family art day

When my kiddos were little, I had no problem filling the days with them.  Making and playing with playdough.  Hanging a little clotheslines outside and washing and hanging up doll clothes.  A homemade rice table filled with toys.   As they got a little older, Theme Days were a hit. Pirate Day.  Harry Potter Day.  Dinosaur Day.  The whole day filled with activities, food, games, and movies that went with the theme.

But now they are older, Theme Days are losing their appeal, and I sometimes struggle to find meaningful ways to just be with them- they are so often off and doing their own things.  The summer is slipping away, and we had a free day today.  We actually talked about having a Harry Potter Day (again), but it just wasn’t clicking. Then, inspiration struck and we dragged out the art supplies and had a Family Art Day.

There is something so liberating about creating with no agenda.  No judgement. It doesn’t matter if it looks good or not.  Embracing the process over the product.  I actually love to do this with quilting too.  Just sew together strips from the scrap basket- making each block a little work of art.  Another plus with Family Art Day is that everyone works to their own level and interest.  Not into drawing portraits? Thumbprint art it is! Realistic drawing not your thing?  A little abstract drawing, then.

I originally got the idea for Family Art Night from Soulemama’s book The Creative Family.  We did it a few times when I first read that book a couple of years ago.  I don’t know how it fell out of rotation, but we need to bring it back.  It is fun, soothing to the soul, and most importantly, the kids don’t seem to bicker while they are creating.

We still have a few more empty days on the calendar before school starts.  There may be another Family Art Day on the agenda, or we may bring back another old favorite- Board Game Day.