Making Art to process your Felling

Opening a fresh box of crayons evokes a sense of happiness, whether you're 6 or 46. The smell when you open the box, the freshly sharpened tips arranged in neat, colorful rows: a new box of crayons feels like endless possibilities and joy. Creating something beautiful with your hands feels good, whether you're coloring a picture, painting a scene or forming a figure out of clay.

Art taps into things we can't always talk about. As the coronavirus pandemic continues, many people find themselves struggling with a range of emotions. Marking art can be a good way to process your feelings and improve your mood.

Allow children to explore art freely. Encourage your child to process his or her feelings through art-making; it's important to tell your child that whatever they create is okay. His or her art project is about self-expression, not perfection.

Here are SIX PICKS of relatively simple art activities that your kids may enjoy:

1. Construction Paper Collage - All you need are various colors of construction paper, scissors, and glue.
2. Design a T-shirt – This can be enjoyed by people of all ages!! All you need is a white undershirt and fabric markers.
3. Dress-Up – This can be done with clothes and accessories that are already in your collective family closets and drawers.
4. Planting - Planting could be as simple as laying out tomatoes and cucumber slices on a bed of lettuce or as complex as frosting and decorating a cake.
5. Clay Play - Playdough is a staple in most homes with young kids.
6. Dance – Dance away without any routine; FREESTYLE!

When you create art with your kids, you can look at an image and say, "Yes, that's how you feel." It validates their experiences and helps with meaning-making.