Three great activities to grow creativity
With the freedom of summer, also comes the inevitable moments of boredom or the feelings of too much screen time. That’s why we have compiled a small list of three great activities to help ignite that creative spark and connect with nature.
For our first activity, we have a unique way to create some cool paper to draw on.
To make this marbled paper you will need:
Shaving Cream
A Shallow Dish (Big enough to fit your paper)
Food Dye or Liquid Watercolors
Watercolor Paper or Card-stock
Skewers or Popsicle Sticks
To get started you first need to add a thick layer of shaving cream in your dish. Make sure you smooth out the surface of the shaving cream. Next, add drops of your food coloring onto the shaving cream. Take your Popsicle stick or skewer and swirl the food coloring around in the shaving cream. Then grab a piece of paper and gently press it onto the colorful swirls of shaving cream. Carefully lift the paper and use a popsicle stick to scrape off any leftover shaving cream. Set the paper aside to dry. Repeat as much as you want for some really pretty paper!
Our next activity is a fun way to get creative and even brighten your community. Rock painting is also a fun way to spread kindness and cheer. To get started you will need:
As many rocks as you want to paint
Acrylic Paint and/or Paint Markers
Paintbrushes
Gloss Glaze
Once you have gotten all of the rocks you want to paint, you will need to prepare them. First, if you are painting rocks you have collected from outside, then you should clean them before starting to paint. Run them under some hot water and use an old toothbrush to scrub off any dirt or moss. Make sure you let them out dry entirely before getting to work.
When you are ready to paint you can use acrylic paints and paint markers to decorate your rocks. It is recommended to do a base layer of black or white acrylic paint before getting into any details, just so everything stands out more. When your base layer is dry you can paint and decorate your rocks freely. If you are planning to place your painted rocks back outside, writing kind messages on each rock can be a nice idea.
However, to make sure these paintings last forever, it is best to seal the rocks with a clear gloss glaze. Wait for your paint to dry before doing this, of course. Just spray each rock with your clear gloss glaze and wait for them to dry.
This final activity is a great way to promote imagination and get outside. Making fairy and elf houses is a truly fun way to use natural materials to create. Because elves and fairies are so connected to nature they prefer their houses to be built out of natural items and plants local to the area.
To begin you will need to start by making a collection of sticks, rocks, mosses, plants, flowers, and any other natural items you can find outdoors.
Then you should find the right spot, by the roots of a big tree or nestled by some plants is a great starting place.
Now you can begin to build your house. This is where you can get creative and use your materials however you want. Don’t forget to decorate the home, fairies and elves love that extra touch!.
Clara Busé is a recent graduate from SCAD, Savannah College of Art and Design. She has a BFA in Writing and is currently working from her hometown, Atlanta.