Summertime is almost here, and parents across the country are looking for ways to keep kids entertained and help continue to encourage learning and creativity during the break. But instead of forcing kids to do worksheets, or watching them destroy the house with a finger-painting activity, these tips from artists across the country can help parents encourage creativity in kids, and give kids the confidence booster they need to level up their artistic skills:
Tips for Parents with Art-Loving Kids
1. Find a way to turn messy projects into digital art (Ara Kermanikian)
We all remember playing with Play-Doh as kids, creating all sorts of objects that we envisioned in our heads, and getting a version of it when we were done with our sculpture. We also remember the mess that would be left behind. Parents, take these projects and turn them mess-free by making them digital. Equipping your child with digital sculpting tools can create the same experience by allowing them to push and pull, add, and subtract form, and even create beyond the limitations of Play-Doh. They can present their 3D work and even 3D print it as a real object. Free introductory tools such as the ZBrush Core Mini are a great way to do this.
This can open your child’s imagination to what’s possible in the digital world and help them spend their summer vacation productively creating art and expanding their skills.
2. Show an interest (Quincy Vadan)
To inspire your children, show a genuine interest that can help fuel their flame. Go beyond asking, “What is it?” and “How’d you do that” by showing curiosity about your child’s creative process that demonstrates an interest in their art journey and supports their identity as a creative.
This can also be done by giving your child art supplies. Even if you aren’t sure of their favorite form of art, give them a few different types of supplies and see what happens. I remember as a kid receiving art supplies from my aunt and having an abundance of ideas and the ability to create anything I wanted using paper, crayons, paint, and even digital tools such as a Wacom Intuos Tablet or Wacom One.
3. Make time for new experiences (Mike Morris)
Making time for new experiences is crucial to filling a child’s mind with new things to be excited about and providing them with the tools to be creative. Children are always soaking up things in their environments, experiences, and interactions. Oftentimes, those images end up on a page, in a craft, sculpture, or a post on social media – really any various form of expression. Help kids explore new places and try new activities through food, sports, and hobbies, and see how they express those experiences through their art!
4. Play some tunes and join in (Ethan Castillo)
Music can often help kids get into a creative mood and groove. Put together a playlist of your kids’ favorite songs that can excite them to have fun and create. It can also be beneficial to join them in their artistic endeavors! Creativity loves company, and art can make for great bonding that your kids will look back on with love. Join them when it comes to drawing and creating to show them that art is fun.
Drawing Tips for Kids
1. Find your own style (Quincy Vadan)
Stick with your own style, because your version of the world is valuable. Try re-creating your favorite toy or character from a movie, cartoon, or game in your own style. Let your imagination take the wheel and design that character how you think they should’ve been made. Maybe you think The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles would be better than cats, dogs, snapping turtles, etc. Nothing is off-limits!
2. Reference is all around you (Ethan Castillo)
Don’t be afraid to reference other art! Grab your comics, toys, books, and whatever else you can! Reference is all around you, so use it! Draw what you love and don’t ever stop. If you’re drawing what you love you’ll enjoy it much more, and by drawing what you know – you can develop your own style much faster!
