Kid’s Art Journal
A couple of years ago I got into art journaling, and I realized that would be the perfect craft for Kate. She loves coloring and painting and stickers, and this journal could combine all those things.
When I was her age, I was afraid of crafting - so concerned with getting everything just right. I wanted everything to be perfect. Since I was so concerned with perfection, I didn't experiment much with art, something I regret as an adult. So I try to take every opportunity to let my kids craft and experiment, encouraging them that however they chose to make art is the right way.
An art journal changed that for me and I wanted to introduce Kate to the freedom of having her own art journal. So we took a trip to Michael's for a journal, and when we got back, we rifled through Kate's art box and selected what materials she'd like to use for her journal.
Supplies for the Kid's Art Journal
- Journal (I bought this one at the dollar section at Michaels. You could also use a spiral-bound notebook or staple together sheets of paper.)
- Watercolors
- Crayons
- Stickers
- Other ideas: cutting pictures and words out of magazines, buttons, colored pencils, etc...
How to Make the Kid's Art Journal
- Gather all your supplies. This is where our DIY Artbox came in handy! I put them out on her little table with a newspaper underneath to protect the paper from the water color paints.
- Talk through the supplies with your child. Kate and I talked about how she might want to paint the pages, use the stickers, etc...
- And go for it!
Kate got to painting and drawing while I worked next to her on my own art project. I love working side by side with her, but it's nicer when we're both working on a similar project. I practiced my brush script while she worked away on her journal.
She painted and drew in her journal.
She asked me to write some words for her, and she painted around them. She colored and painted in her notebook while I worked on an art project of my own next to her.
We talked about how it was her journal, and she could use it to color and write whatever she'd like. She seemed to enjoy the blank pages more than she's enjoyed coloring books. I loved watching how she chose to decorate the pages - and I especially love how she thought what she made was just perfect. And I agree.
What do you think about making an art journal with your child? For older children, you could given them prompts, like my favorite foods or a list of my favorite books.
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