January 31st is Inspire Your Heart with Art Day, a day set aside to appreciate and explore art in all its forms. It’s a great opportunity to introduce your child to the arts, either by enjoying other people’s works or making your own masterpieces. Here’s six ways to enjoy this national day of art appreciation.
Visit an Art Gallery
Visiting an art gallery or museum’s art collection is a great idea if you have older children. Museum docents and gallery staff can answer questions about the displays, and if you’re lucky, you might even bump into one of the artists.
One cautionary note if you’re planning an art gallery trip. Art often explores controversial and risky subjects, so call ahead to ask if the exhibit is appropriate for children. If not, many of the great art museums now have online exhibits, so you can explore classic art right from your computer.
Make Crafts
You can view art, or you can create your own. Inspire Your Heart with Art Day is an excellent time to paint, color, or make crafts together. Check our blog for craft ideas, or just grab some paintbrushes and start working on a masterpiece together!
Explore New Music
Children love to listen to the same songs over and over again (we all remember the months and months of “Let It Go” after Frozen came out). Why not expand their musical horizons today? Play some classical music, go to a concert, or introduce them to a style of music you love.
Dance
This idea builds on the previous one. If you’re listening to music anyway, you might as well be dancing. Tell children how some types of dance, like ballet, tell stories, and ask them to dance a story of their own.
Explore the Different Ways Art Tells Stories
If your child has a favorite fairy tale, explore how different types of art tell the same story. You could start with an animated movie, read different versions of the story, and see if the story has been the subject of paintings, music, or dance. This is a great way to show children how different artists change and interpret the same story.
Read a Book
We tend to forget that books are just another type of art. End Inspire Your Heart with Art Day with a favorite children’s book, and really appreciate the story. look for little details in the illustrations, and make reading the story into an artistic performance.
Remember as well, Inspire Your Heart with Art Day is just one day. There’s no reason you and your family can’t spend the whole year exploring, making, and enjoying art.
