I'm excited to share the newest feature of the Teach Kids Art website... the TIP Vault! The Teach Kids Art TIP Vault is where I collect all my very best tips for teaching Art to kids. No matter what grade you teach, you'll find helpful ideas and information you can use. Whether you're a classroom teacher or a parent doing art with kids at home, the TIP Vault is for you! Each … [Read more...]
The Perfect Gift? A Creative Keepsake!
Think of that hard-to-buy-for friend or family member on your gift list. If you could give them a creative gift they would not only use often but also keep for years to come, you'd call that a "win", right? Then I have the perfect gift idea for you... a keepsake gift made with your child's artwork from Kids Kreations. Welcome to part 3 of my Creative Gift Guide! What is Kids … [Read more...]
Rock Babies – A Creative Activity for Preschoolers
Get your littlest ones outside, looking closely at nature, and thinking creatively... and you might even brighten someone's day with the result! Our son, Adam, made these adorable "Rock Babies" (his name for them!) when he was a prescho0ler. He's in his 30's now, and I still have them! I keep them in a kitchen drawer that I get into daily, and they still put a smile on my … [Read more...]
The Color Wheel Challenge
If you've been following any art teacher accounts on social media lately, you've probably seen it... the Color Wheel Challenge! The idea is simple... gather items in bright, solid colors from around your home, assemble them into color wheel order, and snap a pic! Then share your creation on social media using the hashtag #colorwheelchallenge . Here are a few tips I … [Read more...]
Creative Extension Spinner for Early Finishers
December’s digital challenge at the Children’s Museum of the Arts in NYC is all about telling stories using cardboard story wheels. For a creative twist on this theme, try extending and enhancing the meaning of your students' art using a Creative Extension Spinner.... perfect for your early finishers! If you notice an increase in early finishers at the end of a … [Read more...]
Should We Take the “ART” Out of Art Education?
So many good podcasts compete for our time today.... how do you choose which ones to listen to? Well, occasionally a title just grabs my attention and won’t let go. This is one of those podcasts! With a headline that reads "Let’s Get Rid of Art Education”, I couldn’t help but take notice. Podcaster Danny Gregory has been a life-long advocate for the arts with his books, … [Read more...]
Teaching Kids to Be Creative
We all agree that teaching kids to be creative pays big dividends no matter what field of work they choose as adults. But often our efforts at teaching creativity have a future pay-off that we don’t get to see. Kids grow up and leave our schools (or our homes) and we never know the full impact that this creativity will have on their adult lives. So when they go on to create … [Read more...]
Hearts and Grit
Four years ago, I wrote a blog post about Hazel McNab, a woman who challenged herself to design a heart to go with an inspiring quote every day for a year. She held herself accountable by posting her journey online. It just so happened it was a Leap Year, hence the name of her blog: 366 Hearts. Well, it’s four years later, and let me tell you she is still going strong! As I … [Read more...]
Mona Lisa Meets the Oxford MBA Program
What does the Mona Lisa have to do with an MBA from Oxford University? That’s what I was wondering, too…. We recently had the chance to visit our daughter at Oxford University, where she's studying for her MBA. When we arrived, her “Entrepreneurship” elective was just getting out, and students were talking about an exercise they had done in class. When I heard “Mona Lisa”, I … [Read more...]
22 Ways to Combine Writing & Art to Encourage Creativity
I recently had the privilege of helping my adult daughter edit the manuscript for her first book. Her first real, published book. A book with an agent, a publisher, a release date (April 2017), and it’s own pre-order page on Amazon. A proud parenting milestone for sure! But this book of hers has been a long time in the making. In fact, we can trace its origin all the way back … [Read more...]
