Making Art With Your Kids At Home

A simple and creative activity the whole family can enjoy together.

A creative way to spend time with your kids at home, in your yard, or on your block. Photo credit: S.W. Lauden

Forced family time can be a challenge. Living on top of each other increases the need for personal space, but as parents we still want to spend quality time with our kids. At my house we’ve played boardgames, done jigsaw puzzles, tossed a ball around, ridden scooters and bikes, baked, made lemonade, and watched all eight Harry Potter movies. Even with relaxed restrictions on screen time, the days can still feel really long.

Two weekends ago, my tween daughter and I were looking for a creative project we could do together. That’s when I remembered a craft video I’d seen last year. We tried it back then and spent a fun afternoon wandering the neighborhood. This time around we stretched the simple activity into days of shared daddy/daughter time. We posted a few of our images on social media and several other families ran with it. Some of our adult friends without kids joined in too (wine may have been involved for them…).

It’s not a terribly original idea, but it’s pretty easy. You probably already have everything you need at home. If not, improvise—there’s no “right way” to do this. I’ve seen examples that use animals, wording and logos. Get creative.

What We Used:

• Paper (preferably something stiff, like an index card)
• Pen or pencil (to draw your simple characters)
• Scissors or X-Acto knife (to carefully cut clothing shape out)
• *Camera or smartphone (not required; still plenty of fun without creating images)

How We Did It:

• Draw a character (keep the clothing shape simple so it’s easy to cut out)
• Cut out clothing shape (best for parents, using scissors or X-Acto knife)
• Go explore the inside of your home, your yard/complex, or your block
• If you shoot photos, share a few with friends and family to inspire them