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The Perfect Collaborative Art Party Game

December 16, 2022 By Erica Deuel Leave a Comment

Do you have an artist who loves to create with friends! It’s my bet that he/she would LOVE this collaborative art party game!

Over the years our art studio was in business, we hosted hundreds of birthday parties. We found that even after the individual projects were done- the artists would want to keep creating. We always had a coloring station, magnets and play-dough available, but we quickly became known for this fun art game that we held at the end of each of our parties.

We would play an art version of i-spy

Have you ever sat in a restaurant or a doctor’s office and needed a way to entertain kids, while they are waiting? I-spy is a classic game and one you have probably turned to in a moment like that.

Kids get into it and have fun-without even realizing you may just be making the most of some idle time. It’s fun. It forms a connection and you learn a lot about how your child thinks, what he/she notices, and enjoy each other’s company in the process.

We would create a recycled art collage to use for our art version of i-spy. If you want to learn more about how we created this collage, you can view the 5 Reasons Why Creating With Trash Matters post or this quick video lesson from Erica.

How to play i-spy as an art game

I always demonstrated a couple of rounds of leading/playing i-spy first. The idea is you call out things you spy, and they can only be on the i-spy board. The importance is to have a creative collage that is full of different items to make a well rounded, entertaining game. A few idea categories to think through and call out as you play…

  • shapes
  • colors
  • item’s uses
  • item’s location
  • funniest

After I did a few rounds, I would let any artists who wanted to think of one to call it out. If everyone was excited to call an “i-spy” item out, we would just take turns going around the table with everyone getting a chance.

We would play this for as long as kids were really interested. Want to see this game in action? I convinced two of my kids to play with me in this video, so we could demonstrate it to you! They are getting a little old for it, but once they were playing, they still had fun!

Paint that i-spy board

When the fun in the i-spy game is winding down, you can breath new life into the game by allowing the artists to paint the board together! We always just gave out the leftover paint from individual projects and each child a brush. We tried to encourage that teamwork happens in art too. They could each start by painting what stood out to them.

It was so fun to watch the artists paint such unusual items. They’d paint in the items, on the items, around the items and get to see how the paint moves, absorbs, and takes to each item.

We use tempera paint, just in case paint gets on clothes, as hands start reaching. I promise you will know the moment the game is ready to end. You simply say, “on the count of 3, it is time to end and then brushes need to be placed down. 1-2-3 brushes down!” and then it’s time to wash hands. Your artists run off laughing and talking about the fun they just had.

It’s not everyday that artists get to paint a bottle cap, straw or broken shell. Let alone do it with friends after talking, studying and playing i-spy with those items. This i-spy game really is the perfect collaborative art party game. From creating the i-spy board to playing with it and then painting it, you breath a lot of extra life, engineering and fun into those recycled materials.

Sometimes the birthday child would want to take his/her collage home and sometimes we would share the picture and kindly toss the piece.

Isn’t that the beautiful thing about the process being the focus of creating and playing in the arts? If the focus is to have fun, play, and learn as you go then there is no pressure to save the final product. It can just be tossed!

I hope this game inspires you to play a creative art game at your next party or artist has a slumber party. If you need a little extra encouragement, check out this 5 minute video demonstrating a game in action. Let me know, if you try this fun!

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Collaborative Scrap Wood Project

September 4, 2019 By Erica Deuel Leave a Comment

 

How often do you feel tired in a project or group?

Without even trying, we all get tired or settled in routines and find a comfortable role in a group setting. We often need something to booster us out and awaken us to the creative ideas and excitement around us once again.

I have found that small, hands on, creative warm ups can do just that. A creative prompt can be just what is needed to switch the brain from autopilot and release the ability to play. As John Cleese says, “the most creative people have this childlike facility to play.”

Here’s a quick activity where you can encourage play before your next team meeting or group setting. While it is a pretty non-intimidating activity, it also reinforces we all have a different perspective-and that is what makes a beautiful, well-balanced team!

The first step is to glue a bottle cap to another solid surface. We used scrap wood, but you could use paper, cardboard, or a number of other surfaces.

Next, we asked our group to see what that circle could be. I didn’t want to give too many examples, because I really wanted to get their perspective on how they saw that circle. My example was to use the bottle cap as an “o” in the word “pop”.

It was so fun to encourage the artists to just start drawing. This wood slice creation did not have to live in their homes as long as they do. We used paint markers, but you could use pens, sharpies, crayola markers or a number of other writing utensils as well!

Every artist saw something different in that bottle cap. Even those that saw it as an “o” as well, saw it in a different word. Those that saw it as part of a flower, saw a different type or color of flower.

We all have different experiences and outlooks on the world. This quick little activity demonstrated that belief. We then attached all the individual projects together on one big piece of wood. I love how it shows us all coming together to make something beautiful. The collaborative piece can then hang somewhere for everyone to see and be reminded that we have something to offer as individuals that is vital to the bigger picture.

If you want to see this idea in a video form, please check out our video on our YouTube channel, Spoonful of imagination.

Give this project a try and let us know how it goes! Share on social media with #spoonfulofimagination.

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VLOG Behind the Scenes: Fun Family Paint Dropper Craft Tutorial

January 29, 2019 By Erica Deuel Leave a Comment

paint dropper craftDid you see our big news!?

We were so excited to share in yesterday’s post that we have started a YouTube Channel! This really is a family project. Our kids are all in. They are so excited but also learning how much work it is. Here they were, patiently waiting for us to have all the supplies and camera equipment set up.

Don’t they look thrilled!?

They did actually have a lot of fun. We all did.

If you haven’t seen this vlog episode yet, check it out now! I made a major mistake and the aftermath plays out for the whole world to see.

It was a fun project because it incorporated a lot of color, gave freedom to make it ‘yours’, and was simple with only two main steps. We got to paint with droppers and paint with brushes – all the while talking and hanging out.

We plan on growing into a regular blog recap after we release a new vlog that can show you behind the scenes pictures and moments like this. Our kids will also be editing pictures they take and writing these posts from time to time.

process art project

process art projectCaleb’s project was looking so perfect and then we came back in from playing in the snow and disaster struck! I made a huge mess and am just thankful the cameras weren’t rolling when this happened, or Matt would shown you for sure!

process art project

If you’ve followed us for a while, you know that we encourage that the creating process is the art and not the final product. This helps to break down fears and boundaries when creating and encourage a more “go for it” spirit. This mindset will also help when your project gets messed up or isn’t looking the way you wanted it too.

Mistakes open up the opportunity to problem solve and dream up a different direction. I love how our Jeremiah caught the moment that Caleb looked at his messed up painting, tried a new idea, and loved it. His facial expression shows the joy and discovery that art can be.

process art projectNot only was I off the hook for ruining his painting, but I was so proud of how he processed through a mistake and turned it into something he loves. He now has it hanging next to his bed! Pretty cool!

What did you guys think of this first project!? Do you have some old paints you can use this dropper technique on? If you try it, we would love to see! Tag your work with #spoonfulofimagination so we can join you in your creations.

Supplies for this Craft:

  • Pipette/Droppers
  • Acrylic Paint
  • Cardboard, Poster-board, or Wood

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DIY Pom Pom Bead

October 27, 2017 By Erica Deuel Leave a Comment

One of my favorite things to do with my kids is to create with them. In these moments, we can sit and talk and jump from being in our own imaginations to dreaming with one another. It’s so fun. It’s often in these moments that we come up with cool ideas like this pom pom bead.

We love to make garlands around here. If you have followed my blog for a while, you might have seen some of my other garlands. My Reagan had just embellished some cardboard triangles to turn into a garland when inspiration struck. I imagined how cool felt balls would look with her pieces. However, I was concerned they would be hard for her to string with a traditional needle and thread. That is when I got this pom pom bead idea. I started working on the beads as she was then painting, but she quickly got excited about the idea and ditched painting to create the beads. This is how we did it.

First, we started with some basic Poly beads. These are inexpensive and a kid staple.

We got a big pile of pom poms, and the next step is to just attach these two materials!

We used our hot glue gun. We simply held the bead by the openings so the side of the bead is open. We placed a small dab of hot glue on the bead and pressed the pom pom on top.

This is such a quick process! Before you know it, you will have a huge pile of pom pom beads! We love how the beads are cheap and quick, yet they create a whole new dimension and texture to our garland! My girl loved stringing these up with her other pieces! It was such a fun and easy sewing project for her!

What do you think? Would your little one like to create some pom pom beads to sew with too? You could make a garland with just pom pom beads. Or maybe replace the triangle with fabric strips!? With a little imagination, the possibilities are endless.

Christmas is coming. Can’t you see a long strand of these wrapped around a small table top tree? How cute!

If you make some beads, we would love to see them! Tag us on Instagram or Facebook and use the hashtag #spoonfulproject so we can find you!

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