Mindful Moments for all the Parent's

Spring Break Building Challenge!!!

Toddler Spring Break Challenge

Sprouting: Day 10 of Art with Angelina

Here's a fun video tutorial on sprouting in your own kitchen studio.
You will just need:

• a jar
• a lid (sprouting lid or metal ring with cheesecloth), 
• sprouting seeds or mung beans or other beans or seeds
• water
• Tender Loving Care (TLC)
• Patience

That's it!

Flower Predictions: Day 9 of Art with Angelina

Here I am at school!!! ...(well in the back yard) to share with you the findings of our research!  Children do you remember when we planted all those bulbs earlier in the year and we tried to guess what they might become?  (Click this post for a trip through memory lane and a reminder).

Well the results are in! Watch this video to find out more AND to join me in a fun observational drawing activity.
All you will need are these supplies:

• Paper
• Markers
• Pen
• AND Inspiration!!! (aka Signs of SPRING)

Have Fun and KEEP RESEARCHING!!!!

Easy String Art: Day 8 of Art with Angelina

Here is an easy peasy art activity.  All you will need is:

• a few containers of liquid water color (or other fluid painting media like watered down tempera or food coloring) 
• cut string (12-18 inch lengths) 1 per color
• and several different types of paper to experiment with  

That's it.  Have fun experimenting and save your finished sheets for an upcoming collage lesson!!!
See you tomorrow.

Storytime with Angelina and Drawing Emotions: Day 7 of Art with Angelina

In this video you can join me for a read aloud of Grouchies followed by an art activity geared toward drawing our FEELS!
All you will need to join in the full-feeling-fun is a pen or pencil, paper and chalk pastels.
That's it.
Let's get busy creating...

Making Faces and Making Mistakes... Day 6 of Art with Angelina

Happy Monday to all my young friends and fellow teachers out there! (The children are absolutely and unequivocally some of my best teachers!!!) I have prepared a fun video tutorial and art lesson on making expressive faces. Keep watching the video til the very end where you will see some of the outtakes I made trying to create this video! (I discard lots of videos!!!)  Mistakes are WONDERFUL!!!  They are part of learning and essential to being alive in the world!  So have fun, make mistakes, get messy and STAY CURIOUS.

Note to Parents:
As you may remember, each studio year begins with a research question and that question sets the tone for my year of learning alongside your children.  Where we will go is always a mystery but how we will get there is informed by the research question.  This year I chose the following:

What might adults learn alongside young children about befriending the unknown, the art of imperfection and the value of risk taking? 

I know... WHAT WAS I THINKING?????  It is strangely apropos to have unwittingly selected this question for my year of inquiry.  I am certainly learning a great deal about myself and the many ways I try to resist the unknown or distract myself from it.  I wonder what the children can teach us right now about living this question.  I have no doubt they are teaching you A LOT every day.  Sometimes they teach us patience by demanding that we draw on every reserve we can muster.  Sometimes they teach us to marvel at the spider weaving its web outside our window.  I am sure this time together is wonderful AND exhausting.  I am a mother of two children myself.  My son Owen is nineteen and home from college indefinitely and my younger son Bodhi is in seventh grade starting his first official day of a spring break devoid of playdates and planned excursions. Having children home full time at any age can be absolutely delightful and unbelievably taxing, often at the same time.  I have no doubt you are experiencing something similar.

I think about your children all the time.  Many of whom I have known for years.  They live more fully in the moment than we do as adults and perhaps because of that, they have an inviable form of resilience. As a teacher I have benefited from their wonder, curiosity and enthusiasm.  In fact they have reminded me year after year, that these essential traits of childhood are within me still.  I can exercise them like any muscle.  I can respond with curiosity and wonder when faced with unknown circumstances.  I am trying to flex those muscles, imperfectly, each day.

I offer these videos in an effort to meaningfully connect with your children around art.  That said, I've also worked with children for nearly two decades and know the value of slowing down, living in the moment and observing their curiosity, moments of concentration and wonder.  The truth is that young children are always learning and if honest, they are also always teaching!  I want to tell each of you that you are doing a great job right now, whatever you are doing and I hope that you can find ways to stay curious, tend to yourselves with gentleness and find moments of peace in each day.

I will see you back here again tomorrow. For more art with Angelina.

Weekend Challenge

Here is a fun weekend challenge inspired by some of the art you and the children have been sharing with me!  This is a bit long... feel free to watch it in segments.  I thought I'd just give a bonus video for some weekend fun.  I'm still learning how to make videos but I AM learning!!!

Supplies:
Water Soluble Oil Pastels
Chalk Pastels
Liquid Water Color
Mixed Media Paper
Graphite Pencils 
(I had some parents requesting supply suggestions... here are a few with no expectations.  It's a great challenge to use what you have and food coloring can be a great replacement for liquid water color if you have that laying about.)

Snowy Day Fun: Day 5 of Art with Angelina

This is an easy peasy snowy day art activity.

All you will need is some dark paper or cardboard, a box or box lid, some white paint and a few marbles, heavy beads, balls or a pinecone.  And that's it!!!

This is a picture of Bodhi's delicious waffles he was making in the video... Mmmmm good. And here's is his recipe if you want to make them at home:

• 3 cup gluten-free flour baking mix (baking powder is in the mix but add 2 t. if yours doesn't have it)
• ½ teaspoon salt
• Pinch of cinnamon, optional
• ¾ cup room temperature milk of choice
• ¼ cup + 1 tablespoon melted coconut oil or 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 3 large eggs
• 1/2 mashed banana and 1/4 cup applesauce
• Mix and add to heated and oiled waffle pan.  Allow to cook.  VOILA!

And here is a photo of our snow ice cream
The recipe is in the video but all you will need is:
Fresh snow, maple syrup or agave, milk of choice and a dash of salt.  SO YUMMY!

Nature Walks and Observational Drawing: Day 4 of Art with Angelina

I started my day with a gorgeous walk up Apex Trail, breathing in Nature's beauty and collecting some inspiration for our time together.  Next, I set up a simple drawing activity in my kitchen studio.

The supplies you'll need are:

• Some natural items for inspiration and mark making.
• Some black paint (I used India ink).  If you don't have black paint, some molasses (warmed and thinned a bit with hot water) will work in a pinch or some chocolate syrup.  Have fun experimenting with materials.
• Some papers (I used old hymnal sheets I had on hand and the back of some other scrap paper)
• A pencil and brush (though I didn't use them much)
• And of course, your observation, creativity and an "I Can" attitude.

Have fun and I will see you again tomorrow!

Snack Faces: Day 3 of Art with Angelina

Snack faces are a fun way to sneak some nutrition into your child's day and they LOVE it.  Here are a few snack faces my son and I made today...

 My boy loved the snack faces so much he ate them all!!!  Be sure to share a photo of your creation if you can resist eating it long enough to snap a picture.

See you tomorrow!

Marker Play: Day 2 Art of with Angelina

 Day Two:

Supplies are simple... watercolor paper, water soluble markers (like crayola), colored pencils, a cup of water and a paintbrush...

Here are some of my creations and I can't wait to see yours!

imaginary animals: Day 1 of Art with Angelina

Hey team,

I miss ya all so much that I created a youtube channel for you!!! I figure if we can't be together in the studio for awhile we can still be together!  

I plan to post Art with Angelina each day and I will be offering Mindful Moments for the whole family to enjoy periodically. So keep checking back for lots of fun ideas!

Be sure to post a photo of your art in the comments section or you can email it to me.  I look forward to seeing your imaginary beauties soon.  Sending love and creativity your way until I see you again tomorrow!