Tulip Festival and Olympics

 

May 12 Until May 22 is the Ottawa Tulip Festival. 

https://www.arthistorykids.com/blog/331

Frieze Tag– a fun art history game for kids to celebrate the summer olympics

August 2, 2016

Are your kids excited for the summer olympics? 

This fun activity will get everyone in the olympic spirit... they'll get active and have some fun as they learn about the origins of the olympic games.

Invite your kids to get into the spirit of the olympics with this fun game! Frieze tag combines art history and the olympics in a fun and memorable way.

The ancient olympic games began in 776BC in Greece. 

Greece is home to some amazing architecture and art, and many ancient Greek buildings incorporate art as elements in the design. One really interesting design element is a long narrow sculpture that runs along the outside of the building near the roof, and in addition to being pretty, it also tells a historical or mythological story.

It's called a frieze (pronounced freeze).

Invite your kids to get into the spirit of the olympics with this fun game! Frieze tag combines art history and the olympics in a fun and memorable way.

How to play Frieze Tag

To play frieze tag, start by introducing your kids to this sculptural element, and explain how the olympics began in Greece. If they've ever played freeze tag before, just tell them it's exactly the same, with one important exception... when you are tagged and you freeze, you have to pose your body in a dramatic way, and pretend you are part of a frieze sculpture.

If your kids have never played freeze tag, you can find the complete instructions here.

Join the Olympics Challenge!

I have 3 weeks of fun ideas that combine olympics with art history, and I'd love for you and your kids to join in the fun! I'll be sending one email each Friday for 3 weeks, beginning this Friday. 

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Find me on social media, or leave a comment below. I'd love to hear all about how much your kids loved this game! Or how they changed it to make it their own...

Source: https://www.arthistorykids.com/blog/2016/8/2/frieze-tag-a-fun-art-history-game-for-kids-to-celebrate-the-summer-olympics

How to raise kids who appreciate art

July 26, 2016

There are two kinds of Art People. Art Appreciators, and Art Critics.

Art Critics like to say subjective things about the art, sometimes without even knowing much about the artist or the art movement. Art Critics think they could paint like that, or that they've seen better. Art Critics like the art sometimes... but usually they find a reason not to.

Art Appreciators, on the other hand, see the value in all kinds of art– even if they don't personally like the style, or the subject matter, or the colors. They can express their opinions in an educated way, because they have a little background, and that context helps them to understand the art.

Raising kids who appreciate art is easy with these 5 simple things you can do everyday.  Art history is such a valuable subject for kids, and helps them excel in all other areas of study and life.

It's okay not to like every painting you see in the museum. In fact, it would be a little weird if you wandered the galleries and LOVED it all.

Raising your kids to be Art Appreciators (or helping your little Art Critic to see things from another perspective) is easy!

1. Model observation in daily life

Art Appreciators look carefully at the world around them. They notice when things are different. They see things that most people miss, and because they are looking, they see little beautiful things everywhere they go. Incorporating a mindfulness practice into your daily routine is a great way to start. Even doing 10 minutes of housework mindfully, or walking barefoot in the backyard for 5 minutes with the intention of observing the beauty of nature, can help you to slow down and shift the way you connect with your day (and your kids). Plus, it's great for them to see you doing these things, because we all know that our kids copy the behaviors they see us doing.

2. Be curious

Art Appreciators wonder, "Why?" They don't usually take someone's word for it when learning a new idea or skill, they need to understand the reason for something, or understand the way it works. This understanding helps them to think critically about art. Help to fan the spark of curiosity each day by answering their questions with questions. Rather than just telling them the answer, guide them down a path where they will discover the answer, or come to their own conclusion.

3. See it from another perspective

You don't have to love everything, but being open-minded to new ideas and being respectful when you don't like something are two tell tale signs that you truly are an Art Appreciator. This way of seeing things from another person's point of view, and trying to pull out one or two positive things about it, reinforces great character traits in our kids. It shows acceptance and tolerance. You can usually find at least one nice thing to say. Instead of, "This is hideous, I can't believe people think this is art!" you could say, "I don't really care for these colors, but I like the energy of this piece." You can also keep your comments objective. Sometimes our personal opinion about the art is secondary. Talk about what kinds of things were going on in the world at that time, and what the artist was trying to say with that piece. Was it motivated by some underlying political or social dynamic of the day? You can think critically about something, and make critical observations without being a critic.

4. Encourage Exploration

Open-ended, and process-based projects (rather than projects that give you step by step instructions to create the art the "right" way or rely on a "good" looking end result to be considered a success) are key to giving kids the freedom to explore with no expectations and no pressure. It sets them on a path of creative discovery that will lead them to enjoy the process, and want to continue creating more in the future.

5. Diversify your art study

Most people have one type of art they gravitate to, but it's fun to mix it up. Art appreciation in your homeschool can include music, literature (and poetry), dance, theatre, and more! There is so much beauty to see in the world, it's nice to know that we'll never run out of wonderful artistic things to explore and that our next amazing discovery might be just around the corner.

Do you have the Art History Kids philosophy art print for your creative space at home?

A fun printable for your kids art area, and a great reminder of all the valuable benefits of exploring art history with your kids. Click to get the pdf file.

Get instant access to the pdf download that you can print and proudly display in your homeschool area, playroom or art area.

Let's Connect

Are your kids naturally more appreciative or critical of art? Find me on social media or leave a comment below to chat about exploring art history with kids.

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Source: https://www.arthistorykids.com/blog/2016/7/26/how-to-raise-kids-who-appreciate-art