I recently finished a client project for a family with four kids in a backyard barn. One side of the barn was already set up as a sofa/TV/lounge area and the other half of the barn was intended to be an art and play space. My client installed a climbing structure and crash pad against one wall of the play area so my job was to set up an art workshop in the rest of the play space.
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It seems that the start of this school year has required some major adjustments for all of us. For those of us with kids in traditional school, we have had to re-think how we approach learning at home. And whether you have been a homeschooler for years or you have unintentionally become a homeschooler through distance learning, the Covid-19 pandemic has changed how our kids stay active and in touch with nature and our communities. This is one thing we are continuously trying to improve in our family and I’m realizing that it goes hand in hand with home education.
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I’ve been meaning to share this project for months! This was a local design project that I took on as I was recovering from my illness last year and never got around to sharing it here.
Now that it’s Back to School season around here, I wanted to share this project to give you ideas for setting up a home workspace for distance learning.
This project was initially intended to revamp a playroom for young kids into a playroom and art space for kids ages 3, 5, and 8. My client mainly wanted to add an art space, remove some of the toys, and update the reading area with new cushions.
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Over the past two and a half years I’ve held five sessions of my online course, Art Pantry Design Camp, and have witnessed amazing transformations. Some participants start off with an empty space, but most start with a disheveled area- strewn with toys, loose papers, or mixed up bins of art supplies. Occasionally a participant will have a whole room to work with, but most often these art spaces are tucked into a corner of a living space, office, or playroom. By the time the course is over, each space becomes an organized and inviting creative workshop, perfect for that particular family.
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I recently finished a client project for a big kid art desk, mainly for two girls, ages 6 and 8. They have a younger brother who is 3 years old, but my client didn’t think he would be using this space quite yet. I did create something for him that you’ll see later in the post.
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Have you heard about Art Pantry Design Camp yet? It’s my online course to help you set up an awesome kids’ art space in your home. One of my favorite parts of Design Camp is getting to witness the amazing transformations that take place for these families.
I love seeing the physical spaces transform, but what I really love is hearing about the other kind of transformation- how kids interact with the space and with their art supplies after it has been transformed.
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I set up our current art space 4 years ago when I had a toddler and a kindergartener. Now that my girls are 6 and almost 10, I recently realized that it’s time to make some updates to this creative work space.
I want this space to reflect their interests and to inspire them to use a variety of tools and materials in their work. So I sat down with the girls and asked them for their input before planning the new items.
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A year and a half ago I was hired by a local mom to set up a toddler art space for her 16-month-old daughter, Sadie. She wanted the art space to be in a small area between their family room and kitchen so that Sadie could have easy, independent access to the supplies. I was so impressed at my client’s willingness to jump right in with such a young child and allow for messy art exploration in the hub of their home.
I have found that when it comes to allowing kids independent access to creative tools and materials… the earlier, the better! Toddlers are naturally curious about their art supplies and they will learn quickly how to use them through guidance and exploration. Through their exploration, they will develop important fine motor skills, creative confidence, and a self-sufficiency that will carry over into other aspects of their lives.
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Happy New Year! Every new year I get the urge to do a little re-decorating and get organized in our home. Do you feel the same way? If you do and you’re thinking of re-working your kid’s art space or setting one up for the first time, I’ve put together my top 5 tips to help you get started.
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This is a mini solo podcast episode, where I share the inspiration behind my business, The Art Pantry. I talk about why I view kids’ art spaces as workshops and what kids learn in them that goes way beyond art. I also share about my online course, Design Camp, and have a free download for you with art prompts for kids that are based on the skills I discuss in this episode.
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