best Tips to start ART Journals to keep kids minds active indoors or Out
I need tips to start an Art Journal? In the current climate with Covid-19 we want to keep our kids safe and still keep little minds and hands active. What a great time to delve into creative activities. Even better time to get out into Nature and breath in the fresh air and explore the beauty of the world around us.
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What is kids ART?
Messy, heaps of clean up, expensive supplies and where to we keep all those art works! It is a great way for kids to be creative and really lets face it our kids are losing the creativity at a great speed. They would much prefer to be sitting in front of a tv or on a device. Art is looking at the beauty of something and trying to reproduce it in any form you prefer, it may be a landscape or and abstract. The choice is yours and no one can take that away from you.
Why does this happen?
Screen time is so exciting, the movement, the colours, the noise. Something is always happening. But when the kids have to stop and sit still they don’t know how. It is really hard, well let’s face it, it’s not just hard for the kids it is hard for us too.
With this Isolation that we have all just been through, some still going through, it has really given me the time to stop and smell the roses. Sitting and breathing, meditation practice but best of all picking up a paintbrush again (after a 20 year break) and feeling the flow of the paint is a wonderful relaxing process.
Don’t let the rush of every day life, school routine and screen time be the reason your kids miss this experience. Finger painting feeling the paint between your fingers or straw blowing. Let them make a mess ( just make sure they are outside or somewhere easy to clean up) Why not let your inner child join in.
Best art journal Tips
Tip 1: Finger paint
grab a big sheet of paper and some favourite colours
Go wild…………
Why stop at your fingers, try your feet too.
Try to make animals out of the shapes.
Fathers Day is coming up, why not surprise dad with an original canvas
This makes an amazing front page for our Art Journals, what a wonderful signature.
Finger painting
Tip 2: make an Art journal
Grab a scrap book and start collecting artworks.
Make your own journal – take 5 pieces of A4 paper and fold in half, then grab an A4 piece of card stock and fold in half, staple in the middle. ( if you want to be really creative you can sew the book together)
Date each page
What a wonderful keepsake for years to come
Even if kids do their art on paper you can always just paste it in later.
When they get a little older they can start to write memories on the pages
homemade art journal
Tip 3: collage
paint old pieces of paper or collect patterned paper
tear or cut into pieces
glue onto your page
Then use your markers to draw and make marks or dots.
art journal collage page
Tip 4: Toilet roll circles
My 11 year old daughter loves to write her goals up and then circle all over them, the process is what counts
She loves it.
Art journal circles
tip 5: A colour wheel
A colour wheel is a great way to learn about colours
start with your primary colours Red, yellow and blue
then mix to get your Secondary colours green, orange and purple
even one step further for our tertiary colours
Colour wheel
Tip 6: Paint an abstract landscape
go wild! remember it is all about the flow and colours.
Abstract Landscape
Tip 7: Emotions heart
This can be done a few different ways
Draw any shape to start then divide into sections
watercolour or paint the sections with the colour that reminds you of the emotions.
This could be a colour my day for tweens and teens or do 30 sections for a mood month.
Emotions heart
Tip 8: experiment with supplies
we did an experiment of papers, water colour paints and brushes
To see what difference we got
Art Journal apples
Tip 9: really is art just on paper
build a cubby with your bestie
Build a cubby
Tip 10: Stencils
simple stencils make wonderful patterns
you can use lots of things around the house
Mandala Stencils
Tip 11: Ok so you won’t find this fellow in the Zoo
Trace a favourite animal out of a colouring in book and put out really bright colours and go for it! The wilder the better!
Wild animal
Tip 12: Mixed media
in this journal page we have acrylic, gouache, collage, ink, water colour, posca pens and scrap paper. Ooooh and don’t forget the glue. I just love the feeling of ripping up paper.
Art journal
Tip 13: Affirmation poster
A wonderful way to remind your kids how wonderful they are.
You can get beautiful affirmation colouring books here
Affirmation poster
Tip 14: a Dot journal
for the older kids a little more precision and fun.
A dot journal is a great way to get your ideas and thoughts out of your head
Teen Art Journal
Tip 15: Nature walk
going for a nature walk you can see beautiful things
the colours, the animals and feel the textures.
You can take photos and put them in your journal when you get home or take home a leaf to draw.
Maybe take home a wild flower to press.
Art Journal photo
The Last Thing You Need to Know about starting an art journal practice with your kids is
That there are NO rules, let your creative juices flow just like this beautiful creek. The time goes so quick and our beautiful children grow so fast and then wooosh they are off having their own bubs. So make the most of every minute and journal for the days you are old and have time to sit and remember those beautiful times. I just wish I had done this with my two older girls…… I will with my beautiful grand daughter. She loves to come to GG’s house and paint so I am on a winner already!
Want to join us for our 30 day Art Journal challenge, a great way to get started. Join here
Have you got any ART journal tips I can add to the future blog posts, send them to me now and I can feature you on a blog in the future.