I’m Bored… How many times do you think you will hear that this summer?
Now, I am not one to think it is my job to keep my kids entertained every minute of summer, but I do try to help them find ways to use their boredom to be creative. So, this summer we have decided to put together art books. I find art projects and lessons on Pinterest then make an example and teach my kids how to do the project. Today I will share with you the first 3 projects of our art books.
1. Watercolor Shapes- What we used: a blank piece of white copy paper, a small card board circle, a medium cardboard circle, a rectangle, crayola watercolors, a black sharpie and a pencil. First, We traced around the shapes with the pencil until we achieved the look we wanted. I traced the shapes for the younger kids as they weren’t able to hold the shape still and trace it without the shape moving. Next, we filled each space with it’s own color. After all the paint was dry we went over each line again with with the sharpie.
What we learned: use card stock instead of copy paper and to achieve darker colors use less water in your watercolor.
2. African Akuaba Doll scratch art- What we used: Card stock, 96 count crayola crayons, black acrylic paint, sponge paint brush, a paper plate (to put the paint on) and a thick nail. First we colored all over the card stock with the crayons. As you can see there is no specific way to color your paper. Next, cover the paper with a thin/medium coat of black paint using the sponge paint brush. Allow the paint to dry overnight. 
After the paint is dry use the nail to scratch off the paint in the shape of an African Akuaba Doll.
What we learned: doing this project later in the evening will be easier if you are expecting a younger child to be patient waiting for paint to dry, it is easier to lightly draw the doll with a ball point pen and then scratch off the paint, every few scratches rub the scratch with the tip of your finger so the paint doesn’t peel too much and you may want to go over the scratches with the end of a pair of scissors to make them thicker.
3.Oil Pastel flowers on black construction paper- What we used: oil pastels and black construction paper. For this project the only instructions I gave were to color a flower/flowers and take up as much of the black paper as they could.
What we learned: you can use a paper towel to smudge the pastels to give it a much different look and using light and dark colors together makes the oil pastels stand out better.
After we are finished with our projects we put them in clear plastic sheet protectors and place them in our individual art books. Below is an example of the binders we are using for our books. We purchased them for only $.88 at Walmart. 
How are you helping your kids beat the summer boredom?
Happiness Unfolding 