This post is inspired by EveryArtist Live!, a national, collaborative art event with the goal of engaging a million elementary school children on November 21, 2013 – the largest art event in history. Want to get involved? Join us in our efforts to show that #CreativityMatters. Sign up at http://everyartist.me.
It’s that time of the year. I know what you think I mean: Holiday Season. Well, I do! Sort of…what I mean, more specifically, is it’s that time of the year where, as a mom, you have to become sentimentally creative for your kids. Why? The reality is that our kids are absorbed and busy in all their daily activities..activities we obviously support! Though a lot of the time these activities are focused on them, for them, and not focused on others..and Holidays?! Well those are usually about everyone except yourself! So how do you inspire your children to think sentimentally and creatively? How do you hone these two important ways of thinking into something for the Holidays?
Every year I struggle to figure out how to teach my kids to show their care for their distant relatives. The reality is that it’d be easy to just buy a card at the store, have them sign the card with their cute, messy signature and send it off. Though that rarely equips our kids with the skills they’ll need in the future, when Mom won’t be around to take care of all the details. And, above all, don’t we want our kids to learn how to appreciate their distant relatives in a way that creates sentiment? So here’s one fun, creative activity I’ve come up with to teach my kids what it means to be sentimentally creative, because #CreativityMatters.
THE HOMEMADE HOLIDAY POSTCARD. Yes! Pull out your tape, your glue, your magazines, your scissors and begin! Here’s a step-by-step with a few tips:
1. Find a base for the postcard. This needs to be some thick, card-stock type paper. Either an actual postcard bought at the store (they’re super cheap! you should be able to find one for less than a dollar), or, be resourceful and look out for those nice, postcard-like flyers that people pass out around town or that you find on business counters, announcing future events, etc. These work great! And it doesn’t really matter what’s on the postcard/flyer because we’re going to cover it all up with our own sentiment!
2. Pull out the materials: tape, glue and scissors will be your best friend. Old magazines will be your brainstorm material. Choose magazines full of great, joyful images..Holiday magazines are a plus!
3. Begin brainstorming by explaining to your child who you’re going to make a postcard for. Is it Grandpa? Grandma? Ask them what they think that person likes? Start looking through the magazine and tell them to point to things they think Grandpa would like. Let them start cutting out things they think Grandpa will like (it doesn’t really matter if Grandpa likes it exactly, because well..it’s the thought that counts, right? You’d be surprised how your child’s creativity suddenly turns into the cutest imagination possible). Have them cut out words that describe Grandpa (all those cheesy advertisements full of adjectives and adverbs work great!).
4. Once you have a bunch of stuff cut out, start composing the postcard! Before letting your child make a mess with the glue and tape, have them layout the postcard first. Let them think of where they should put what picture and what word they want to put near it..give them a little help here and there, but, most of all, let them choose what looks nice where and don’t worry too much about whether it makes sense or not..because sentiment is all about putting the time into thinking about the person..the product is just the extra fun involved!
5. Finally…once they’ve laid out the card…start gluing and taping everything together. One they’ve finished you can either have them write a note to include with it, or write on the back (if the back is blank). If the back of the postcard has a bunch of stuff on it already, just glue paper to the back and have them write the note on that.
6. Now package it and mail it! I usually think it’s a good idea to put this, special, handmade postcard in an envelope because you risk it getting shredded to pieces through the mailing process. It’ll cost you a little extra (envelope price vs postcard), but not much!
7. Wait for Grandpa’s surprise!
As I’ve said in my last two posts (“How to Create that Art Spark” and “Sibling Bonding through Art”), in which I’ve been teaming up with Everyartist.com, #CreativityMatters. But, I think, as a parent, you have to actively work to teach your child why it matters. Showing sentimentality and sincerity are one way you can combine Holiday joy and artistic pursuit.
November 21st is almost here, and Everyartist.me are about to go Live at schools all over the nation. I want to encourage you to not only search for new ways to find out how #CreativityMatters to your child, but also to consider participating in a larger social-campaign and movement to show your community why and how #CreativityMatters. Read more about the Everyartist Live! event and Sign-Up to get involved.
Here’s a video that Everyartist recently sent me. It’s fun and explains exactly what they’re up to: http://vimeo.com/77433449