Favorite Blog Posts

• Look Mommy, I Found You Some Dog Poop!
• Learning Letters the Sensory Way
• How to Improve Fine Motor Skills in Your Preschooler

What kind of art inspires you the most?

We like to keep things easy at our house! I always say that the best projects to do with kids are both cheap and simple! I try to always use things from around the house, such as egg cartons and toilet paper rolls. I am inspired when I watch my kids create their own art. I try to never worry about the finished product. The goal isn't to have something amazing that I can show the world. The goal is for the kids to enjoy the process and experience making something for themselves. Plus, after they have some quality time with me, they behave better and have an easier time playing independently.

What's one of your favorite art projects you've done with your child? 

Keep in mind we like simple projects! It is probably a tie. One of my favorites was the first time I realized that my twenty month old really was finally ready to participate in projects with us. We read one of their favorite books, the Very Hungry Caterpillar (http://mommywithselectivememory.blogspot.com/2012/01/easy-craft-for-hungry-caterpillar-book.html) and then we used an egg carton to create caterpillars. The kids were able to glue the eyes on and paint the caterpillar and were so proud of their finished product. The other project that really stands out was when we painted with straws. It is such a simple idea, and so inexpensive, but they learn a lot from seeing what air can do to paint on a page (http://mommywithselectivememory.blogspot.com/2012/01/cheap-easy-craft-painting-with-straws.html).

What do you do with all the art projects your child creates? 

I actually just wrote a post about this! I always try to find ways to boost self-esteem and displaying artwork is one of the most important ways to do this. We have a special wall that is devoted to art. I also took my daughter to the store one day and let her pick out a small photo album. I print pictures of her artwork and we put them in her photo album. Then on a rainy day, we can flip through and pick out a project! http://mommywithselectivememory.blogspot.com/2012/03/boost-self-esteem-by-displaying-artwork.html