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It’s been almost a month now in isolation for COVD19 & I think we’ve all found by now, having kids and being in isolation is not an easy undertaking whatsoever. I've struggled to keep the kids entertained and continuously occupied during isolation... not just for them but so I can catch a break too!
I try to mix up our daily routine with an activity to keep the kids engaged and away from devices (which I won't lie have been a pretty great saviour). I'm sure it's not just our house!
So, to make life a little bit easier for you, I thought I'd share a few all-time favourite mess-free (as mess-free as can be with kids) art activities to help all you keep a little bit of your sanity.
They are all easy to set up, fast to clean up, and use materials most household will have lying around.
Most can be enjoyed during everyday activities, such as collecting leaves and flowers on walks, on the desk beside you while working or with commentary while you cook dinner...
These activities are so engaging that you can leave the kids to be so you can answer emails or just simply have a moment of peace to yourself!
Collage Making
Good old cutting and pasting never goes out of fashion. We here at Mini Matisse absolutely love making collages. All we recommend doing in order to make a Matisse inspired masterpiece is precutting the paper, magazine, cardboard or whatever you plan on using so you can minimise the mess and using glue stick rather than paste so that it can be easily contained!
Nature Collages
To put a fun, environmentally savvy spin on collaging, try collecting lots of lovely things you find in your garden or on a walk. Then to create your sustainable collage you can stick the leaves, flowers, grass and whatever else you find onto contact paper.
When you've finished designing, add another piece of contact paper for the back! This activity is perfect for both a relaxing day in or one were you can manage to find the energy to go for a walk, but most importantly it also conveys the importance and beauty of nature.
Washable Markers Water Painting
You can paint with ordinary old watercolours, it's true. But it can get very messy very quickly... So instead of spending your morning cleaning up the contents of a murky cup of water off the floor - did you know you can use washable markers for a watercolour effect?
You can, and it's incredibly easy and engaging! Simply draw whatever you want with washable markers like normal, then run a wet paintbrush over the top, it's that easy and can keep kids entertained for hours! The key is just to make sure you're using washable markers and a thicker paper then. We love the Crayola washable textas for this activity.
Crayon imprints
Crayon imprints are a fantastic way for your child to be both an artist and an investigator, discovering textures and patterns in their environment. Most importantly, it creates very little mess. The activity involves taking objects such as leaves, coins or shapes and placing a piece of paper over them and then proceeding to rub a crayon or oil pastel gently on the area over the object. As you do this, you'll see the coloured areas start to reveal the shape and pattern of your found objects.
Toy Portraits
Still life toy portraits are a super simple way to entertain the kids, simply let them choose their favourite toys or set up a toy display and then let them draw away! This activity is super sweet because the toys provide companionship and the drawing aspect allows your child to be creative using imagination. At the same time, they observe the toys through their own personal lens.
Blob Critters
Blob critters is a super fun activity for either the whole family or just the kids by themselves while you get a moment of peace and quiet to enjoy a coffee! To make these cute and crazy critters, simply create a shape from anything you like such as a fingerprint, a paint blob or even just drawing a random shape. Then to turn your blobs into critters draw some creepy, crazy or cute body parts on to your blob! It's super simple and guaranteed to entertain everyone in the house as the critters become very creative and incredibly funny.
Draw your own obstacle course
Want the ultimate double whammy of exercise and creativity? A homemade obstacle course is a perfect way to get artsy and stay active. It can be done in so many ways, we love having each member of the family design a section. Still, we have left the kids to go crazy with it in the backyard with the promise that we'll come and test it out when it's finished. We suggest using chalk on the pavement if you have in your back or front yard, you can also make obstacles without chalk instead with household items. You can even design an inside friendly version if needed, great for rainy days!
I hope these activities can provide you with the me-time you so deserve and make life a little bit easier during this crazy time.
I'd love to see your creations!