No matter what time of the year it is, you will always be looking for ways to keep your kids amused whilst they are at home. Like most parents, you will want to limit the number of hours they have on their games console or watching the TV, but of course you need to find a substitute activity to distract them.

Why don’t you introduce more art based activities in the home? You may discover that your children have a natural affinity for art, or you might just find that they have fun trying. To limit the amount of cleaning that you need to do afterwards, make sure to lay down a plastic sheet or at least some old newspapers. On warm days they could even go outdoors onto a paved patio area if possible.

So if you think that this sounds like a great idea, here are some projects that your kids could get stuck into… for more ideas, have a look at www.pencilstreet.org.

 

Create a Paper Mâché Hot Air Balloon

Paper mâché can be a lot of fun, so why don’t you help your kids to create some art for their bedroom? You will need to blow up a balloon before pasting it with newspaper and glue; when dry, simply pop the balloon and you will have a hard shell. It can then be painted, and then attached to a small cardboard box and string to give the full effect.

 

Complete a Coloring Book

Why don’t you get your child a coloring book and see how long it takes them to complete the whole thing? With practice, their control of the pencil crayons may improve over time. It should be an interesting activity to see whether they get better at staying in between the lines of the drawing.

 

Paint Their Rooms

If you are due to decorate your children’s rooms, is there any way that they could help? Whether this is just doing ten minutes of the main wall, or stenciling something, it can make them feel like they have helped towards the task as a whole. Of course you should always take the full precautions about skin sensitivity and ventilation.

 

Draw You or Their Sibling

Introduce your kids to the art of drawing by getting them to draw you, or one of their siblings. They will discover more about the form of the body, as well as learning about proportions and how large they need to draw certain features. You could do this once a year and see how the images change over time.

 

Do Some Sidewalk Chalk Art

For younger kids, an activity such as sidewalk chalk may appeal a bit more. You can find tubs of thick chalk in most toy stores as well as online. It is best to do this on your own driveway, as well as making sure that your kids don’t create anything that will offend your neighbors. If you don’t want a permanent drawing on the ground until it rains, it is probably best to make sure your garden hose is working sufficiently first.