Today is March 14 and also, apparently, National Children’s Craft Day.
There are weird, or interesting holidays almost every day. I am not sure who gets to pick them or how they come about but I love looking to see what we are celebrating today.
And today, that is arts and crafts. According to daysoftheyear.com this one was founded in the mid-1990s by the Craft and Hobby Association to encourage people to rediscover the joy that comes from creating and building something through skilled craftsmanship.
With spring break coming up, a few new crafty ideas are always good to start collecting. My children love colouring, painting and drawing. My oldest is almost nine and could sit and craft all day. She is very creative and artistic, not something she got from her momma.
I went down a rabbit hole to see if being artistic is hereditary and found out that creativity is a trait with heavy genetic influences. My mother’s side is very artistic, so I guess it skipped a generation and my daughter got it all.
The natural ability to draw and paint is ingrained in some people but this talent does not cancel out the equally important willingness and desire to perfect your craft. Talent and passion are needed. Everyone can learn by trial and error, and no one is perfectly good at anything.
One study of twins concluded that nurture is more important to creativity than nature.
So, while I think my daughter has a natural talent for drawing, I can also encourage and support her passion. I already provide her with art supplies (so, so many supplies) and allow her the time to be creative.
We can go to the art gallery and I can introduce her to other artists. The Smithers Art Gallery also puts on a lot of art camps and offers lessons. My little emerging artists also loves to go to the library and take out books on different techniques and art genres.
However, I am learning that the best way to support her is to praise her and get her to talk about her art. It is also a way for us to connect and bond. She is growing up so fast and even though I don’t know a lot about art, learning with her and listening to her talk about her crafts is a way for me to stop and soak it all in.
This spring break, we are going to try and make Popsicle stick airplanes. It seems easy enough, eat some popsicles, clean the sticks and then paint them. I saw one crafter online use small wooden beads as wheels.
After gluing them together in the shape of an airplane, it could be fun to throw them outside and see whose goes the farthest. Two activities in one. Hopefully, the sun shines this spring break and it is nice enough for us to spend some time outdoors.
For more crafting ideas, visit Sew Bright Creation’s instagram account. The local momma has a ton of fun, spring-themed crafts for all ages.