Ideas for an Art Station

Updated on February 18, 2010
S.C. asks from Los Angeles, CA
4 answers

Hi Moms,

I need some creative ideas...
I'm planning to set up a little ART Area for my kids to mainly paint and draw
but first...
I'm looking for a tarp. But i'd like it to be of Burlap material..or the same kind that's used at Gymboree (anyone know what I'm talking about?)

Don't know exactly where to start looking. But if you know of any place that sells this type of material (hopefully, for a good deal too), please do let me know. I plan to hang the tarp from wall to floor. There's an area outside my backdoor that leads to the garage...(a small hallway) that I plan to hang this tarp and then put a string and clothes pin for hanging papers and just have the kids go at it with their creativity.

I also want to set up an Art Station where they can sit and draw and have their materials (but will probably have to be in the same hallway). Due to the small space, I think i would need materials that would be able to be folded up when not used (like an Art Table). I thought about maybe hanging bins up on the wall for the materials/tools to save space...What do you recommend? Any moms have set up one, yourself?

I'm very big on Organization..and labeling. So if you have any great ideas on how to set up a station that will help keep the area organized as possible, please share. I would love to have cost-effective art station, but more importantly a station that provides a smooth/organized workflow for the kids....and keeps my sanity. :)

thanks so much.

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So What Happened?

Thank you! I'm loving these ideas! and am getting excited. Can't wait to put it all together. Please keep them coming!

If you also don't mind, please share ANY art ideas/activities that your kids have done and seem to enjoy most.
Here's one from me:
My kids (3.5 (almost 4), and a 1.5) LOVE the 'Brown Bear, Brown Bear' book. My husband was a 1st grade teacher for 11 years and that was the book that helped taught his first graders to learn to read. It has done wonders for our kids too. There are other series, like Polar Bear, Panda Bear..by Eric Carle.

So for one week, each day, I had the kids draw, color or paint their own version of Brown Bear. One animal for each day. They could use the exact same animal from the book or even put in their own animal..like 'PINK flamingo'. You can google various animals that can be printed out from the computer. Or if they are able to draw them themselves, that would even be better. At the end of the week, we stapled the pages together to make their own book. My 3 year old knows how to write her letters, so her book has the sentence, "..what do you see...I see a...etc." on her pages too.

More Answers

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F.X.

answers from Orlando on

Go to Target or WalMart and get one (or more) of those plastic carts on wheels with drawers. Clear drawers are best if you can find that, but either way, you should label the drawers. I have one 3-drawer one that perfectly fits paper-- I have notebook paper in the top, colored/construction paper in the middle, white drawing paper paper in the bottom-- and that 3 drawers container sits on top of one with wheels-- so I can move the whole thing to where ever I want it. I have another identical one with 3 drawers-- one with crayons, one with markers, and one with pencils/colored pencils/hand sharpeners/erasers....In the other drawers, you should have one for glue (glue bottles AND glue sticks), one of paint supplies (brushes, sponges, water cupes, paper plates for palettes), a drawer for paint (a couple of watercolor trays and a few small bottles of washable/craft paint), and one or more drawers for misc craft supplies. Depending on the size of the drawers and how many craft supplies you have, you can get smaller containers (Tupperware/Rubbermaid or even the "disposable" Gladware type) to organize craft supplies. Keep scissors in a hard pencil case in one of the craft drawers or up high some where that they have to ask you for it-- depending on the age a maturity of your kids. Make sure you have a place to display favorites-- you can even just put a few of those bulldog clips (I think that's what they're called) or clothes pins on the wall so you can quickly and easily change it out. Have fun!

1 mom found this helpful
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H.H.

answers from Hartford on

I dont have time to look it up right now bc of a baby that is going to wake up any second so sorry but I worked in child care and I am a huge fan of how art is handled by a certain style of education: reggio emilia it is out of italy. they are into natural materials, process not product, and BEAUTIFUL organized enviroments. look it up, i think you will love it. and happy creating!!!
Wow! you have a lot of ideas for activities, great. I used to teach also like I said and loved art....I would read a book and then use whatever the artist used as my medium....example if they used college then you discuss that and do that. Then you can move on to specific artist and pratice what they do I loved jackson pollock (h.e.s) art as he is really messy and fun. This is a book that helped me: Great American Artists for Kids: Hands-On Art Experiences in the Styles of Great American Masters (Bright Ideas for Learning) - MaryAnn F. Kohl; Paperback
they have it at amazon. have fun!!!

1 mom found this helpful

G.M.

answers from Los Angeles on

OK, I don't go to Gymboree, but I think you may just want to get a canvas painter's tarp at Home Depot/Lowe's, at least that's what it sounds like to me. They are right there in the paint section. GOOD LUCK! That sounds sooo fun!

1 mom found this helpful
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M.T.

answers from Los Angeles on

Oh I hope others send you great responses because I could use this info too! I was thinking about finding a cheap night stand and putting wheels on it so I could wheel it into our hall closet when not in use. Right now my kids' art area is outside. It has been so wet I want something inside, but they are young and MESSY! I considered a scrap of indoor/outdoor carpet to lay down but your tarp idea is great. For walls you can get this really cool paint that turns the wall into a chalk board or dry erase board. I have seen people install a small curtain/towel rod to hang big rolls of paper on. That was cute. Then the "easel" is the wall.

1 mom found this helpful
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