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Art For Littles // one

February 25, 2014 by Barbara Rucci 12 Comments

24 shares
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great ideas for the little ones

For the past month I’ve really been wanting to write a new series that focuses on art for the toddler/preschool age. Since my youngest is seven, we have grown out of that stage. I remember those days “in the trenches” with such a mix of happiness and weariness. We did explore art, but I wish I had known about the world of blogs because I could have used some fresh ideas!

So here’s the funny thing that happened while I was working on this draft. I was asked by a blogger, whom I really admire, if I wanted to be part of a group of moms who write about art projects for their little kids. How amazing and serendipitous, right?! Of course I said yes!! They call themselves the Rockin’ Art Moms… and now I am one, too. Yee-haw! We have a collaborative Pinterest board that you MUST follow this instant. It is a place where you can find all of the best art projects for your little ones (and bigger ones, too).

The above collage is a mix of some really super creative sensory/play/process art ideas to do with your littlest artists. Included are some Rockin’ Art Mom ideas, but I will also continue to share more of their ideas with you on a monthly basis. I hope this new series will be helpful and inspiring!

From top left: Making sculptures with a wire basket from Stephanie at Two-daloo // Watercolor heart doilies from Jean at The Artful Parent // Scissor exercises from Jackie at Happy Hooligans // People playdough mats {free printable} from Kate at Picklebums // Nature shadow boxes from Deborah at Teach Preschool // Shaving cream bathtub paint from Trisha at momdot // Magazine art from guest blogger Deborah on Classic Play // Marbled milk paper from Ana at Babble Dabble Do // Recycled box community from Meri at Meri Cherry // Paint blot art from Jeanette at Artchoo // Citrus printing from Sarah at Lil Sugar // Marshmallow shooter from Laura at Come Together Kids

12 Rockin' Art Moms unite to create a collaborative board providing you with awesome art projects for kids. We believe in the power of creativity as a necessary part of kids' lives. Rock on!

And now to introduce all of the Rockin’ Art Moms:

Ana from Babble Dabble Do

Meri from Meri Cherry (thank you for inviting me!!)

Jeanette from Artchoo and Tiny Rotten Peanuts

Melissa from Green Owl Art

Suja from Blog Me Mom

Kristen from Art History Mom

Gina from Willowday

Asia from Fun At Home With Kids

Stephanie from Two-daloo

Chelsey from Buggy and Buddy

Leslie from Pink Stripey Socks

I’m very excited to be able to learn from these 11 cool ladies, and to share their projects with you on a monthly basis. Rock on!!

xo, Bar

 

Filed Under: Process Art, Open-ended Crafts for Kids, Art for Toddlers, Sensory Recipes & Play Tagged With: process art, toddler, preschool

Previous Post: « Make + Share on Instagram // #makeit2014
Next Post: Make: Name Garland »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Jeanette Nyberg

    February 25, 2014 at 3:22 pm

    Thanks for including me in this wonderful roundup of projects, and I’m so excited you came to join us!

    Reply
    • Barbara Rucci

      February 25, 2014 at 7:27 pm

      jeanette, i had a hard time choosing! i almost used the tape drawing on the rugs…i loved your son’s expression. ha! will save that one for next time. love your blog! xo bar

      Reply
  2. meri cherry

    February 25, 2014 at 4:05 pm

    YAY YAY and YAY!!!! and ps that collage is gorgeous!!!

    Reply
    • Barbara Rucci

      February 25, 2014 at 7:25 pm

      thank you meri, you are my hero! perusing your website all day today…i showed my husband even. you are raising your girls in such a magical place. you really make me miss those days!! xo

      Reply
  3. Sandra

    February 25, 2014 at 4:44 pm

    Hi Bar!

    I just found you this week and love your blog! I just connected with you on Instagram and left you a message there too saying how much I’ve enjoyed all of the art inspiration your site has provided. I love this new series! I have a 2 year old and a new baby and am still in the “trenches” but love doing art projects with my toddler and am always looking for fun new ideas. Thanks for this! Looking forward to reading and following along on Pinterest!

    S.

    Reply
    • Barbara Rucci

      February 25, 2014 at 7:22 pm

      you are the nicest, sandra. thank you so much for this comment, and the one on my instagram. you made my day! i’m so very happy that you appreciate what i work so hard to create. i’m looking forward to seeing more of your family art tagged with #makeit2014 on ig. thank you!! xo bar

      Reply
  4. Ana

    February 27, 2014 at 7:49 am

    Love this round-up Bar! Thanks for including us and I’m proud to be a Rockin’ Art Mom alongside so many talented ladies!

    Reply
    • Barbara Rucci

      March 2, 2014 at 2:19 pm

      thanks ana! there was lots to chose from, your blog is full of goodies! can’t wait to keep sharing 🙂 xo bar

      Reply
  5. Deborah

    June 6, 2014 at 11:29 pm

    Thank you for including my shadow boxes. I have just found your blog tonight and LOVE it! Beautiful photos and wonderful ideas!

    Reply
    • Barbara Rucci

      June 9, 2014 at 2:41 pm

      oh wow, so glad you found me deborah!! i LOVE your blog and follow your pinterest boards. you have such unique and fun ideas. mutual admiration society 🙂 xo bar

      Reply
  6. Kristen Sadlier

    March 17, 2023 at 9:59 pm

    Hi, I realize this is an old post, but I’m interested in the art project showing the kiddo studying and mirroring the image of a piece of toast (7th image). Which page should I visit for this activity if it still is up? Thanks!

    Reply
    • Barbara Rucci

      June 12, 2023 at 4:03 pm

      Hi Kristen, I’m afraid that blog no longer exists. This project can be done easily by cutting any magazine or catalog image in half and gluing it to a piece of drawing paper. Then set out and invite children to mirror what they see. I hope this helps! ~ Bar

      Reply

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I have been thinking lately about so many big idea I have been thinking lately about so many big ideas. They seem to be stuck, though, in the cogs of my brain. I need to articulate and connect these ideas together, but I can’t find the right words, or medium. It feels like trudging through thick mud, and then making the choice to set up camp in the muddy place. Maybe this is always what motherhood + living a creative life will be. And I am ok with that, too. Life is mucky, and even though I crave clarity, I am also acutely aware that this is why I also crave art. Music, books, museums, film, gardens… these are the mediums humans turn to when they need to find connection and, if we are lucky, clarity. But I feel more protective of my human-centered ideas these days and less willing to share them in spaces like this where they are open source. I don’t even know what is real sometimes. And how am I contributing to this landscape of creative and intellectual robbery. I think I am headed in a different direction but I don’t know what that is yet. Meanwhile, I am camping in the mud and looking for beauty where I am. 

Some moments new and old, lately…

1. Painting at my easel, age 4 when we lived in England before moving to the US. 
2. I tried making a video of motherhood on mother’s day inspired by this song 🌙 but never finished. 
3. Planting dahlias 🌸
4. Year 2 of my veggie garden. It is not going well. 
5. We diagnosed our garden problem as not enough sun so cut down a tree to give the sun a little path but then the sun moved. Also failing at science 😳
6. When you see your habits in your children ❤️ 
7. My mom’s caretaker gave me a cake and now I am a whole year younger 🙏🏼
8. Thank you James for the treats, mom dreams of traveling to visit your bakery but this was the next best thing 🥐
9. Finding 50 bucks in jeans from 20 years ago 👏🏼 Always check the pockets!
10. The newly graduated makeup artist with her kit off to a job 💋 
11. When the birthday kid isn’t home it’s too sad. must make art. 
12. When I am so dumb and share it on the internet 🙃
13. My heart, my clarity ❤️
14. Another round of silkscreening! Things are happening. 
15. MUA by Ava, and hanging out with the help 😍
16. Reminder.
Happy Earth Day! Can we agree that every day is Happy Earth Day! 

Can we agree that every day is Earth Day? The older I get, the more I change my habits to be kinder to this beautiful planet. Lately, seeing the photos from Artemis II of Earth from space has really moved me to make even more planet-friendly choices. Here are some things we do at home, and of course, we could always be better, but I also think small changes are more doable and sustainable, and if millions of us did just one of these things, it would make a difference.

Ok, here goes! My hope is that someone reads one of these actions and thinks, I can do this! We cannot reverse the melting ice caps, but we can stop further global warming… humans can do this if we work together. It starts small and is community-driven, so share this with friends!

1. Eating less meat, eating more veggies (this is also called eating low on the food chain). A vegetarian or vegan diet is a low-carbon diet. Did you know switching to 2/3 vegan reduces your carbon footprint by 60%? 
2. Grow our own veggies. Save on emissions and packaging, and find joy in gardening.
3. Less food waste. Eat leftovers, clear the fridge.
4. Buy less. Buy local.
5. Repurpose, fix, mend, thrift.
6. Make homemade gifts.
7. Drive less, fly less. (This one is harder, but being conscious of it is really important.)
8. Moderate, steady thermostat settings can save so much energy. Try 67/68 F in the winter and 72/73 in the summer and don’t touch it.
9. No pesticides on our lawn. It may not be pretty, but we have never had a beautiful lawn, and I’m fine with that. We also live on a river so the thought of polluting that water so I can have a perfect lawn is crazy.
10. Using non-toxic cleaning products or making our own from vinegar.
11. This year, we will do “no-mow May” to promote biodiversity, help the soil, and reduce emissions.
12. Vote for candidates who take climate change seriously!

Add some things you are doing in the comments. This is a judgment-free zone, so no preaching! But for real, we all can do a little bit better. 

The blog post about these signs is on artbarblog.com, link in bio!
New blog post! It’s about time I share my favorite New blog post! It’s about time I share my favorite materials that I bring to the library. Read the post for links and tips for how to pair these materials to foster deep engagement. Children have always needed time in childhood to use their hands to make things and play, but now more than ever, the skills they develop through these experiences are imperative for their future well-being and success. I’ve been reading everywhere about children’s “lost skills” in this new ed tech world where screens have replaced so much hands-on learning in the classroom, even as young as preschool 😞 Communication skills, flexible thinking, regulating emotions, building empathy for others, innovating, even core strength and pencil grips are a struggle. Offering time and materials for making things and playing with ideas should not be a challenge; it should be as essential as filling bodies with fresh air and food. Play is how children learn! Anyway, I hope this post will inspire you to collect some things for making and maybe even join our Materials Matter course over on @the.creativityproject so that you, too, can become an expert at cultivating creative thinking through art making!
It’s almost impossible to concentrate or sleep or It’s almost impossible to concentrate or sleep or work or enjoy anything these days. I know joy is resistance, art is resistance, kindness and empathy are resistance, and I try and practice all of these things every day, and also boycotting and shopping local and volunteering and making calls and checking on my neighbors and bartering and keeping our big tree lit for the community. And still, it doesn’t feel like nearly enough. I know we probably all feel this way. And maybe the collective small things really do add up to bigger movements, I don’t know. It’s Sunday and my mom is in the hospital again and I miss my one at college and I had such a bad dream last night. My headspace is not in cheerleader mode which is my usual default. And yet… going through my camera roll to find photos of things I made did actually help today. And I have made a plan for future things to make. When I wake up in the middle of the night, the way I get myself back to sleep is by envisioning this one big installation idea I’ve had for years, it takes place in a forest and involves textiles. So maybe 2026 is the year for me to bring this to life, or begin the process. I think about this quote, and it helps, too: When you make art, you rebel against a world that fears vulnerability. Ok, I’m better. Thank you for listening 🤪❤️

Ps: It weighs on me that Meta should be part of the boycotts. If anyone has any ideas for building community and sharing somehow somewhere else let’s discuss.
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