A full quarter of all American schools fall into the category of being considered private places to learn, rather than public institutions. However, not all of them offer ideas to do with kids when they’re quarantined.
If you’ve been wondering what to do craft-wise with your children during shelter-in-place, take some of the following suggestions straight from a private school arts camp curriculum. Each art camp project example can be done from the comfort of your home, which makes it ideal for families looking for new, positive experiences.
Bring Back Those Summer Camp Friendship Bracelets
Friendship bracelets used to be a huge hit with young kids and teens several years ago. They’re easy to make from embroidery thread that’s been twisted, knotted, or braided. You can even add beads for a bit of bling and further personalization. If your child goes to a special private school, you may want to create friendship bracelets in the school’s colors.
Teach Your Kids to Finger Knit
A lot of people try to make knitting complicated, but it doesn’t have to be. With a single ball of yarn, your children can knit anything from a loose blanket for a doll to a wearable scarf. Hand knitting has become a favorite pastime for art camp attendees for a while. Now, bring it into your house and have fun learning how to use your fingers to make beautiful items.
Design Some Sand Art
All you need is a mason jar and some colored sand to create a little magic with your kids. It doesn’t matter if it’s sunny or rainy outside. Youngsters are always ready to dive into a little sand art, just like they were at the best summer camps. Allow everyone to place spoonfuls of sand into the mason jar, then use chopsticks or wooden skewers to very gently move the sand around. Seal the jar and take in the fun, brightly-hued shapes along its side.
Make Art Pieces with Glue, Popsicle Sticks, and Paint
What can you do with a simple wooden popsicle stick? As day camp workers know a lot! If you’re a determined parent or grandparent, you’ll pair plenty of those sticks with some glue and let your child construct something unique. It might be a castle, a fence, or perhaps an animal. Allow the popsicle stick art piece to dry. Then, encourage your art camp student to paint it as desired.
While you might ordinarily send your child to an arts camp, you don’t need to wait until after quarantine to give him or her a similar experience at home. Brainstorm ways to turn your house into a temporary place where art, wonder, and maybe a little bit of science happens.
