Let Your Kids Make A Mess

Susan Loughrin has again lent her expertise in creativity and kids.  This post addresses how we can make it easy for kids to be creative by having the right supplies on hand and allowing them to make a mess.

Creativity and Kids:  List of art supplies to have on hand
©2009  by Susan Loughrin

Why have art supplies on hand?  Keeping supplies in close proximity for your children allows them autonomy.  They can pull out the supplies when ideas strike.  They know how to use the tools to get their thoughts and expressions onto paper.

Whenever there is quiet down time, your children can create something.  Set aside a location in your home that holds these supplies.  This should be a place that is easily accessible to your children.  Work with them in developing how to get the supplies out, how to enjoy a creative mess, and how best to put the supplies away.  When your children know that they can be trusted to create, make a mess, they begin to understand that creating is a part of everyday life.  This knowledge, taking a risk by making something from nothing, is a valuable form of expression.

Making a mess is part of using your imagination.  It is wonderfully freeing to know that creating is messy.  Learning that it takes some struggle to solve a problem will be an important experience.  Allowing children to make a mess develops their sense of adventure and risk taking.  This gives your children permission to take their own thoughts seriously.  Painting or drawing the instant a thought arises gives your children another voice, another way to express themselves.  They are allowed to create in the middle of things.

These are supplies that can be pulled out easily by children.  They are intended for everyday use and expression.  Keep it simple.  The children create the ideas and projects from start to finish.  Your help comes in the form of encouragement and support.  Watching how they play with supplies can give you great insight into how they are thinking.  Or, leaving your child to create on his/her own develops the autonomy of “I can do it myself.”

Supplies to have on hand for visual arts projects:

• Markers
• Watercolors
• Pens
• Cray-pas
• Pencils
• Crayons
• Brushes
• Acryclic paints
• Tempra paints
• Clay
• Blank journal
• Paper of all textures, sizes and colors

Moving it further:

• Work with your child; model draw paint and color along with them.  Let’s face it, making a mess and creating are big risks for many of us adults. If your child sees that you can be free to explore, they will learn that it is important to create.

Resources:  Dick Blick Art Supplies http://www.dickblick.com/
Local art supply stores
Sax Art Supplies http://www.saxarts.com/