Let your child experiment and watch you. Don’t turn them away and tell them that you’re busy. Hand them a tool or a paint brush and let them try things beside of you. They will learn so much and you will enjoy them so much more.

Do not try to “control” or “direct” your child’s artwork or explorations. Let them do the exploring.  Simply surround them with the materials and let them go.  They will discover in their own time and may surprise you with their clever “different” uses for materials.  In other words, let them use the handle end of the brush to paint with.

Still afraid to get out the paint because of the possible mess? Well, set up an art party in the bath tub. Tape paper to the wall, cover your child in a smock or old t-shirt and let them have a ball. Clean up is a cinch - simply turn on the shower.

Expose your child to the arts.  Take advantage of FREE Arts & Crafts festivals in your area.  Most festivals have Kids’ Areas set up with music, entertainment, and “make-and-take” craft areas.  Check out your local newspaper or search the web for Craft Festivals in your area.

The end of the school year usually comes with piles and piles of artwork that your children have created over the past year. It’s nearly impossible to hang on to every piece so…here are a few ideas for what to do with those piles. Choose one (or two) that fits your style and needs.

1. Visit a local pizza shop and ask them for unused X-tra Large pizza boxes for each of your children. (There may be a small price for each box) - Go through the artwork with your children’s help and have them hold on to ONLY the number of works of art that will fit in the box. Label these boxes and stack them in a closet or slide them under a bed. If your child is upset by throwing away any of the artwork, photograph the pieces and burn them to a CD that your child can look at again and again - or print and create a small photo book for your child to have on hand.
2. Choose a special work of art and have it made into a keepsake. Check out online photo companies like snapfish.com, ofoto.com or shutterfly.com to create T-shirts, mouse pads, mugs, etc. Or contact www.hughsroom.biz and have a keepsake step stool made out of your child’s favorite artwork.
3. Order the Li’l DaVinci for Kids art cabinet photo frame that lets you store up to 100 drawings or paintings behind it. The frame has an easy-to-release latch that makes rotating your personal gallery a cinch. Frames come in both 8 1/2 x 11 and 12 x 18 sizes and a variety of finishes (black, white, red, natural, cherry and oak). Order at dynamicframes.com.
4. Do you have a budding artist that wants to display ALL of his creations? Shop around for an old window frame at a flea market or antique shop. Choose one with 6 panels. Hang the frame low (under a chair rail) where your little one can reach it and display his works in each frame. As he creates a new one, explain to him that he must choose one to take down.
5. Check out www.littlekidsbigart.com and have your child’s artwork turned into a REAL work of art. Little Kids Big Art will work with you to create a large masterpiece on a canvas from an original that your child has created.

Don’t reprimand your child for exploring his or her creativity. If he marks on the walls with crayons or a marker, simply pull out the “Magic Eraser”, clean up the walls, explain to them that you’d rather they use paper -but realize that the markers should’ve been stored out of reach. This past weekend my 2-year-old left some “beautiful artwork” in the front of his grandfather’s autographed, hard-copy novel. Instead of making a big deal out of it, my dad simply wrote Hugh’s name and the date underneath and considered it a keepsake. Afterall, “Pappy” had left a pen beside the book on the bedside table - what else is a 2-year-old to do with a “find” like that?