Comments on: Express Yourself

By: mama

mama — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 02:02:31 +0000

Ha! Well, I’m not sure about being “artistic” but we certainly do appreciate art. =) Hope to see you soon. Next time we’re headed up your way, we’ll let you know!

-Aimee

By: mama

mama — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 01:59:37 +0000

Thanks for those tips, Marsha! I have to admit that I’m afraid of messy, but I guess that’s what newspaper and smocks are for! Thanks for your comment.

-Aimee

By: mama

mama — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 01:58:15 +0000

Thanks, Janet! Definitely check out those books. I found them very informative and useful!

-Aimee

By: lauren

lauren — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 15:02:44 +0000

arent you just the artistic family…id love to see you all (including the dude..*waves*) creating. Thats actually one of the biggest things Im looking forward to once I start a family. Hope to meet the monkey some day.

By: Marsha

Marsha — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 06:20:46 +0000

Great ideas Aimee! Preschool children should not be ” taught” art but rather be allowed to express themselves through experimentation with art. Toddlers love activities such as finger painting with pudding and sponge painting. Don’t be afraid to let the activity be messy. In fact, the messier the better. Toddlers love that! Another idea is letting toddlers manipulate colorful felt figures that stick onto a fuzzy background. They’ll play endlessly with that.

By: Janet

Janet — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 16:35:53 +0000

Stopping by from SITS. I work in early childhood, and art is a passion of mine, so I think this post is fabulous! I’ll be looking for a couple of the books you mentioned.

By: mama

mama — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 03:39:14 +0000

Ha! Thanks, Dude. I always appreciate a virtual fist-bump from you. I’m also with you on SF MOMA, but perhaps we should wait until the Monkey leaves the Terrible Two’s behind.

*visualizing a classic Monkey temper tantrum in front of my favorite Rothko*

Yeah, maybe next year.

By: mama

mama — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 03:34:09 +0000

Great response, Perry! I actually had to look up “manga” on wiki. =)

That’s so wonderful that your kids are still very much involved in art. I certainly hope my Monkey keeps it up as well. I could not agree more with you in regards to the pathetic situation with art programs in our public schools. Such a shame, indeed.

-Aimee

By: Perry MacNeil

Perry MacNeil — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 02:14:06 +0000

Great post! Reminds me of the days when the Little Man and Tweenie were smaller. They loved the easel, or fingerpainting, coloring or collages – no matter the media, they had a blast. Sidewalk chalk – how many hundreds of buckets of sidewalk chalk did we burn through, and how many wonderful hours on the driveway and the sidewalk? We, too, are near several art museums here in Southern Cal, and it’s always been a favorite place of the Politico household.

Tweenie still loves to draw (manga is her newest style, and she’s quite talented!) and Little Man prefers more realistic work, but loves to draw – can’t leave the house without a notebook and pencil. But I still treasure the wonderful drawings my kids have made for me over the years.

While you and I know how important the arts are to the whole child for so many reasons, yet it’s the first thing to be cut in the schools when money is tight (and things here in CA are pretty bleak budget-wise right now…) Such a shame.

By: the dude

the dude — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:11:31 +0000

Helloooooo out there… What, no comments after that inspired post!?! At the risk of making this an intra-family conversation, I have to second, ditto, like, thumbs-up, high-five, fist-bump, [insert favorite way of expressing affirmation] the suggestions in this post.

One of the most endearing things I’ve seen lately is Mama and the Monkey drawing together; and one of the most special things I’ve done recently is to sit down and draw with the Monkey myself. Watching him draw with crayons is like witnessing this amazing dance between intense concentration and care-free, caution-to-the-wind outright expression, creativity, and fun. I feel like I can almost see the Monkey’s synapses firing and his brain thriving. It’s really quite incredible. (The books are great, too, but a little advanced for him now.)

Throw an old sheet over a table, grab some markers, crayons, and stickers, and start collaborating with your little ones on their next art project. Nevermind the healthy development you’ll help foster (if you haven’t already, go read Mama’s Baby Einstein post); you’ll have a great time as well!

P.S. Can’t wait to take the little guy back to SF MOMA — one of my absolute favorite art museums.