While we’re on a short break from programming, we’re still brainstorming fun activities for the kiddos! We tried this one during our holiday workshop with Human Rights First and thought we would share it with you! You can do this activity using any type of supplies – crayons, markers, watercolor paints, acrylic paints, etc. – but we recommend using crayons and watercolor to incorporate the fun Crayon Resist Technique!
To warm up to the main activity, you could use the time to first reflect on the past year. Allocate 10 minutes for the warmup. The specific recommended warm-up activity will depend on the age of the children, their needs, etc. However, here are some quick ideas for groups of kiddos:
Go around your group (create a virtual or visual circle) and ask each child to share one word for how they feel about the past year.
Give each child a paper plate, and ask them to fill it with words, colors, feelings, etc. for how they feel about this past year. Or, ask them to quickly draw a favorite memory from this past year.
Reflect with the group on the year collaboratively, using a physical or virtual whiteboard! Kids can volunteer answers. Ask, how did 2020 make you feel? what did you do that you didn’t expect? etc.
Then, you can use this main activity as an opportunity to talk with the kids about the approaching new year and setting wishes or goals for what they would like to happen this coming year.
Here Are Instructions for the Crayon Resist Approach:
Pull out one piece of watercolor or mixed media paper, and tell your child or children that you are all going to make wishes upon the stars for the new year.
Tell them to think about what they hope for this new year – what they hope to accomplish, or what they hope to do, to see, to visit, etc. Tell them to think about all the wishes they have for this coming year and then to draw a star for each wish, using crayon!
You can tell them that they can use any color crayon they want, or even a different color for each star. They can draw bigger stars for big wishes and smaller stars for smaller wishes. They can draw a shooting star too!
Once they’ve drawn their stars, they can use their watercolor paints to paint the sky! The sky can be any color or colors they want to use. They can paint over the crayon. You can explain that the wax in the crayon will resist the watercolor paint – this is why it’s called the Crayon Resist Technique.
Here’s an example of one of the drawings from our Human Rights First workshop participants:
Once You’re Done…
You can ask each child to share their painting and tell you about it, if they would like to do so. If they don’t feel quite comfortable sharing or are shy, you can propose they share just one wish or write it out and have you, the facilitator, read it. Or, if they don’t feel comfortable sharing their wishes for the new year, you could ask them about the colors they chose for their sky!
Once the painting is dry, you can hang or frame it. Tell each child they can keep their painting by their side to always remind them of their wishes. They can even change their wishes and wish upon their stars each night.
This activity also opens a doorway for you to reflect with your child or children on wishes and have a conversation about positive thinking, hopefulness and patience. For instance, our wishes might not always come true right when we want them to, but we can put them out in the universe, stay positive, and be patient. Sometimes wishes come true years and years later!
Try this with your kids at home and those that you support through volunteering or your work endeavors. Comment below to let us know how it goes. You can also post and tag us in your kid’s drawings @GiveKidsArt – we love to see their creations!
