by Jennifer Barrett
The candy, the ubiquitous pink and red decorations, the chalky sweetness of conversation hearts can only mean one thing: love is in the air.
Or not.
Some years we love this holiday, while other years, not so much. Some say it’s over-rated, while others book a table at the very
best restaurant weeks in advance. While our little ones typically love Valentine’s Day, our our older kids either love it or hate it any given year.
While I try to keep these written pieces and art projects as positive as possible, sometimes we need to address the sensitivity of our teens’ emotions, and ours as well. Valentine’s Day, whether you personally love it or hate it, brings many of the emotions we have suppressed to the surface, and it almost always makes us confront them in one way or another.
Inspiration:
Love is the best inspiration of all, and sharing an afternoon creating valentines with your little one is a great way to celebrate love.
Teens love making Valentine’s cards as well, even if they would never admit it. However, often Valentine’s Day can
be a tough subject for teens. Things happen, hearts break, or sometimes they just feel alone.
Why not create an Anti-Valentine with your teen as a way to help them to express those feelings? It’s another way to bond with your teen, letting them know that you understand their feelings, and that you are there to listen and support them. It works for adults too!
Everyday Art Lesson:
Concept Focus: Valentines or Anti-Valentines
Mess Factor: Moderate to very messy, depending on if glitter is used.
Ages: Can be modified for ages 0-18 years
Objectives: Kids will create a Valentine for someone they love, or an Anti-Valentine depending on how they feel about the holiday this year.
Babies, toddlers, and younger kids: Create Marshmallow Print Valentines!
Suggested Materials:
• Different colored papers in reds, pinks, whites.
• Glue
• Glitter Glue
• Scissors
• Paint
• Marshmallows
Younger kids and babies can create heart prints with marshmallows!
Start by cutting a heart out of paper by folding the paper and drawing half a heart off the fold line.
Glue the heart onto a different color of paper.
To decorate, print with heart shaped marshmallows!
Marshmallows are the perfect stamp because they are easy for kids to grip.
Parents can cut the marshmallows in the shape of a heart, or just pinch one of the round ends into a heart shape.
Dip into either glitter glue or paint, then help your little one print the marshmallow heart onto the cut paper heart.
Older Kids: Valentines or Anti-Valentines?
Suggested Materials:
• Scissors
• Black and red construction paper for Anti-Valentines, different pinks and purples and reds for Valentines.
• Glue or glue stick
• Glitter Glue or Glitter
• Colored pencils
Older kids can create a Valentine’s card for someone they love, or an Anti-Valentine’s card for themselves depending on how they feel.
Start by choosing the base color of construction paper, then folding another color and cutting half a heart off the fold line.
Glue the heart to the base paper.
For Valentine’s cards, design line drawings or collage different papers.
Decorate with glitter glue, or draw with glue and sprinkle glitter onto the glue.
Line the inside of the card with white paper, and write a poem to someone special.
For Anti-Valentine’s cards, create a similar card, only cut the heart out of the black paper and glue onto hot pink or red paper.
Decorate with glitter glue, colored pencils, and/or collage.
Have your teen write a letter or poem to themselves.
(TIP: Always check for the ASTM d-4236 standard and ACMI AP seal, which should be on all art materials given to children. Materials are like ingredients. Many things can be substituted for what you have on hand.)
References:
http://alittlepinchofperfect.com/marshmallow-heart-stamp-painting/
Feel free to email any questions or comments to info@creativespacearts.com, or visit my website at www.creativespacearts.com. I aim to create an open exchange of ideas and best practices.
Jennifer Barrett is the Arts Liaison and Performing Arts Coordinator at a public junior high school in Brooklyn, and has taught visual arts there since 2002. She founded Creative Space Arts in 2014 to offer a different kind of art studio, always changing and inspired by the immersive environment of galleries and other creative spaces. She has also guided countless students through the rigorous audition process of portfolio development, with many gaining acceptance and even scholarships into some of NYC’s most prestigious art schools. Jennifer’s paper creds include: B.F.A. in Drawing, M.Ed., S.B.L Certification.
About Creative Space Arts:
What do dragons, neighborhood-scapes, rainbow fish, and the moon have in common? They are all possible motifs at Creative Space Arts, a pop-up art studio set in galleries and other creative spaces. Our fun and immersive workshops are inspired by the work currently on view in gallery spaces, or by weekly theme. Through this approach, we aim to ignite curiosity and freedom of artistic expression.
The candy, the ubiquitous pink and red decorations, the chalky sweetness of conversation hearts can only mean one thing: love is in the air.
Or not.
Some years we love this holiday, while other years, not so much. Some say it’s over-rated, while others book a table at the very
best restaurant weeks in advance. While our little ones typically love Valentine’s Day, our our older kids either love it or hate it any given year.
While I try to keep these written pieces and art projects as positive as possible, sometimes we need to address the sensitivity of our teens’ emotions, and ours as well. Valentine’s Day, whether you personally love it or hate it, brings many of the emotions we have suppressed to the surface, and it almost always makes us confront them in one way or another.
Inspiration: Love is the best inspiration of all, and sharing an afternoon creating valentines with your little one is a great way to celebrate love.
Teens love making Valentine’s cards as well, even if they would never admit it. However, often Valentine’s Day can
be a tough subject for teens. Things happen, hearts break, or sometimes they just feel alone.
Why not create an Anti-Valentine with your teen as a way to help them to express those feelings? It’s another way to bond with your teen, letting them know that you understand their feelings, and that you are there to listen and support them. It works for adults too!
Everyday Art Lesson:
Concept Focus: Valentines or Anti-Valentines
Mess Factor: Moderate to very messy, depending on if glitter is used.
Ages: Can be modified for ages 0-18 years
Objectives: Kids will create a Valentine for someone they love, or an Anti-Valentine depending on how they feel about the holiday this year.
Babies, toddlers, and younger kids: Create Marshmallow Print Valentines!
Suggested Materials:
• Different colored papers in reds, pinks, whites.
• Glue
• Glitter Glue
• Scissors
• Paint
• Marshmallows
Younger kids and babies can create heart prints with marshmallows!
Start by cutting a heart out of paper by folding the paper and drawing half a heart off the fold line.
Glue the heart onto a different color of paper.
To decorate, print with heart shaped marshmallows!
Marshmallows are the perfect stamp because they are easy for kids to grip.
Parents can cut the marshmallows in the shape of a heart, or just pinch one of the round ends into a heart shape.
Dip into either glitter glue or paint, then help your little one print the marshmallow heart onto the cut paper heart.
Older Kids: Valentines or Anti-Valentines?Suggested Materials:
• Scissors
• Black and red construction paper for Anti-Valentines, different pinks and purples and reds for Valentines.
• Glue or glue stick
• Glitter Glue or Glitter
• Colored pencils
Older kids can create a Valentine’s card for someone they love, or an Anti-Valentine’s card for themselves depending on how they feel.
Start by choosing the base color of construction paper, then folding another color and cutting half a heart off the fold line.
Glue the heart to the base paper.
For Valentine’s cards, design line drawings or collage different papers.
Decorate with glitter glue, or draw with glue and sprinkle glitter onto the glue.
Line the inside of the card with white paper, and write a poem to someone special.
For Anti-Valentine’s cards, create a similar card, only cut the heart out of the black paper and glue onto hot pink or red paper.
Decorate with glitter glue, colored pencils, and/or collage.
Have your teen write a letter or poem to themselves.
(TIP: Always check for the ASTM d-4236 standard and ACMI AP seal, which should be on all art materials given to children. Materials are like ingredients. Many things can be substituted for what you have on hand.)
References:
http://alittlepinchofperfect.com/marshmallow-heart-stamp-painting/
Feel free to email any questions or comments to info@creativespacearts.com, or visit my website at www.creativespacearts.com. I aim to create an open exchange of ideas and best practices.
Jennifer Barrett is the Arts Liaison and Performing Arts Coordinator at a public junior high school in Brooklyn, and has taught visual arts there since 2002. She founded Creative Space Arts in 2014 to offer a different kind of art studio, always changing and inspired by the immersive environment of galleries and other creative spaces. She has also guided countless students through the rigorous audition process of portfolio development, with many gaining acceptance and even scholarships into some of NYC’s most prestigious art schools. Jennifer’s paper creds include: B.F.A. in Drawing, M.Ed., S.B.L Certification.
About Creative Space Arts:
What do dragons, neighborhood-scapes, rainbow fish, and the moon have in common? They are all possible motifs at Creative Space Arts, a pop-up art studio set in galleries and other creative spaces. Our fun and immersive workshops are inspired by the work currently on view in gallery spaces, or by weekly theme. Through this approach, we aim to ignite curiosity and freedom of artistic expression.
