I have been looking after T since she was about 9 months old. We started doing crafts together as a way to ease her separation anxiety when she was about 18 months old. As she has gotten older, she has started coming to work in my studio where we can make a bigger mess. We don't even bother going to her house until it's time for bed! We normally start with art and switch a game of UNO Countdown (a variation that make the game last longer) after dinner. She is a little card shark and often beats me even though she is only 5!
I picked T up from school today and we quickly got to work. The table in the studio often ends up looking like this in no time at all. She is learning/starting to help me clean up the mess which makes my life a lot easier! Tonight she wanted to colour and "glue" so we got out her bin of supplies and she went to town creating small masterpieces using a huge variety of mediums including glitter glue, markers, and oil pastels. I also taught her how to use water colour crayons which are a recent addition to her box of goodies after I found an inexpensive Reeves set.
As she was drawing she told me not to be mad because her under the sea picture didn't look right. I took the opportunity to discuss artistic license and how because it is her painting, she can create it anyway she wants even if it isn't "right". It is right if she thinks it is. I love the little crab she drew.
