in the studio (with my buddy)

my 3 favorite toddler art activities

As I shared a while back, Lucy's little brain is developing and growing so fast and gone are the days where she is dazzled by paint! I used to be able to pull out the paint and she would be endlessly entertained. Now paint is not so dazzling, instead it's just another supply that she is comfortable using. This new stage has challenged me to come up with all kinds creative activities that will keep her challenged, interested and creative. I've found that she is most inspired and engaged when we take time to plan and teach new techniques that appeal to her current interests. While these creative activities are always changing, today I am sharing the top three (right now) that are really getting her excited!

1. PRINTMAKING: So far printmaking continues to be her favorite creative activity, specifically monoprinting with a gelli plate. I introduced gelli printing to Lucy when she was about 1.5 years old and it is still something that is really exciting. Parents of toddlers- go out and get yourselves a gelli plate! Not only is it fun and easy to use for adults but it is a really great supply for kids. The sticky surface makes it easy for little hands to imprint all kinds of textures (leaves, stencils, stamps, flowers, etc). I typically gather anything and everything that has texture and let Lucy go wild printing. Her favorite part of the process, just like mine, is peeling the paper away to see what the print looks like.

2. FIZZING WATERCOLORS: Watercolors continue to be a favorite supply but Lucy loves experimenting with materials. A BIG favorite lately is fizzing watercolors. This process involves mixing watercolor paint with baking soda (I like using using liquid watercolors). 

You use this mixture to paint paper and then add vinegar to the surface of the paint. We use paint brushes to swipe and drop vinegar onto the painted paper- the result is a reaction between the baking soda and the vinegar- the surface begins to bubble and fizz! It is super fun and a really creative way to make some interesting watercolors backgrounds.

For even more DRAMA (and mess) you can pour vinegar into to the cups of paint/baking soda mixture and watch the entire cup erupt with bubbles and fizz- this is a favorite around here!

This process is fun for adults too but keep in mind that you are left with residue from the baking soda on the surface of the paper which makes it challenging to create with. I like to scan these colorful pages and use them in digital projects.

3. HOMEMADE COLORING BOOKS: I am not a big fan of traditional coloring books so we have been making our own custom coloring pages for Lucy since she was around one year. For a while she lost interest in coloring but recently she started up again and now really enjoys using watercolors instead of crayons. Andy and I spend time creating simple line drawings that appeal to her interests or we even let her request the images- the subject matter seems to change by week! We scan the pages and print them out and she spends hours painting these pages.

To read and see more of my time creating with a kid check out the entire series posts HERE

creating with a kid- playing with clay

If you follow me on Instagram or frequent my blog you will know that we spend A LOT of time making art as a family and I get asked lots of questions about our process. Once in a while I like to share my thoughts on "creating with a kid" here on the blog. (Please note that I am not a childhood development expert or a kids' art teacher- I am simply a mom who is an artist!)

While I have been drawing and painting since childhood, the earliest memories I have of creating are playing with clay. My parents are potters who have always worked from their home studio and I've spent my entire life around clay. I have very vivid memories of molding and sculpting pinch pots, I can remember my brother and I buzzing with excitement to open the kiln to see our fired projects, I remember sitting on my dad's lap while he taught me how to throw on the wheel and spent hours in the studio while my he made pots. While I never became a potter (not yet), the entire process of taking a lump of clay and turning it into something beautiful is something so familiar and entwined into my memories and creative identity. I am convinced that it played a big role in my development as an artist and a creative person.

As I have shared in past posts, it is important for us to incorporate Lucy into as many creative projects as possible. And while it makes no difference if Lucy grows up to be an artist, we do want her to be a creative thinker. I believe creativity and the ability to think in a creative way it one of the greatest gifts we can give our children. 

Lately, we have been introducing new things to her and one of her favorites is working with clay. I shared a few weeks back, Lucy has been asking for and LOVING new challenges/techniques and clay seems to be right up her ally! Gone is her fear of getting clay on her hands and in it's place is a curiosity and joy that comes with the process. With my parents down the street, we have access to a lot of materials that she can experiment with and get creative in new and different ways.

play with clay from Alisa Burke on Vimeo.

While I believe that just about any creative process (drawing, painting, crafting, etc) is wonderful for kids- playing with clay is magic! Today I am sharing some of my thoughts, insight and tips for introducing clay to kids (or anyone of any age).

SENSORY PLAY:

Clay is a wonderful sensory development activity for kids (and adults). From rolling and squeezing to forming and sculpting the clay, it can be a really great activity for young kids to grow and development their dexterity and sense of touch. Lucy started playing with PlayDoh and initially just loved the way it felt to squeeze handfuls of it through her fingers. While she really enjoys building things from clay, at three she still loves the way it feels to squish, roll and smash that clay, heck, at 40 years old I still love the ways it feels! 

TIP: You don't need access to a fancy pottery studio to get your kids playing with clay! Play-Doh, air dry clay, homemade dough, modeling clay, EVEN MUD are all materials that work great for sensory play.

GROW THAT IMAGINATION:

Lucy loves to create a story around the things that she makes and using clay to create a narrative has been a really fun way for her to express herself. When working with clay you can make things that are not possible with drawing, painting and 2-D techniques- you are able to create dimensional objects. Though this process a child can actually create things from their experiences or imagination that become real! Right now this seems to be Lucy's favorite part of clay play- she spends a lot of time creating objects that interest her (lizards, pizza, worms, shoes, people) and then has fun playing and acting out a story with her creations. Clay has been a really amazing way to cultivate imagination and her passion for story telling. 

TIPS: I treat the clay process much like we do the rest of our art projects- I give very little direction or input about what to do. My goal is encourage Lucy to explore the materials on her own. I let her use her imagination to make discoveries through experimentation and play.

When we are creating alongside each other we spend a lot of time talking about her stories and the characters that she is creating. Instead of telling her what to do and how to create something, I spend a lot of time asking open ended questions to help her develop and grow her creations.

CALM AND THERAPEUTIC:

I don't know if any of you have ever pounded, squeezed or molded clay but it is incredibly soothing and therapeutic. Lucy has loved playing with clay since she was tiny and is one of the few activities where she is ALWAYS focussed and calm for a LONG time. Working with clay, especially hand building, is such an engaging process. I have found that it is a great activity when we want things to transition or quiet down. At three years old, life can be overwhelming and Lucy can struggle with coming down after a big day, relaxing after a meltdown and challenged at times with the ability to focus. I know that pulling out clay will instantly create a quiet, peaceful environment and provide an outlet for her to relieve some stress.

LEARN TO EMBRACE MISTAKES:

If there was ever a medium that teaches you that mistakes are ok it is clay! Clay is one of the few materials that you have a lot of control and influence over. In a moment your clay creations can get ruined- a hole, a rip, a collapse can all happen but you can also repair and build things back up quickly and easily. Unlike drawing and painting, there is a little more forgiveness and flexibility in working with clay. As an artist I know that this is an AMAZING lesson to learn! Often when making art, we get so wrapped up in perfection and fear of making a mistake. Working with clay has the ability to teach you that mistakes can be repaired and you have the power to fix them. Lucy, whether she knows it or not, is learning to problem solve and embrace mistakes when she is playing with clay. When her pot crumbles on the wheel from too much water, she is able (with some help) to build it back up again and form it back into a new pot.

THROWING ON THE WHEEL:

In my opinion everyone should try to throw a pot on the wheel at least once in their life! It is an incredibly thrilling (and humbling) experience that will change your view of the creative process forever. For a child it is FUN, like A TON OF FUN activity that combines sensory play with creativity. Getting to form a lump of clay into something functional with your hands is incredibly empowering and is a wonderful way to create an experience for a kid to feel proud of their accomplishment. Throwing on a wheel can be challenging with a toddler-  Lucy started out very unsure and nervous about the process but with a little time and help from my dad she is now comfortable and loves the process. Her big brown eyes light up when that lump of clay turns into a pot. Currently she loves changing the shape of a pot with her hands and gets a big kick out of using a sponge and different tools to manipulate the pot.

TIPS: Finding a space and a place to throw on a wheel can be tricky. Often bigger cities have community craft space, pottery studios and classes where you can learn and use a wheel and fire pottery in a kiln.

Finding resources for kids, especially toddlers can be a little tricky. I recommend doing some research to see if you have any local potters in your area. Try reaching out to see if they ever open up their studio space for a demo, firing pottery, teaching classes or volunteer their time. Growing up my parents would were always doing pottery demos at Sunday school, birthday parties and community gatherings.

Another option is to actually purchase your own materials and supplies. There are all kinds of pottery materials, even simple wheels made for kids to experience the process in a smaller way.

You can read all of my "creating with a kid" series HERE

You can read more about my family and pottery HERE, HERE and HERE

creating with a kid

If you follow me on Instagram or frequent my blog you will know that we spend A LOT of time making art as a family and I get asked lots of questions about our process. Once in a while I like to share my thoughts on "creating with a kid" here on the blog. (Please note that I am not a childhood development expert or a kids' art teacher- I am simply a mom who is an artist!)

Last week I shared a peek into another of our family collaborations and today I thought I would share a follow up post about creating with a kid. As my long time readers know I've been making art with Lucy from day one. From riding on my back while I filmed online classes to letting her create with me in the studio, it's been a priority to share the art making process with my daughter. 

My philosophy is....

As I have mentioned in the past it is important for both my husband and I to incorporate Lucy into as many creative projects as possible. And while it makes no difference to us if Lucy grows up to be an artist, we do want her to be a creative thinker. I believe creativity and the ability to think in a creative way it one of the greatest gifts we can give our children and while I am always evolving as an artist and mama, I am learning so much as I watch her develop her own creative voice. 

I am learning that with every development stage, there are all kinds of challenges and success in our creative process. Now that Lucy is three things have started to feel and look a lot different from age one, two or even six months ago. She is no longer dazzled by paint! I used to be able to pull out the paint and she would be endlessly entertained. Now paint is not so dazzling, instead it's just another supply that she is comfortable using. And while I love this, it also makes the collaboration and creative process a little different. Here are a few new discoveries that are working for us:

INTRODUCE NEW TECHNIQUES

We used to slop paint on a canvas and call it a day but Lucy wants more- more challenges, more techniques more narrative. In other words she continues to develop her creative voice and we have to keep up and find ways to foster it. I've found that showing her how to use different materials and share new techniques has provided the challenge that she is craving.   Things like stamping with all kinds of materials, expressive mark making, painting and drawing shapes, letters and patterns, using different size brushes, painting with a brayer, sticks, hands and feet and embracing all kinds of craft projects are all things that really capture her interst. Through this process I continue to find a balance between teaching and then letting her discover her own way.

MIXING PAINT

Mixing paint is a favorite process for Lucy right now. No matter what the age, there is something exciting about making your own colors and getting to have "ownership" over selecting and mixing colors. When I paint I am always trying to avoid making muddy colors but I try really hard to stay hands off when Lucy is mixing her colors. I show her some simple color combos but most of the time I let her figure it out on her own. The freedom to mix color, without being micro-managed has resulted in making her own discoveries that really get her excited. In the last six months she has discovered, through trial and error, how to avoid making mud.

CREATE A NARRATIVE

In the past six months Lucy's imagination has exploded. She loves telling stories, she plays make believe, she creates characters from her imagination and she even stays in character for weeks. What we know for sure is that a story or a narrative is really important to her. Right now art has become a vehicle for Lucy to tell stories and I want to foster this! Those days of slopping paint on a canvas has been replaced with a story that she draws and paints. Her entire art making process is all about these stories. Often when we are working alongside each other we do a lot of talking about her stories. We ask open ended questions that prompt her to create and expand her creations. As an artist I know how profound it is develop a narrative within your work and to see Lucy doing this at only three years old is incredible!

CREATE HYPE

These days Lucy has a mind of her own and while we love giving her freedom to make her own choices we still want to provide structure within the activities that we take on. When it comes to making time for art I've found that creating "hype" about a technique or a project creates excitement and willingness to try new things- regardless of her toddler moods.  If I make a plan to take her to my studio in the afternoon, we will begin hyping it early in the morning- we chat about what we'll make, what colors she will select and what tools we will use. This process make for a smooth transition between activities.

CREATE TOGETHER

We all really enjoy creating together on our own individual projects. This rhythm has been a part of our lives since Lucy was born so it is natural for our family dynamic. At age three, it seems she is most comfortable and focussed when she is able to be interactive and social while making art. What is really cool is that we are all able to from each other learn simply by observing and working in the same room. From drawing a face to making polka dots to creating shapes- I know that many of the things that Lucy has learned has been from watching Andy and I work on our own art- not from us telling her what to do.  While I know this will change as she gets older, for now it works for all of us and we really enjoy these times together.

PATIENCE, PATIENCE, PATIENCE!!!

The common thread in all of Lucy's creative stages is the need for patience. I used to only need patience for the mess making but these days my patience is wrapped up in her developing personality. While she is the sweetest kid, she can be stubborn, moody, intense and has A LOT of energy. All of this can affect the time that she spends creating. All I can do to stay patient is continue to remind myself that she won't be a toddler forever and this time teaching and fostering her creativity is precious!

To read and see more of our time creating with a kid check out the entire series posts HERE

holiday crafting with a toddler- straw garland

A big part of our family Christmas traditions is crafting (big surprise). As a kid I spent the entire month of December working on creative projects every day and this is something that I have carried into my adult life and now into my life as a mom. In next couple of weeks I thought it would be fun to share some of the kid friendly holiday projects that we have been working on. Some of our projects are made to last while others are simply about getting creative together in the moment!

While Lucy has been creating since the beginning of her little life, age three has brought a lot of interest and passion for creative projects of any kind. The days of me introducing supplies and leading a project have suddenly been replaced with her taking ownership and working independently on her own ideas- it is really amazing to watch!  This year it was really important for me to come up with projects that play to her interests. 

Currently she is obsessed with scissors- she mastered her scissors over the summer and has been crazy about cutting up anything and everything. She also loves stringing beads so I came up with a fun garland project that she could work on from start to finish!

We used a bunch of colorful straws and I let Lucy cut them up. I also let her paint a package of wood beads- she used both of these items to string into colorful garlands for our tree.

While this kid has got some big time creative skills and a great attention span, she is still only three and after about 1-2 hours she always ends up on my lap! 

Is it a stylish or fancy garland? Probably not! But for me it is more important to let Lucy have fun and make a memory than it is to be stylish or fancy with our holiday decor. More than anything I love that she is able to look at the tree and say look at what I made!