Amidst times of canceled events, no school and social distancing, it can be easy to feel cooped up. However, there are plenty of ways to access your creative side and stay entertained at home. Here, I’ve listed a few ideas to get you started. And don’t worry, as exhibited in my pictures below, I went ahead and tested most of them out firsthand for you ☺

Art Activities for Kids

  1. Learn to make paper flowers! Try out different papers you have lying around at home, whether that’s old tissue paper, magazines or my personal favorite: newspaper. Here’s instructions how: Paper Flowers.
  2. Paint some rocks with acrylic paint. You can make a rock friend, paint bugs, or try out these Pet Cactus Rocks.
  3. Make art out of recycled materials like water bottles. Check out Art Salvage’s Facebook page for ideas or try out these Bottle Wind Spirals.

Art Activities for Teens and Adults:

  1. Develop your basic drawing skills through direct observation and learn how to identify basic shapes through this technique: Observational Drawing Technique
  2. Learn to write poetry with these basic writing prompts: 20 Easy Poetry Writing Exercises

Other activities:

  1. Check out this free online creative workshop, that provides step by step guidance to a variety of projects. You don’t need any previous skills or experience! If you want to try a new material to do therapeutic art-making, try it out: Sketchbook Revival Art Workshop.
  2. Read poetry shared by Washington State Pet Laureate Claudia Castro Luna. She is posting poems and thoughts on her blog continually until April 15th. She’s hoping the sharing of poems helps you find connection, community and hope: Poems to Lean On
  3. Explore a virtual art museum. Take a look at just some of Google’s top museums that are offering online tours and exhibits here: 12 Virtual Online Museums
  4. Or try out my personal favorite, which is to write encouraging letters and notes for loved ones. Particularly in a time when many are feeling troubled or under the weather, a note can go a long way. Here’s a few ideas to get you started: Writing Encouraging Notes

I hope this list helps, enabling you to use this time to find connection with yourself and loved ones. Wishing you well.

All photos by Hannah Pomante

The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in this blog belong solely to the Spokane Art School Artist-in-Residence, and not necessarily to the Spokane Art School.