#QuarantineArt Resources

For Kids

Art Activities for 3+

Assuming you don’t have many supplies at home, here are some art activities you can do with children of various ages (some of them are even fun for adults!):

  • Print free coloring book sheets from here

  • Cut up cardboard boxes and build abstract 2D or 3D sculptures

    • Projects:

      • Make your dream home (color or paint or collage on cardboard) OR just get in a box and color from within

      • Paint or color various cardboard cut-outs / shapes and then glue them together to make your own abstract art

      • Make a self-portrait layering and gluing cardboard shapes

      • Cut out a large hand and paint it

      • Design a tree (make it a wishing tree!)

      • Create your own construction set

    • If your child is not old enough to safely use scissors, cut up a bunch of different sized pieces and shapes for them to use.

    • Kids can use markers, paint, or simple pens to decorate the cardboard

    • Use any type of child-safe glue to stick together

  • Use acrylic pens to decorate old clothes

  • Create a collage, using magazine cut-outs and whatever other materials you can find (stickers, stationary, pom poms, etc.)

  • Make a scrapbook – use this kids’ guide to scrapbooking!

    • This fun activity was tested and recommended by our friends, Luke and Ben (9 & 7 years old). We thank them for this awesome resource!

  • Make butterflies:

  • Make your own puppets

  • Create salt dough ornaments

  • Use markers to paint rocks (if you have white paint, paint the rocks first)

  • Have old egg cartons? Make a caterpillar, a monster, and more. Here are 25 craft ideas.

  • Don’t have much supplies? Here are some resources:

    • Play with homemade playdough

    • Have food coloring? Make homemade paint

    • Use cardboard, paper plates, old packaging or shopping bags, coffee filters, etc. in place of paper (if you don’t have it)

Tip: Don’t focus on the end product or making something “beautiful,” let your child enjoy the process of creating during these activities.

Join artists that post fun daily art tutorials and activities for kids:

  • Check @CarsonEllis for her #QuarantineArtClub activity prompts

  • #DrawTogether with @WendyMac: 10am pst M-F: Instagram Live, up for 24 hrs in stories.

  • Join Michaels on Facebook Live every Wednesday noon CT

Want more? Check out of our favorite art blogs with TONS of activities:

Art Supplies Discounts (for Kids + Adults)

When accounting for price and delivery or pick-up speed, you can’t go wrong with ordering art supplies on Michaels or Amazon.

Michaels always has discounts on their website (hint: we see 40% off online orders every couple weeks). Now, they have curbside pickup too! As of March 26, 2020, we’re loving these deals:

Amazon has competitive pricing but many products have longer shipping delays right now. Here are some that appear in stock and ready to ship ASAP:

Apps for Kids

At Give Kids Art, we prefer tactile activities to screen time, but here are some app recommendations that may be helpful:

Art EDucation

Teach art to kids at home (Pre-K - Grade 12) using these easy lesson plans.

Visit 2,000+ world-class art museums through virtual tours and online galleries:

Check out this ULTIMATE list of free education resources (beyond art). We had to share.

For Adults

Unleash Your Inner Artist Too!

Even if it’s just 15-30 minutes a day, take a moment to follow @bellyeye_arttherapy instagram prompts like “Draw Yourself as a Tree”.

Create a zen tangle – it’s incredibly easy, meditative, and relaxing. Plus, you only need a piece of paper and pen. Learn how here.

Make a blind contour drawing! You might create a Picasso masterpiece. Take 10-15 minutes, grab a piece of paper and pen, look at something carefully while drawing - don’t look at your piece of paper and don’t lift your pen off the paper.

Download and print free adult coloring sheets.

Learn watercolor with Let's Make Art.

Explore your preferred craft(s) using Bluprint (with free online classes through 4/9)

No paper? Invest in a drawing journal or use cardboard from boxes.

Up for something new? These knitting kits look fun.

Know how to sew? Help our healthcare providers and sew some masks. WeNeedMasks.org has instructions you can follow. Check GetUsPPE, which lists numerous hospitals in need of protective gear.

Interested in learning more? Here are some books you can read to help inspire your creativity or to communicate with others more effectively through art:

“Nobody will stop you from creating. Do it tonight. Do it tomorrow. That is the way to make your soul grow... The kick of creation is the act of creating, not anything that happens afterward. I would tell all of you watching this screen: Before you go to bed, write a four line poem. Make it as good as you can. Don’t show it to anybody. Put it where nobody will find it. And you will discover that you have your reward.”
— Kurt Vonnegut
“Creativity is a combination of discipline and childlike spirit.”
— Robert Greene
 
There is no time like the present! Grab a piece of paper, a pen, and maybe some crayons. Look at something beautiful around you, like a plant, and go for it. Here’s a quick drawing from our Give Kids Art member, Kara Anton.

There is no time like the present! Grab a piece of paper, a pen, and maybe some crayons. Look at something beautiful around you, like a plant, and go for it. Here’s a quick drawing from our Give Kids Art member, Kara Anton.