Mystery Grid Art Challenge

Howdy! Today I'm sharing a STEAM activity that combines art and math.   Put on your creative hats and grab your favorite color pencils.  We're trying our hand at the Mystery Grid Art Challenge!

Think you can conquer the Mystery Grid Challenge?

(Well, read on and find out!)

Let's Build Beautiful 3D Card Structures!

What happens when you have access to the internet, shortened daylight hours, a craft-and-math loving kid, and a deck of old playing cards?  Well,  if you're me... you rally everyone together to do a STEAM activity!  Yeah!

Tired of bouncing off the walls one night, our family tried our hands at making these nifty 3D Card Sculptures.  They came out pretty cool and I thought I'd share them today with you!

Let's Make Beautiful 3D Card Sculptures

Giant Chinese New Year Dragon Collaborative Art

This past weekend we celebrated Lunar New Year with several friends.  There were tons of yummy snacks and (of course) several Chinese New Year crafts and activities!   One of my favorites was this giant, collaborative Dragon painting, so I thought I'd share it here today.

This post contains affiliate links.  This means I make a small portion off of any purchases made through the links at no additional cost to you.  Thank you for the grocery money!  For my full disclosure policy, click here.

Tree Painting with Toddlers and Preschoolers

Well, the title of the post pretty much says it all!  Last week we held an impromptu art playdate with some friends.   I wanted to do an activity that was different, open-ended,  and easy-to-set-up.  This tree painting activity did the trick!

Let's Paint the Trees together!

This post contains affiliate links.  This means I make a small portion off of any purchases made through the links at no additional cost to you.  Thank you for the grocery money!  For my full disclosure policy, click here.

Have you tried the Creative Circle Art Challenge?

One set of empty circles.
Multiple creative minds.
What ideas will they come up with?

I know what you're thinking-- What?  Two posts back-to-back?  This is so strange!

Well, my family liked doing this creative, open-ended art activity so much that I had to post it now before I forgot.

We challenge you to take the....

Creative Circle Challenge!

How Does Your Brain Work? An activity inspired by Temple Grandin

I recently received a copy of the picture book  The Girl Who Thought In Pictures.  It's a kids book about one of my heroes- Dr. Temple Grandin.  She's a professor of animal science who also happens to be on the autistic spectrum.  She's funny, brave, persistent, and full of insights.  And I love how she reminds us to value those who see the world in a different way.

Inspired by her story, my son and I tried to explore how our brains work with this simple art activity.

How Does Your Brain Work?  

An Art Activity Inspired by Dr. Temple Grandin

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Christmas Word Doodle Art Challenges! (Free Printable included!)

The countdown to Christmas is on!  I love this season and usually share tons of easy Christmas activities and crafts.  But this year it's been tough getting into the Christmas spirit.  With all the wildfires in California, we've been more somber and going slightly stir-crazy staying inside.  (The smoke is pretty bad.)  So today I'm sharing an activity that we recently did.  This fun, no-prep, and creative Christmas activity helped us to pass the time while stuck indoors.

Free Christmas Word Art Challenges!

Word Doodle Art Challenge: Can you transform words into pictures?

If you've been on my facebook page lately, you'll see that I really enjoy sharing videos of people doing creative things.   (I love getting inspired!)  Recently, I shared this super neat video of an artist transforming words like "unicorn," "cat," and "fish" into pictures.  My son and I enjoyed watching that video so much that I made some more "word doodle sheets" for us to try out together!

Word Doodle Art Challenge!

Easy Zentangle Pumpkins for Kids and Adults!

Recently I saw this super gorgeous and easy to draw zentangle spiderweb idea....  and I was so inspired, that we drew our own versions- zentangle pumpkins!   The process was so fun that I thought I'd sharing the idea here.

Easy Zentangle Pumpkins- Great Kids and Adult art activity!

Note:  This post contains affiliate links.  This means I make a small bit of change when you purchase items through the links.  Thank you for your support and the grocery money.  For my full disclosure policy, click here.

Halloween Doodle Art Challenge

We love doing easy Halloween activities together.  It's a great way to hang out as a family and celebrate the season! Today I'm sharing a really fun art activity that you should try out with the kids.  It's time for the....

Halloween Doodle Art Challenge!

Play the Mixed-Up Monster Doodle Game!

Looking for an easy way to be creative and play with the kids?  Well here's a super easy low-prep art activity that's perfect for fall and Halloween- play the mixed up monsters doodle game with them!

Mixed-up Monster Doodle Game

Easy Printmaking Project for Kiddos: Colorful Initials!

Howdy friends! Today I wanted to just pop in and share this colorful, kid-friendly printmaking project.  I know, it's been awhile since I've shared a printing project here. (I've been shying away from messier projects lately because my youngest has now entered the VERY precocious and active toddler years. Ahhh! )  But, I recently took a printmaking course and was enamored with the whole process.... so I had to try out the process with my eldest.

Let's Print Kid Initials

Note:  This post contains affiliate links.  This means I make a small bit of change when you purchase items through the links.  Thank you for your support and the grocery money.  For my full disclosure policy, click here.

Happy Woven Paper Turtles

Does anyone else enjoy weaving with kids?  One of my most popular posts to date has been these adorable popsicle stick woven turtles.  And I totally get why... they're super cute, easy to make, and teach kids a neat skill- yarn weaving!

Well, once again we've been bitten by the weaving bug.  This time we took a different approach and made some woven paper turtles!  Like their yarn counterparts, these are also super cute and kid-approved.  (My 5-year-old loved making one alongside me!)

Note:  This post contains affiliate links.  This means I make a small bit of change when you purchase items through the links.  Thank you for your support and the grocery money.  For my full disclosure policy, click here.

Easy and Colorful Sheet Music Art

Do your children enjoy listening to music?  Well, great!  Here's an easy way to combine music and art into an easy and colorful activity!

My boys loooooove holding dance parties at home.  While listening to one of their favorite songs (on repeat--- oh boy, do we love Moana, Trolls, and 80s music), I thought of trying out this fun activity.  Tada!  Today we're making sheet music art!  

Make Sheet Music Art with Kids

Clothespin People and Doodles

I needed a few clothespins for some crafts... but ended up acquiring a whole bunch more than necessary.  They were just lying around, so I fiddled around  and came up with a really fun, open-ended art project:  Clothespin Doodles!

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Kids Map Art- Creating with kids!

If you're looking for an easy art project to do with your kids, this is it.  I love finding cheap treasures from the thrift store and using them to make art with my family.  Here's our most recent project- a painted wooden map.

3D "I Love You" Hand Craft (And our Favorite Books about Love)

It's already February and I haven't yet put up any Valentine's Day Crafts this year.  Oof! What kind of kid crafter am I?

I've just been so caught up in what's happening in our country and world that I haven't fully had the heart or energy to embrace doilies, flowers, chocolate, hearts.... basically anything Valentine's yet.  But today I'm turning a new leaf.  Here's my first Valentine's day craft of the season... these 3D "I Love You" Hands.

(They're not quite hearts and flowers and pun-ny sayings.. but it's a start, right?)

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Mini Magformer Art

Ever notice how Magformers look like little frames?  

Today I'm over at The Artful Parent sharing this lovely Magformer framed art activity.  It's a creative way to reuse old toys and infuse a bit of art into kids' play!

Happy making, friends!

Gorgeous, Kid-Made Birthday Banner (And my dream job...)

A few weeks ago, we invited a few school friends over for a play date.  Since having a baby less than a year ago, I've been a bit (ok... let's be honest... VERY) nervous about having people over.  I'm always pooped and don't really feel like entertaining.  (Ever feel that way too?)  But, I pushed myself to try and that's how I found myself with 5 kids running around our fairly small home.  The kids played with toys and ran around outside... and surprisingly a lot of time was spent inside, painting and making art.

What?

You read that right, friends.  Our teacher's birthday was coming up and I invited the children to help me paint her birthday banner.  Once the kids saw the papers and art supplies on our table... they got right to work, creating the beautiful birthday letters below.

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Groovy Sticker Snowflakes Art (Printable included)

With the start of the new school year, our family is still trying to find its new normal.  Transitions from school to home can sometimes be rough.  So we've been trying to keep things easy with more downtime in the afternoon.  We play at the park, read books, or do simple open-ended crafts.   Today I wanted to share a really easy open-ended snowflake craft that my son and I really enjoyed.  We pulled out some old stickers and made ourselves some groovy sticker snowflakes! 

This post contains affiliate links.  Thank you for the grocery money.  For my full disclosure policy, click here.