May 26th, 2016

I hope you all have a wonderful summer - please find some time to make some art!  Each 1st-3rd grader brought home their sketchbooks.  Please encourage your child to use the remaining pages for drawing.  Each sketchbook should have a copy of "50 Summer Art Ideas for Kids" inside.  I have also included a copy of this list below.  I hope you are able to try some of the ideas during summer break!!

50 Summer Art Ideas for Kids
 

1. Draw what you see in your backyard.
2. Draw members of your family.  Don’t forget how to draw the different parts of the face.
3. Visit Color-Me-Mine in Crystal Lake to paint a piece of pottery.
4. Set up an art area at home and make some art each day using different materials.
5. Draw with sidewalk chalk.
6. Find some patriotic ideas on-line and make patriotic crafts for the 4th of July.
7. Paint a t-shirt to celebrate the beginning of summer.
8. Find a craft or art kit at Michael’s Arts and Crafts.
9. Take an art class at Michael’s Arts and Crafts.
10. Find a blooming flower in your backyard.  Draw it, using your sketchbook.
11. Take an art class at The Studio in McHenry.
12. Gather some friends together and make a mural.  Plan it out and work together to create it.
13. Decorate a large appliance box and use it as a fort.
14. Sketch pictures of the plants in your garden.  Date each picture and show how the plants have grown throughout the summer.
15. Use clay to sculpt an animal you have seen in your yard.
16. Find some rocks and use them to make a temporary sculpture.
17. Have a parent slice vegetables in different shapes and use them to make vegetable prints on paper with paint.
18. Make a paste out of flour and water and try papier mache’.  Tear strips of newspaper, dip into the paste and cover a balloon with several layers.  When dry, pop the balloon and make your creation into something with paint.
19. Try some of the drawings and games at this website - http://artfulparent.com/creative-drawing-ideas-activities-kids
20. Check out a step-by-step drawing book from the public library.
21. Check out a biography about an artist at the public library.
22. Collect unwanted food containers like empty cereal boxes.  What can you create with the containers?
23. Trace shadows on the sidewalk with sidewalk chalk.
24. Make a design with the letters of your name.
25. Sit in front of your bike with your sketchbook and draw it.
26. Trace a Popsicle stick on your paper several times so the tracings cross over each other.  Color in the spaces.
27. Create a character and create a comic strip with that character.  Create several stories.
28. Road trip drawing prompts to keep busy in the car can be found at http://picklebums.com/road-trip-drawing-prompts/
29. Make thumbprints on a piece of paper and make them into various people, animals, etc.
30. Trace your hand on a piece of paper in several places.  Fill in the spaces with designs.
31. Go to Millennium Park in Chicago and check out the outdoor sculptures.
32. Make your dad a Father’s Day card.
33. Make a floor plan drawing of your bedroom.
34. Draw a bird’s eye view of your backyard.
35. Take your sketchbook to a playground and draw the playground equipment.
36. Build something out of blocks, Legos, etc.  Draw what you have built.
37. Visit this Internet site for tons of drawing lessons on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/c/artforkidshub
38. More step-by-step drawing ideas can be found at this website http://mocomi.com/fun/arts-crafts/drawing-for-kids/
39. Lay down on the sidewalk and have someone trace your body with chalk.  Fill in the tracing to look like you.
40. Tightly roll up newspaper into tubes and tape the tubes together to make a sculpture.
41. Make a puppet with a lunch bag.
42. Put your artistic creations together on the wall and have an art show.
43. Go to the Art Institute of Chicago and look at some art.
44. Go to Daley Plaza and check out the Chicago Picasso sculpture.
45. Use a camera to take some photos.  Draw what you see in one of those photos.
46. Go back and try redrawing some of the ideas found in your sketchbook from art class this year.
47. Make pretend food with Play-Doh.
48. Buy a stepping stone kit and make one for your backyard.
49. Draw a line in the middle of a paper.  Have a friend do the same.  Trade papers and make the line into something.
50. Draw, Draw, Draw!!!!