You know we value play at the Museum, and one of our favorite places to play is in I CAN Create, our art studio.

Here are some things to think about when spending time in I CAN Create.

It’s all good.

When you walk into I CAN Create, look for the honeycomb wall. Here you will find a few examples of creations as well as a variety of materials to make your own creation. Start gathering the basics, you will need materials like crayons, markers, glue and scissors.

Next, check inside the honeycomb for different types of materials. This will vary day to day but we like to stock it with foam sheets, pom poms, pipe cleaners and much more!

By following the directions your child is working on fine motor skills and critical thinking. But you should think about following your child’s lead as they create.

Lauren says “Sometimes guessing or labeling what they are working on can feel limiting. Instead talk about the colors or textures, or how what they are creating makes them feel.”

Art is an opportunity to explore and innovate. There are so many options and supplies in I CAN Create you really could spend all day, or you know, at least until nap time.

Easy-to-access items include paint, crayons, all kinds of paper, things that sparkle, glue, googly eyes and foamy things. But what these supplies really are is creativity, trust, lack of inhibition, and problem-solving skills.

Curiosity

Making art allows your child to push their curiosity as far as it can go. After all being an artist is nothing if not risk taking.

When you step inside I CAN Create, you’ll immediately discover there is little that is repetitive or prescribed.

Spend time building-up your child’s confidence to experiment so they can test what sticks, what leaks through the paper, what is too heavy or light, or just takes a really long time to dry.

Art doesn’t have to feel ‘finished’. There’s room for many ideas – don’t focus on presenting an object or task; think about the process and experience more than if the image is ‘right or wrong’.

It’s not about the end product – instead of saying ‘draw me a boat’, consider something like ‘paint me a picture of how you would travel the seas’.

Lauren says “Kids are naturally curious and intuitive; if they feel empowered you may be surprised by what they come up with”.

Celebrate

Remember to celebrate what your child creates. A small moment of cheering on their creation means more than you know.

Lauren says “You’re acknowledging something that they have made on their own. You’re saying ‘your ideas are important, this is yours, and I love it’ (even if you have no idea what ‘it’ is).”

This is also a time when things that you may not even be thinking about, like the pressures of what your child thinks they are supposed to do because of their gender, or age, or friends, can take a back seat.

Allowing your child to make choices while knowing you are not worried if it’s a going to be a whale driving a bus or a monkey with two heads is very freeing.

Your collaboration is encouraged. Don’t feel like a critic, an alternative perspective is always welcome. Ask things like ‘what about this makes you happy?’ or ‘would you do anything differently next time?’

Celebrate by putting your child’s work in the Museum drying racks or if it’s ready to go on exhibition you can hang it on the studio wall, or take it home to display on your fridge.

Remember, don’t overthink it. By playing in I CAN Create together you’re gaining a new understanding of how your child sees the world.