Our homeschool organization hosts an annual children’s Art Festival, and my family has the double privilege of setting it up and participating as “artists.” Children aged 5 and up are invited to submit original artwork using any desired medium, including scratch art, pastels, watercolors, ink, spray paint, oil paints, colored pencils, graphite pencils, and even markers or crayons! The variety of pieces is exhilarating. All children receive a ribbon, with the best artists taking home First, Second, Third, or Honorable Mention awards. The evening of the festival, children come with their families to the beautiful reception hall we rent to view the display, to listen to music played by myself, siblings, and friends, and to receive their ribbons. Another highlight is the personal judging event, where families are encouraged to submit a ballot indicating their own favorites. While the votes for the “People’s Choice” awards are being tallied, guests enjoy snacks. This new category of placement allows individuals to choose what THEY think are the best pieces, since non-professional judges’ opinions are also valuable!
I have the privilege of overseeing the artwork of my younger siblings, which proves a true delight! In the past I have given them lessons and at art festival time they appreciate tips on shading, perspective, or coloring. It is amazing to see the talents with which God has endowed them! Since we were quite busy this year, no one ventured into using paints, and most did pencil drawings, but this year I entered the graduates’ category with two acrylic paintings. In the past, my younger brothers and sisters have entered watercolor and acrylic paintings, which are a delight to behold! Colors and children are almost synonymous as we think of their bright countenances and enthusiastic curiosity about the world about them.
Since there have always been young children in our family, when it rolls around to art time, we are always quick to pull out the art smocks! Those little hands have a way with paintbrushes that tends to decorate more than the page! We have enjoyed making these smocks for the little girls, but I also noticed some really cute ones offered on Etsy Kids. Since boys may recoil from the wearing a “smock,” aprons made with appropriate fabrics can encourage them without belittling them or making them feel out-of-place.
Take a look at the REVERSIBLE DINOSAUR AND CAMOUFLAGE APRON or the REVERSIBLE BROWN PIRATE MAP APRON, both by BareSockcrafts .
Little girls might like the HELLO KITTY CRAFT SMOCK by “twogirlsandamom” on Etsy Kids, or the PINK FLORAL ART SMOCK by StolenTime.
While our contest invites children aged 5 and up to enter, the young toddlers are always encouraged to be artistic alongside their older siblings. When we don’t have paints out for them, crayons are often the medium of preference, and what better way to keep them handy than the CHILDREN’S APRONS with CRAYONS by CabinFeverGiftStore! The fabrics are adorable, and the bottom section of the apron is sewn in divisions for 24 crayons.
It is so important to encourage children’s creativity….after all we are created in the image of the Great Creator God!
Posted by Elizabeth Gwen for Plume De Nikola
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