“You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.” - Maya Angelou
Dreaming up fun activities to keep your kids busy and engaged is hard work. Luckily, the children's services team at the Library has some ideas to help your family get creative at home.
Upcycled art
You might not have a ton of craft supplies at home, which is why upcycled art is a great way to keep your little ones busy. It’s free, it's great for the environment, and it helps foster your child’s thinking and sense of imagination.
Tin can phone craft
Check out this Earth Day video about how to make a classic tin can phone with Shelby from the Sackville branch. It's a craft that you can make from materials found in your recycling bin.
When it comes to upcycled art, the only limit is your imagination. If you’re looking for more ideas to help get your creative juices flowing, head over to Wonderful DIY’s blog post, opens a new window all about upcycled art with kids.
Painting
Let’s be honest, paint can be expensive and really messy. At the Library, one of our favourite types of paint is watercolour puck paints.
Because pucks stay dry until water is added, watercolour paints are less messy than traditional tempura and acrylic paints. And they're washable, too!
Make your own watercolours
For step-by-step instructions for how to make your own watercolour pucks from affordable household supplies, take a look at this video made by Agnes from our Keshen Goodman branch.
Painting is a great activity for developing hand-eye coordination and fine-motor skills. It can also be therapeutic for some children. Now, let’s get painting...without the mess!
STEAM projects
You’ve probably heard of STEAM, but if you haven’t it’s an acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math. STEAM activities are fantastic because they build off of the natural curiosity of children.
Frozen castle experiment
What starts off as a conversation about the movie characters Anna and Elsa can quickly turn into a science experiment. Like this frozen castle experiment, performed by Jen, staff member at the Halifax Central branch, and her daughter.
For more ideas on how to get creative with your kids, take a look at our “Get Creative” collection on Overdrive. It includes selections from our kids' e-book collection on everything from cooking to crafts, and building to coding. Happy creating!
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