Yourself in a Mask

Masks mean so many different things for us.

Make a list of all the ways people use masks. Some positive some negative

• Halloween
• For ceremonies... I was thinking of cool African masks I have seen. 
• To protect yourself against the cold in the winter when you ski
• For surgery or at the dentist office
• When you see a sketch of a bank robber or that scary person in the movies

I am sure you can come up with more. We know the references to "That person" wears a mask, when they don't want us to see their true colors or to present themselves a certain way. We know that part of the disconcerting feelings of masks is that we aren't able to read expressions that people have under the mask. 

So this new state of being in society is very loaded and hard to get comfortable with. Some of our basic instincts are being taken from us in our interactions with others. Not only are we being challenged by distance in our socializing we are being thrown off by not being able to see people's whole face. It feels eire. 

I thought doing some sketches of ourselves wearing masks might helps us get more comfortable with the necessary situation. I feel strongly about the positive role portrait have on people. It gives you time to reflect, time for you to see how you change from one time to the next when you do a portrait. So this is an important moment in time and it will help us to see how we feel about ourselves in a mask and to get time to "sit with it". 

If I Plant a Seed....

So we read one of my favorite books. Actually I was lucky enough to have someone read it to me!

If You Plant a Seed by Kadir Nelson

If you plant a seed of frustration, anger, grief.... that's what will grow!

We all need to plant seeds of hope, love, faith, kindness and let them bloom!

We did a drawing of what our seeds would look like and grow into.

Now create yours! Be Kind... Grow kindness while you are in the soli of the dark place called COVID-19.


Be Safe!
Have Fun!
Stay Well!

Brighten things up!

Brighten things up!

There is a lot to say for the way your home is, will affect the way you feel. We talk about clutter, about keeping up with maintenance, making beds, etc...

But here let's take a moment to brighten things up with happy thoughts!

Make your home exude happiness on the outside! So it is contagious... yes, like COVID-19, but in a GOOD, HAPPY Way! Pass it on, so when you look out your door or windows you feel happy and when people look over they feel happy!

I envision cites full of happy windows :) Town where you drive down the street and everyone have happy things paint o their doors!

Smiley Faces!
Rainbows!
Hearts!
Spring Flowers!

Go For it!

Make sure the paint is washable. We used Crayola washable paints... but any will do. And you can make washable paint by taking tempera paint and adding liquid dish soap to it.

Go to your happy place....

When all you want to do is be somewhere else...

Go there in your art!

Find an image. Of a place that would feel really good to be right now! And focus on it. Then create it!
Really spend time working on your image. Make it feel good.  Play the perfect music while you create, think happy thoughts of being there.

Imagine being there!


And when you are done, you can stare at your picture and go there!

The Metaphor of an Obstacle Course

Looking at a rainy week and need to keep kids active! Phew, adds to the challenge of this situation.
Well here is a fun activity!

Get a roll of masking tape. Make an obstacle course. Anywhere in the house.
Then try to get through it!

Laugh, giggle, work through the time you "get stuck by the tape", talk about how that might be challenging.



Then apply it to life! 

We just got handed an obstacle course. And lief will continue to hand us all obstacle course, this is life!

But how we respond to the course: if we laugh when we get stuck, rather than cry.
If we play and have fun, and work together, talk it through (careful you are about to get stuck bend down lower, reach higher, etc.), we will make it through this.

Help your kids learn life lessons. We have the opportunity to all come out of this stronger!

Super Heroes to the Rescue!

We all love super heroes!

Who are our super heroes right now?

I could list a ton... not just the medical professionals ( huge round of applause here), but everyone that is stepping up, performing selfless acts and helping the whole.

Talk with your kids about what they imagine a super hero would look like today. What would their super powers be? How would they help? Go into detail... what would they be scared of ( kryptonite), etc.

Then let them create!
Draw,
Paint,
Marker,


Maybe this is a time for them to talk to you about what they are really afraid of, or maybe this is a time that they can feel some power when they might actually being feeling powerless. Maybe they make themselves the super hero because they wish they could help. Listen to their super hero stories. Maybe even take it a step further and let them dress up as a super hero and act out fighting off COVID-19 :).

Corona Virus Attacker  (6yr. old)

Give them some "power" so they don't feel powerless.

Finding things kids can do to help... will help them... will empower them!

Mandalas

What is a Mandala?

Here is a great definition or what they are and where they come from.
https://www.britannica.com/topic/mandala-diagram


We are going to focus on the fact that they are a circle. And that they are used as a "collection point"or "receptacle".

So you are going to ask how we are going to create a circle that can hold something?
Simple... get a pie plate. Trace it. You have a circle. A "place to put what you need to express."

Whatever you put on the inside is being contained, held, kept safe or kept away from the rest of the page. You can put all the good on the inside that you want to care for or you can put all the anxiety, fear, frustration, etc. that you feel on the inside.

This is great for anyone. Give the kid a pie plate when they feel out of control. Trace it. And let them create!

For older students you may want to learn more. You can bring meaning to the colors, designs, etc.
https://indimode.com/blogs/news/designing-the-mandala-and-its-meaning

Here are some great books to take you in other directions rather than just using 2D materials.

Safe Space Boxes

While we are inside for awhile, we can all need our own space!

No matter how big or small your living situation is, we all know what it is like to "need some space!"

Giving kids the opportunity to take a box and make a space that is just for them during times like these can be relieving. It can be a box that they fill with favorite items, memories, thoughts, etc. so they know they are safe in these uncertain times. It can be a pace where they are keeping all that makes them happy when they are worried about what is going on around them. When they feel anxious they can turn to their box to find items that remind them of things they love to do, be, see, etc.

Or the box can be a container. A place where they can draw a picture of how angry they are that they can't see their friends at school, crumble the paper and throw it in the box. A place to "contain" the emotions they don't like. Write it down and toss it in there,  to let the feeling out and not stuck inside so they burst.

You can also use larger boxes! Boxes you or your child can fit into! Make a place they can retreat to and take a break, destress, get time alone, etc. 

Make one for each kid or make one for the whole family.

Use any kind of materials: fabric, cotton balls, tape, glue, wrapping paper, paint, scissors, chalk, anything you have! String is nice if they want to be able to tie it shut. Be creative. It doesn't  have to be big, it just has to contain and be sturdy (so you don't have crying kids as they are working on it and their "safe place" falls apart... see the metaphor....yes, that would not be fun!).

And hey... parents can do these projects too! Doesn't hurt to get to experience what your kids are.... it helps us all understand each other better!

I will be posting our work as soon as my kids finish theirs :)

More box ideas:

http://www.beactivekids.org/assets/pdf/50_Things_Cardboard_Box.pdf

And keep yourself healthy. Mentally Healthy!  Be optimistic! Be hopeful!

https://www.capecodhealth.org/medical-services/behavioral-health/staying-optimistic-in-a-turbulent-time/?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=NEWSFEED-3-17-20&utm_content=NEWSFEED-3-17-20+CID_5f4b87252020d06065347819e6860942&utm_source=CampaignMonitor&utm_term=Take%20a%20look

Navigating a New Experience: Ship drawings or building ( all ages)

Imagine:  You are on a journey, exploring new lands. You don't know when you will reach land and get to see other humans again. Your crew is only those people living in your home with you. You may encounter stormy seas, have days where you are bored or tired of being with each other, other days when you rise to the challenge, listen to your Captain and overcome great challenges. We all must be careful in how we express our emotions on that ship because we don't want the crew to declare mutiny. We are depending on the strength of our ship, our team and working together.

Now Create:

Take time to create your ship and draw your team. Or even use boxes, recyclables, etc. build a ship. Name it. Name all the crew members. Decide if there are any rules people need to follow on the ship. Talk about how it is hard to not be able to jump in the shark infested waters and how you miss seeing everyone on land. But you are navigating the unknown and we are all brave on this journey.

Love to see pictures if you want to share!

Have fun! Be well! Express yourself!

What would you say to the Coronavirus? Cartooning for all kids (especially our younger ones)

Kids have a lot to try to figure out right now. It can all be overwhelming. But trying to put a "face" with a name helps kids start to figure out their feelings, what is causing their emotions and possibly what they would like to say to that virus.

Drawing cartoons can be a fun way to imagine what things look like, create a character in this battle of good and evil, give them something to aim their feelings at. And they can take it a step further and  make a comic strip. Let them talk to the "virus" character, play out some scenes, etc. This can be a nice way to get an idea of what they know and understand about what is going on around them. And then let them draw out a scenario.

We want to keep giving our kids an outlet, a voice, an opportunity to understand. Things that we understand are less scary. And as Olaf said in Frozen II, " We are controlling what we can control when things feel out of control." Here they can control what is on the page and start to feel a more in control with knowledge and understanding.

This will then give you the opportunity to talk with them. 

Here is a great resource. Help our kids be resilient!

https://childmind.org/article/talking-to-kids-about-the-coronavirus/