How parents can set themselves up for success with art at home.
As a San Diego Child Therapy Specialist and Art Therapist, I have facilitated artmaking in lots of places where making a mess was going to be a problem, like professional offices, hospital rooms, and clients’ living rooms. So, over the years, I have found some ways to adapt to different environments.
I know many parents feel uncomfortable with making art or handling art materials at home. There can be an element of chaos and mess that can feel overwhelming. If this, is you, read on!
Start with setting the ground rules for making art
Before you invite your child to create art, it’s important to explain the limits. Left to their own devices, children will paint on the walls, draw on the table, cut the carpet, and get clay on the couch cushions.
The number one way to set yourself and your child up for success is by setting the ground rules for making art. While you may be thinking that rules are counter to the freedom of creative expression, actually creativity needs some boundaries and so do your children.
It is also really important for children, especially a child who constantly tests limits, that you communicate the consequence for not respecting the limits at the onset.
Here are my suggested limits around creating art in your home, along with some suggested consequences for bad choices.
1. Designate how the materials can be used
Example: “The markers are for the paper. If you mark on your brother or sister, or their artwork, then you will have to take a break from creating art for today. You can have another chance tomorrow”.
2. Narrow the choices if needed
If you have a child that creates huge messes, it may be helpful to narrow the choices. Example: “Today, we are going to use the clay”.
3. Everyone helps clean-up
As mentioned before, the mess with making art can be overwhelming. Teaching kids that part of the process of making art is cleaning up the materials afterward can take some of the load off of you. It’s a non-negotiable for the privilege of making art.
Example: “Today we are using paints. After we get through painting, we will need to wash out the brushes at the sink and put the paints and other supplies away. If you choose not to help clean up, then you are choosing to take a break from making art next time”.
Accept that spills and oops will happen and be prepared.
I have been caught off guard on occasion, by my clumsiness or the sheer joy of a child with a paintbrush in hand. Paint gets spattered, water spills, and markers bleed through to the table.
1. Always have old towels, sponges, and/or a few paper towels available.
2. Cover your tables. It makes clean-up way easier. [see my suggestion below]
3. Plan on everyone wearing aprons, or old clothes and shoes that are designated for painting, clay, markers, dyes, and glue.
4. When the spill or oops happens, take a deep breath, smile, and know that this is part of the process…not just of art, but of life. You are modeling so much to your child. And please have them help clean it up. A child is rarely too young to use a sponge.
If the “oops” happens on some artwork, it can be very upsetting, but it can also be a wonderful opportunity to create something out of the unintended mark or drip of paint. When things have calmed down, invite your child to problem-solve the issue. "What can we make out of that mark?"
Essential items for making art at home
Here are some suggested essentials for working inside your home:
Rubber-backed, canvas drop cloth. These can typically be found at a home improvement store in their painting department. Love these because they are waterproof on one side, and absorbent on the other. Bonus, they can be washed if a major spill happens. I use these to cover tables, furniture, and carpets when needed.
A very large drawing board. I use a 23 ½” x 26” board with large clips that I purchased from an art supply retailer online. Kids always remark it’s the biggest clipboard they have ever seen. It’s a nice, solid surface for creating art on the floor, but can easily be used on a table. Small clipboards can also be incredibly handy for making art portable.
Small, hand-held caddy to hold basic supplies like a pencil, eraser, sharpener, coloring pencils, washable markers, a watercolor set with a few brushes, and crayons. Your art supplies don’t have to take up an entire cupboard and clean-up doesn't have to involve shoving crayons back into the box they came in.
Here are a couple more tips for making art at home.
Have a designated place for art
My preference is not the kitchen table. Sometimes a folding table in the corner of a room can work and provide a place for projects to dry. If that’s not possible, a table in the garage or outdoor area works great.
When possible, allow your child to use the glue by themselves
Hear me out. I know this is a difficult one to watch, however, when you allow kids to do things, for themselves, even if they do it poorly, it will build their self-confidence. If they are too young to handle the whole bottle of glue, get a small plate, pour some glue out, and have a designated glue brush. You can also designate that glue is handled outside.
Free consultation for Art Therapy in San Diego
I hope this helps you feel braver about creating art with your kids at home and helps set you up for success. Kids love and benefit from art, and even more from spending time with you when you are enjoying yourself and being creative.
If you want to work with a San Diego Art Therapist who helps kids with anxiety, you can read more about how I help here. You can click here to visit my contact page where you can check my availability, book a free, 15-minute phone consultation, and/or join my newsletter.
To learn more about Art Therapy here are some links to other blogs I have written about the topic.
Thank you for taking the time to visit my website. If you found this blog helpful please share it with others in your networks. Take care and be well.
Tami