Indoor Icky Weather Fun

March 1, 2019
By Beth Herrild

We’re in the final, seemingly interminable, stretch of winter weather. In Seattle, we have as many names for rain as Alaskans have for snow. Parents are all looking for engaging indoor activities right now. Frankly, I don’t even really want my dogs to go outside because they get all wet and dirty and leave a trail through the house when they come in!

What to do with the kids?

Well, (shameless plug,) the first thing to do is subscribe to Outside the Box Creation so that once per month you’ll receive an art box sure to captivate & stimulate your kids’ imaginations for hours! But what else can you do? Graffiti! Yep, graffiti.

Have you and your kids ever seen graffiti or street art, while out in the car, walking or taking public transit? Graffiti is actually gaining some credibility as a legitimate art form. I’m not referring to those (often gang related,) tags, where someone spray painted his/her name on a building. Rather, I’m talking about the more complex pieces of street art that often also convey a social or political message or value. Also, speaking of tags, of course you’ll want to explain to your kids the difference between creating art on a surface or building that you have permission to use versus vandalism, which is a crime. Banksy is the most famous street artist and the mystery surrounding Banksy is intriguing. No one knows for sure who Banksy is. He or she go to great lengths to remain anonymous. Basquiat began as a street artist. In 2017, one of his paintings sold for $110,487,500!

Now, the fun part….

Banksy Street Art

Get a roll or some big sheets of newsprint or butcher paper. Both relatively easy to find and inexpensive. Tape several big sheets to a wall using painter’s tape to protect your walls. Make sure the sheets are really large so that kids have lots of room for creativity and a huge margin for error! The absolutely coolest art supplies to give your kids for this are blow-pens! I’m not advocating for you to purchase them on Amazon necessarily, but the link shows you what they look like. They are markers that kids blow in. They create a wonderful airbrush/spray paint effect without the expense and toxicity of spray paint. Make sure the markers you purchase are washable just in case. They are really bright and fun alone and also work well with stencils. You don’t need to purchase a kit with stencils though, encourage your kids to make their own out of cardboard or found objects. Have fun!