As the Covid-19 quarantine continues, you’re likely searching for fun activities to keep your children occupied. Try creating art. If your art supplies are limited and you’re stuck at home, don’t worry. Art is possible even with just a pencil and paper. Here are some fun artistic activities you can try with your children during the next few weeks.
Here is what you will need:
Feel free to use additional supplies if you have them, such as colored pencils, crayons, pastels, or paint.
Tip: Encourage your children to focus on the process of creating the artwork rather than the end result.
The end product does not have to be amazing or even finished. The most important aspect of these activities is to have fun and to enjoy the creative process.
Give your children a word or phrase and have them respond to it by drawing a picture. To make this activity more fun or challenging, set a timer for 1 minute and have them respond quickly. When the timer goes off, have them share their work.
Try starting with these words and phrases:
| General Prompts | |
| Silly | Old |
| Scary | Favorite Food |
| Winter | Memory |
| Bright | Dream |
| Mean | Animal |
| Vacation | |
| Funny Art Prompts | |
| A dancing dog | Your family pet as a surfer |
| A cat in uniform | Your parent or guardian as a pirate |
| A goose with a hat | A frog riding a donkey |
If you have high school students who are interested in art and literature, try using literary quotes as prompts. In this case, set the timer for a longer period of time or don’t use it at all.
Here are a few literary quotes to get you started:
“I’m not afraid of storms for I’m learning to sail my ship.” – Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
“All that we see or seem is but a dream within a dream.” – Edgar Allan Poe
“Two roads diverged in a wood, and I – I took the one less traveled by, and that made all the difference.” – Robert Frost
Go outside into your yard and have your children study a plant, rock, or leaf closely. Tell them to draw what they see and focus on the details.
If you have paint, crayons, or colored pencils, play upbeat music and have your children create abstract art inspired by the song. What colors and shapes does the song bring to mind?
Encourage your artists to layer colors on top of each other. This activity can still be done using a regular pencil or pen, but instead of colors, have your children draw shapes and lines that the song brings to mind.
Ask your children draw a picture representing how they are feeling at the beginning or end of the day.
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