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Young at Art

Nurturing Creative Kids

As a “creative” kid, I knew firsthand how stressful and out of place that label could be. I can’t tell you how many beautiful spring Saturdays my father would usher me out to the local park so I could chew my mitt in the outfield and watch baseballs fly over my head. I don’t blame my dad for giving it the old college try – he was only trying to share with me the activities he enjoyed as a child. The problem was...I didn’t share his enthusiasm for sports. I wasn’t particularly lazy or protesting the grass-stained polyester uniforms per se, but I had this feeling my time could be spent in a more productive, enlightening manner. Finally, they did see my artistic “potential” through my love of drawing and quickly invested in a rather handsome art kit and drafting table. The mitt and polyester are now a faded memory.

Unfortunately, many artistically inclined children find few resources readily available to them at school or at afternoon programs, with athletics taking front and center in funding and participation. Parents tuned in to their child’s creative needs may need to get “creative” themselves, seeking out the right resources and activities. Here are a few ideas to get your little Michelangelo or Martha Graham on the right track.
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Get Outdoors
Being an artistic child doesn’t mean afternoons holed up inside the house during the summer. Take activities outside and practice art together in the open air. Try sidewalk chalk for the younger geniuses and let your older ones try their hand at landscape sketching. “Dramatic” ones might find pleasure putting on small theatre productions for the family (hint: a garage and a few bed sheets make a great proscenium and curtains for show time). Check out the local Parks and Recreation department for special events or classes for kids.
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For more local kids' Art Programs be sure to pick up this month's copy of FoothillStyle. Check out the Distribution tab on this Web site for some of our newsstand locations. Or, to order a copy of this issue, please email  info@sierrastyle.com, or call 916-988-9888.