Disclosure / Disclaimer: I received these books, free of charge, from Quarto Books, for review purposes on this blog. No other compensation, monetary or in kind, has been received or implied for this post. Nor was I told how to post about them.
Many projects include varying examples and executions of the activity to illustrate and reinforce the open-ended nature of the labs, inspiring children to embrace and share their own voice,like I Built This City, where children imagine and build their own cityscape using columns of newspaper text to make buildings on top of a watercolor painted background, and detailed with marker.
Each lab contains a complete materials list, clear step-by-step photographs of the process, as well as finished samples. The labs can be used as singular projects or as part of a yearlong curriculum of creative self-exploration in the areas of art, astronomy, geology, math, and even science, in these open ended activities, all authored by established experts in their fields. Geared toward being taught, or guided by adults, they are enriching for a range of ages and skill levels.
The labs are broken down into 5 units- Drawing, Painting, Printmaking, Mixed media and Paper. I would say that the drawing, painting, and paper are aimed more at elementary level kids, whereas printmaking and Mixed Media will be more expressive for tweens and teens, especially those how have never learned graphics techniques. The older kids will want to use them to make posters for their rooms and friends for example! Miss Grace is a Mixed Media pro already, but the Print graphics section had her rapt! She really want to do the silhouette next, and give them as gifts for Valentine's day! older kids can definitely follow along without adults, but younger kids will need help on about half of the projects. I would definitely recommend this book for homeschoolers, as it is a wonderful way to not only include art, but history-as you can discuss historical methods and DO them, as a hands on lab, really bringing home how times have changed! But it a fun book for any child, and doesn't require expensive items to complete. In fact, you probably have 80% of the needed items already in your craft pile or school desks! It's great for those "I'm Bored' moments too!
In Creative Adventures in Cursive, noted author Rachelle Doorley, the creative force behind Tinkerlab, shows twenty-two fun and colorful ways to use script to make posters, present school projects, design monograms, create greeting cards, decorate book bags and t-shirts, ice cookies and cakes -- writing in script with everything, including fabric markers, pastry tubes, string and yarn, and of course brushes, pens, and crayons.
The projects in this book as as simple as these cards, and more involved as well. Kids, especially tweens and teens, will find all the projects charming, but projects like pillows, bullet journals, glitter balloons, chalkboard frames and invitations will REALLY speak to their inner creativity and design sense! younger kids will adore the painted rocks, creative cookies, repousse painting.and hands on free form writing. I love that in the beginning of the book Rachelle shows kids how they can change their own signature, by adopting different cursive styles/fonts! It lets kids see beyond the standard cursive and provides the answer to the 'why do I have to learn this' question. With this book, they can see just how much creativity cursive writing can lend them! Homeschoolers will love how they can incorporate cursive practice and art in one lesson, while also providing a life skill, with the learned techniques! SCORE!
Welcome back!
We enjoyed our Christmas break, and hope you did too!
Today I have not 1, but 2 new great books for kids aimed at kids and teens, that are perfect for using this week, while they're out on break, and BORED beyond belief! So much for those fancy Christmas presents keeping them occupied, right? I KNOW!
One of the most important gifts we can give children is to nurture their creativity and allow them to express themselves freely. There's no better way to express yourself than through creative art projects. This is especially true for children because it gives them an outlet to explore their developing interests and strengths.
These books are also perfect for making creative Thank You notes for all those lovely presents, and for upcoming Valentine's Day cards and gifts!
Art Lab for Kids: Express Yourself by Susan Schwake
This book contains 52 brand new original art projects, that will draw out each young artist as they discover their style, and build confidence in their unique perspective. Each lesson asks questions and offers personal choices while encouraging creative thinking, like the Colorful Beasts project, which incorporates discussion of endangered animals with the Blue Rider art movement, while asking children to use torn colored tissue paper and glue to create an expressive representation of a favorite vulnerable animal.
Many projects include varying examples and executions of the activity to illustrate and reinforce the open-ended nature of the labs, inspiring children to embrace and share their own voice,like I Built This City, where children imagine and build their own cityscape using columns of newspaper text to make buildings on top of a watercolor painted background, and detailed with marker.
The labs are broken down into 5 units- Drawing, Painting, Printmaking, Mixed media and Paper. I would say that the drawing, painting, and paper are aimed more at elementary level kids, whereas printmaking and Mixed Media will be more expressive for tweens and teens, especially those how have never learned graphics techniques. The older kids will want to use them to make posters for their rooms and friends for example! Miss Grace is a Mixed Media pro already, but the Print graphics section had her rapt! She really want to do the silhouette next, and give them as gifts for Valentine's day! older kids can definitely follow along without adults, but younger kids will need help on about half of the projects. I would definitely recommend this book for homeschoolers, as it is a wonderful way to not only include art, but history-as you can discuss historical methods and DO them, as a hands on lab, really bringing home how times have changed! But it a fun book for any child, and doesn't require expensive items to complete. In fact, you probably have 80% of the needed items already in your craft pile or school desks! It's great for those "I'm Bored' moments too!
and older tweens and teens will love the many fun projects in
Writing is cooler in cursive, and Creative Adventures in Cursive gives kids ideas for practicing writing skills, then guides them into cursive creativity.
As many educators will attest, writing in cursive provides cognitive benefits in spelling, memory, reading comprehension, language skills, and overall academic confidence. Practicing cursive carries similar benefits when drawing; once you learn the basic shapes, you can play with it by creating your own personal style.
In Creative Adventures in Cursive, noted author Rachelle Doorley, the creative force behind Tinkerlab, shows twenty-two fun and colorful ways to use script to make posters, present school projects, design monograms, create greeting cards, decorate book bags and t-shirts, ice cookies and cakes -- writing in script with everything, including fabric markers, pastry tubes, string and yarn, and of course brushes, pens, and crayons.
Who knew that cursive could be used as such an amazing centerpiece for the 22 unique penmanship projects in this boo? Like these examples show, why buy pre-designed cards from the store, when you can invent your own greeting and thank you cards, made with your own creative touch?
The projects in this book as as simple as these cards, and more involved as well. Kids, especially tweens and teens, will find all the projects charming, but projects like pillows, bullet journals, glitter balloons, chalkboard frames and invitations will REALLY speak to their inner creativity and design sense! younger kids will adore the painted rocks, creative cookies, repousse painting.and hands on free form writing. I love that in the beginning of the book Rachelle shows kids how they can change their own signature, by adopting different cursive styles/fonts! It lets kids see beyond the standard cursive and provides the answer to the 'why do I have to learn this' question. With this book, they can see just how much creativity cursive writing can lend them! Homeschoolers will love how they can incorporate cursive practice and art in one lesson, while also providing a life skill, with the learned techniques! SCORE!
These books are fun and creative, and you may find yourself wanting to try a lot of the projects alongside the kids too! And the family that creates together is ALWAYS closer, so give them a try today, you know you have gift cards to spend!
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