Creativity Exercise: Scribble Exchange

So this is a fun, quick, and easy little creativity activity. As long as you have paper and pencil or pen, you can do it anywhere! It's a great way to keep kids busy when waiting at the doctor's or when trying to keep kids quiet at church. Not that I've ever used it for the latter...we always just sit there and listen perfectly of course. Uh hum. And it's a great way to get that creativity flowing! Which is, perhaps, why the kids are often better at it than I am!

You need a partner and to each have a piece of paper. Both of you draw a quick scribble and then pass your paper to the other person (the scribble really works best if it's simple and quick, not filling in he whole page with lead). Take a few seconds to stare at the scribble you've been handed, trying to see a picture inside of it or what it could be part of, and then make it happen! Here my 9-year old and I exchanged scribbles and turned them into a snouted snail and a plant-eating dinosaur:

Here my 5-year old son and I switched scribbles and turned them into a cool sunglasses guy with a wicked scar, and a "steigacric" otherwise known as a stegosaurus. We'll be working on spelling this school year 😜

And then my 9 year-old and 5 year-old exchanged scribbles and turned them into a werewolf and a horseback rider:

The possibilities are endless! And prone to create giggles. So get your creativity on and have fun!

Inspired by... Leonardo Da Vinci!

Continuing with our first artist, Leonardo da Vinci, I have finished our first project video! It can be a fun, short project for young kids that I can almost promise will get them giggling. For older, more serious students it can be that as well as a longer study that could really improve their observation and drawing skills. I'd recommend getting them a sketchbook if they're really getting into it. But for starters, you'll just need paper, pencil and a partner (or a mirror or camera). It will take anywhere from a few minutes to a whole week to complete! Hope you enjoy!

Inspired by ... Leonardo da Vinci (Project 1):

If you need to use my photos for reference, here they are thanks to my willing volunteer model (although I really recommend drawing from life if you can because it's just a whole different experience to change something 3D into a 2D drawing)!

Also, here's a link to a really fun Mona Lisa parody project that I've done with my kids and students before. They LOVED it. I recommend explaining what a parody is and doing a quick Google search of Mona Lisa parodies. Lots of giggles. My personal favorite is still my daughter's Hulk-A-Lisa. Hahahaha.

Have fun and keep being creative!

Best of the Best: Leonardo da Vinci

Here's my second, longer video on Leonardo da Vinci that goes into more depth on what I believe to be his 5 best artworks. Watch and then let me know if you agree! What would you choose instead? 

For notebooking pages that accompany the "Best of the Best: Leonardo da Vinci" video, click HERE.

But that doesn't have to be the end!

"Art is never finished, only abandoned"

If your learning about Leonardo da Vinci isn't finished yet either, I've compiled lists of places you and your kids can go to read or watch more.

More biographical info:
-For elementary age kids try here
-For focus on his scientific interests try here
-53 interesting facts here

For a whole unit worth of at-home study and activities, "Leonardo da Vinci for kids: His Life and Ideas" is awesome. Buy it here.

For reading about Leonardo in the news:
-Scientists Reveal Cause of Red Spots Ruining Leonardo Da Vinci's Self-Portrait
-Lost Leonardo Da Vinci Painting Found in the Swiss Bank Vault
-An Art World Mystery Worth of Leonardo

Videos to watch:
-Animation about Leonardo and his flying machine
-10 Worst things to happen to the Mona Lisa
-Interested in how science helps solve art mysteries? Watch here
-If you read "The Da Vinci Code" and have some time, watch this documentary to learn the truth

Guess Who in Two: 1

Here is my very first "Guess Who in Two" video! It's my new series where I try to stuff as much information into 2ish minutes while hopefully making it into a fun guessing game. Because art history doesn't have to be boring (despite my personal experiences in college in a dark sleepy room with a slideshow and a monotone voice droning over the microphone)! And there's so many great gems we can learn from these artistic geniuses. I'm having fun making the videos, and hope they're just the beginning of my many ideas coming to fruition. Enjoy and let me know if you have any feedback! Thanks!

And click HERE for a downloadable notebooking page to go along with it!