The issues with phone addiction
We are living in the golden age of technology today, and nothing is more attractive than being hooked to the screen for hours, binging on old cartoons, webseries, shows, and more. And to put a cherry on the cake, there are endless reels, short videos, and so much more! But unfortunately, this too comes with a downside. People, not just children, but also adults, are struggling with this and parents now want ways to keep their children away from screens. And when baking and cooking are sidelined by the young ones, art comes as the perfect escape.
Here we mention 6 art activities that will keep children entertained without any phones.
Make paper at home
One of the most engaging activities that will take a lot of time and keep the children engaged for a good 4-5 hours is paper making.
Just ask the young ones to start tearing old, used paper, be it from newspapers, or activity books, or old notebooks, and then soak them in warm water for 3-4 hours or overnight. Once the paper turns mushy, blend it to make a fine pulp and then add natural colours to it. You can use turmeric for yellow, beetroot for red, Aparajita flowers for blue, or coffee for brown. Let them soak a little more to absorb the colour.
Then with a square or round mesh scoop the pulp, dab it with light hands with a sponge, and then turn them upside down so that the paper pulp falls on a cloth or fabric. Leave it to dry overnight and handmade-homemade paper is ready to use.
Colour mixing
Colour mixing is not just an art activity but also super informational. It helps them learn which colours mix to form which ones and can be super helpful.
In front of the children keep natural tints and colours like red, white, pink, orange, purple, black, and more, and ask them to mix two at once and see how it changes the original colour. For example, you can also mix some warm blue pea water with a hint of lemon, and the children can see it turning purple. Similarly, on a sheet or paper ask the kids to colour first with blue then with red and see how it changes to brown.
Finger and vegetable painting
If you don’t mind a little mess, finger painting is the activity children will love. And if there are any spoiled uncooked veggies, these too can be used.
In front of the kids keep atleast 5-10 sheets of paper, some water colours, and veggies like potato, ladyfinger, carrots, and the likes. Then let them get creative as they make hearts with their thumbs, straight lines with the finger sides, and even birds and rivers with their pinky fingers.
Similarly, there will be flowers with the okra, round sun with the potatoes, and much more.
Mosaic art
Mosaics are also super fun to do and some people prefer doing mosaic art with glass colours. But if your children are not old enough, it is best to give them crayons and printed paper with mosaic designs and styles.
On the paper, print designs of sceneries, dragons, flowers, and the likes, and then divide it into small shapes and mosaics. Then ask the children to colour with different shades in the shapes and markings, and look at their Picasso coming forward.
Paper mosaics
Paper mosaics are also super fun, but can be a bit messy for the children to do and for the parents to clean up. Take some paper pulp, squeeze out the excess water, and add the colours you like. Then on the printed paper ask the children to glue individual paper pieces, making unique designs and colour patterns.
Nature painting
One activity that will give the kids artistic fun and make them spend time in nature is nature painting. And nature painting is not just about drawing huts, and trees, and flowers, and sceneries, but also collecting fallen flowers, leaves, and more, and then keeping them in the diaries and between pages.
Take the children out for a walk, and ask them to collect stones, leaves, flowers, stems, or even pinecones. Come back home, dip the leaves and flowers in colour, and then press it on the pages to make mirror patterns. For the pinecones, take small brushes and paint through it and then decorate on the tabletops.
SOURCE: THE TIMES OF INDIA
