This is the beginning of a new effort on my part to collect art activities that are incredibly easy to organize, but can still offer kids the opportunity to be really artistic. Many easy crafts look pretty crappy and therefore end up being the next meal for their home trash bin, if the finished product even makes it out of the library!
At a meeting of children's librarians a few months ago, I received a ready-to-go art activity for fall. It included 15 giant construction paper leaves, a bunch of fall colored tissue paper squares and 15 lengths of yarn. Bring your own glue and Voila! You've got a tissue paper fall leaf mosaic. Incredibly easy? Check. Opportunities for creativity? Check. Possibility for immediate trashing? A bit higher than I would like, but with the yarn to hang up the leaf, it will probably survive a little longer.
Another idea that I've come across for quick & easy art activities is the game Who What Where, Jr., which doesn't really result in an art piece to take home, but allows different levels of creativity to combine with gaming strategy for a really fun activity. Our Friends group bought one for the library and I'm looking forward to sharing it with the kids.
