Today while we were out shopping for some art supplies, my girls noticed all of the fall decor making its appearance. I have been seeing ads for back to school supplies and the shelves that were once full of pool floats, bubbles, and sunscreen have been replaced with pencils, binders, and backpacks. Fall and back to school is coming, whether you're ready for it or not. However, I feel like the back to school season is much like New Years for families. With back to school, we set new intentions, routines change, and schedules are shifted. We start to add in after school activities and we start looking for things to do with our youngest children now that their older siblings aren't home all day to play with them. So why not add some art programming into your new fall schedule?
Art is a way for kids to tap into their creative side and explore in new ways. In the world today, children are seeing and hearing so much negativity. They have expectations on them that we didn't have when we were younger. They are being forced to grow up so much faster. And they are engaging more with technology and screens than with nature and creative mess. All of these things have an effect on our kids and art can be a way to help combat it and help them really find out who they are.
I think Fred Babb, an artist from California, said it best. "Art is a place kids travel to where they feel good about themselves. Keep their passports current."
I know one of our goals as parents is for our children to know who they are and be happy with themselves. I don't want them constantly influenced by social media and friends, but to actually know their interests and be passionate about them. I think all parents want their children to find something they love and feel good about themselves. I believe art is a way to help our kids do just that. Maybe art can be that for your child too this fall!
When I created Creative Play Studio, I created it to be a place where kids can create, explore, and become themselves. I want to give a place that the child scared of mess knows that it is ok but is also challenged a bit and grows, after lots of process art and exploring, to loving finger painting. I want to help the child who doesn't talk yet, communicate as they paint, smiling and giggling as they squish, and tell their parents through actions and emotions just exactly how much fun they are having. I want to see the perfectionist, make a mess and make something even more beautiful than the "end product" and love it! Art can do all of these things and help kids grow in so many ways. Art can help kids of all ages, all levels and all abilities, become who God created them to be and I pray Creative Play Studio can be that for your children. I hope you give your kids the chance to be kind, creative, curious, persistent, and positive. I hope you let them be an artist!