Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Need Fun Summer Activities? Dream Up Your Own Artistic Camp

By Kate Halfey


If you are just a few days into summer break and your children are already discussing with you how they are completely bored, it's probably time to spice up your routine a bit. Signing up for some type of summer camp might be too pricey, but you can actually create your own, homemade summer camp filled with tons of great art projects. Here are a few helpful tips.

Art comes in many forms, and it is fun to expose your children to all types of art. To make this possible, consider setting aside each day of your art camp with a special daily theme. You can even combine the theme with a field trip. For instance, head to a local park with walking trails and have children collect cool items they find in nature, such as flower petals or leaves. These items can be used to create a fantastic collage, and they can also try to identify the names of the plants from which these items came. In this way, the day includes exercise and outdoor activity, science and a fun art project.

Another day can be dedicated to the work of a famous artist. You can set the stage by heading to your local library and checking out some art books, and don't forget to sign your kids up for the library's summer reading program at the same time. Once you have selected the artist, create a work of art based on the style of the artist. For example, if you are studying the work of Wassily Kandinsky, consider copying a painting such as "Squares With Concentric Circles." Another fun option is to set up paper and paints outside and have children enjoy an afternoon copying the works of Jackson Pollack.

Sometimes it's hard to mimic the work of your children's favorite painter, so consider purchasing a mural in PDF, downloading it to your computer and printing it out. The PDF will be multiple pages and each one will have a piece of the painting, such as Sunday in the Park by Seurat or perhaps Starry Night by Van Gogh. These cost only about $5 from sites such as ArtProjectsForKids.org, and they look amazing after your children have colored them in and pasted them on a piece of paper. They look similar to original work but with an interesting spin that reflects your children's style.

Don't forget about exploring the world of 3-D art, such as working with modeling clay. Most craft stores sell low-cost clay or Play-dough or you can make your own colorful dough. If you use white or gray clay that can be baked, your children can also paint their sculpture after it has dried and set. You can provide a special theme or just let them create whatever they want.

If you plan ahead, you can save and rinse milk cartons and also save cardboard food containers. Have the kids cover these items with butcher paper or paint over them and create storefronts, skyscrapers, apartments and houses to create a homemade city. You can even paint paper to feature roads and parks and maybe even a river or a pond. This can be played with afterwards for many days and is a great way to use recycled items and create new, fun toys.




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