The Fine Art of Summer Vacation

(Space + Time) + Supplies = Creation

What is the one thing at the beginning of every great technological advancement, every scientific breakthrough, every leap that shakes up our world?

Creativity.

Non-linear thinking, problem solving, a willingness to experiment and fail and try again, and the lightning bolt brilliance that comes out of the blue. These are all tied to creativity. And it’s not just some whispy thing that floats around in your head, it’s a muscle. And like all muscles, it needs fuel and exercise. It needs time and space to stretch and develop.

Arts and crafts are an excellent way to get kids to connected to their creativity. At its core, art is all about invention. Bringing something out of your head and into the world. And while you’re inventing and creating artwork, you also invent and create yourself.

Unfortunately, lots of schools have been phasing out and shrinking their art curriculums. Good thing you’ve got summer vacation!

For younger kids, it’s pretty easy. Give ‘em a crayon and some paper and step back. For older children, it can be tougher. The first step is to make sure they have supplies: pens, paints, pencils and paper. Craft kits that will give them prompts to get started. They need space to make a mess. And most importantly, they need time. Creativity doesn’t run on a schedule.

Scholastic.com has two articles that are geared at helping to foster creativity in older children:

You find the space and time. We've got the supplies:

Kid Made Modern

Kid Made Modern kits & sets are designed to get kids started on a project, and then they get out of the way. They guide, but don't dictate, how a child should imagine and create. They're one of our favorite companies!

Shown here:

• Studio in a Box
  Dabble and experiment with several mediums
• Arts & Crafts Library
  So many supplies to play with
• Trading Card Kit
  Design your own character cards
• Jewelry Jam
  Wearable art for all

Kingart Artist Supplies

Kingart makes fine art supplies for the beginning artist. They use high quality pigments that create rich and luxurious colors on paper. Add these to your supply stash and enjoy!

Shown here:

• Soft Grip Glitter Gel Pens
  Set of 30 gel pens
  
• Glitter Markers
  Set of 12 markers
• Watercolor Brush Markers
  Set of 36 markers

Kwik Stix

You've probably heard us talk about Kwik Stix before. We love them, with good reason!

Shown here:

• Kwik Stix Solid Tempera Paints
  Broad or Fine Tipped, in sets of 12 and 24
• Magic Stix Markers
  Sets of 12 and 24
• Wonder Stix
  Set of 12