MaryAnn F. Kohl: Art with Young Children and a Giveaway

It's a treat to be able to interview someone you admire who is an expert in a field you care about.  That's why, even though this is a busy season in my life, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to interview MaryAnn F. Kohl, author of over 20 award-winning books about children's art and a contributor to Family Fun magazine (among many other distinctions).

MaryAnn recently sent me a copy of Scribble Art to review, and the girls and I have been having a ball trying out the activities there.  So far, we've done salt painting, made an easy piñata, and tried tissue paper collages (my favorite so far!)

The thing I love about MaryAnn's books is her obvious and genuine care for children.  It is tempting as a parent or a teacher to gravitate toward art projects that "turn out well," with end-products that make adults feel that the time has been worthwhile.  MaryAnn, on the other hand,  sees art from the perspective of a child and knows that it is the creative exploration that is often very special to children. That's why in Scribble Art, you'll find oodles of ideas for open-ended art experiences.

Who knew that there were so many possibilities for art mediums and canvases around the house?  Liquid starch, flour, sawdust- even insulated telephone cable find their way into over 100 activities that children can do independently for the sake of fun and beauty.

I'm finding it can be a great boon to have this arsenal of fun lying about the house, by the way.  The other day, as I was making dinner and needed to work uninterrupted, I found the tissue paper collages to do the trick nicely!

So let's turn now to MaryAnn and hear her perspective on doing art with young children.

1.  Can you tell us a little about the role art has played in your own life personally, both as a child and an adult?

When I was little, I was constantly coloring in coloring books and on blank paper, and at times, on the walls. My mom provided me with scissors, glue, paper, and wonderful crayons all at my reach on a shelf we called the coloring shelf. As I grew, I had some talent with drawing, though I was never super talented, but I enjoyed it enough that I was often complimented on my work. This encouraged me to volunteer to do covers for classroom books or decorate invitations for the Halloween Party. When I began teaching, I found that even the most rowdy child would quiet down and become focused when doing art, and by art, I mean actually creating unique work with materials on hand, not copying something I the teacher had made. So I made sure art was a big part of everything we did. When I had my own kids, art was important from the beginning. Playdough, painting, coloring, and collage were a constant for my kids. They are both very good at art now, and though I don't think it is because of all the activities we had specifically, I do believe that their creativity was honored which has inspired them to go forward in life with that ability.

2.  Each of your books makes a unique contribution.  What about Scribble Art do you especially like?

Scribble Art was the first book I wrote, and has sentimental connections back to my teaching years where all these ideas were tested with kindergarten through grade three children, children I knew and loved. I choose these projects because they were open-ended and I was so excited to write a book to encourage creativity for children where their own unique artwork rather than copying adult made cutesy projects. The book was published in 1985 and it is still my favorite and still selling well around the world (in 9 languages no less).

3.  What tips would you give parents for doing art with very young children?

Start small! Rather than putting out jars of paint for a painting project, start with some shallow jar lids filled with about 1/8" of paint, perhaps three colors tops. Use small brushes or cotton buds for beginning. On the other hand, using big brushes and a bucket of water outdoors will paint thousands of rocks and squares in a sidewalk. Big or small, messy or tidy, start with fewer materials in the beginning, and add more in as the children become adept at using them and learn to handle the wonder of it all.

4. As a mother, I often feel my blood pressure rise when art starts to get messy because I envision myself spending the rest of the day cleaning it up.  I would love to hear about how you dealt with the tension between creative art and cleaning up messes when you were a parent of young children.

Do messy type art on days you are ready to handle it. Otherwise, skip it for the time being. The smartest thing is to set up the art area ahead of time to catch the mess. For example, tape an old shower curtain to the floor or over a wall near their little work table, or keep a damp sponge on their work area for them to wipe their fingers; wear a fitted apron or cover rather than a big shirt with rolled up sleeves that get in the way. Plan ahead to prevent problems. Sometimes I put a loop of masking tape on the bottom of a paint cup so it won't tip over, or certainly only fill it half way, not to the brim. Ideas like this make things easier. And if possible, working outdoors is always nice and much easier to clean up. Encourage the kids to help with the clean up too. Part of being a child and being given wonderful experiences is to participate in setting up, mixing, cleaning up, etc. They love to wash the tables with a big soapy sponge!

5.  Would you also give us some tips on doing open-ended art with young children in a group setting?

I like to place materials on the center of a table that everyone can gather 'round together (usually no more than 6 at the table at a time). Everyone can reach in and use what is available, and everyone cleans up their own mess. I rarely show them any finished product they should be trying to achieve; I would rather just see what they do with the materials. Most materials shout out how they should be used, so you don't have to say much. For example, if you have contact paper peeled away and sticky, and there are cotton balls and scraps of paper on the table, the kids will automatically stick the cotton balls and scraps to the sticky background. Let the materials you choose dictate how the activity will go. Sometimes you need to give a little demo or a brief explanation so they aren't left completely in the dark with new or unusual materials. But try not to make a sampale for them to copy, because they will copy it, and at that point, the whole purpose of creativity and unique thinking has gone out the window.

6.  Which of your books / activities do you especially recommend for the youngest crowd?  (2 to 5 year olds)

Preschool Art is the best book for the 2-5 year old group, but it costs more than Scribble Art, and Scribble Art would do very well for that group too. My website also offers reduced price eBooks, which is another option.

7.  Is there anything else you would like to add?

I would love for everyone who is interested to join my mailing list. I send out a very nice newsletter once a month called the ArtsyKidsNEWS, with four or five art projects that go well with that particular month. Halloween/Autumn/Harvest is coming up soon and will be sent by email, free of course, at the end of September. Each month one person wins a free art book! Sign up on my website, home page, lower right corner:

http://www.brightring.com

I'd love for your readers to visit my Facebook page too. 

Go here:

https://www.facebook.com/maryannfkohl?ref=hl

or go here:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/MaryAnn-Faubion-Kohl/84206837844?ref=hl

MaryAnn has such a gentle touch in her thinking about children and mothering.  Wouldn't you loved to have had her for a teacher (or a mom-coach :)?  To hear more of MaryAnn's kind voice take a look at the beautiful interview that Tinkerlab did recently.

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MaryAnn has graciously offered to give a copy of her book Mudworks (the bilingual edition) to one reader here at Having Fun at Home. To be entered in the giveaway, take a look at MaryAnn's website Brightring  and leave a comment on this post about something you saw there.  (make sure to leave an email address so I can contact you if you win)

For additional entries,
1) Like MaryAnn's Facebook page.
2) Like Having Fun at Home's Facebook page

Leave an extra comment for each of the above.

The giveaway will close at midnight on October 1st.  At that time I will chose a winner using Random.org

Update: Giveaway closed.  Winner is #21 Jennifer!  

Review: Puerto Rico

CSN, an extensive network of online stores, (and a good place to look if you are in the market for a swing set right now) recently gave me the opportunity to review one of their board games, Puerto Rico.  I was pretty excited to do the review because Puerto Rico belongs to the same genre of German board games as Settlers of Catan- a huge favorite with my family and me.

Basic Idea:  The players go from round to round, choosing different roles for themselves and intiating the associated actions.  Players build plantations and buildings.  They produce goods and sell or ship them. Points are added up at the end to determine the winner.

For ages 12 and up.  3-5 players

What we liked:
1.  Like Settlers, there is very little down time.  Each person's turn still leaves all the other players involved and interested. 
2.  Choosing a role for yourself each time it is your turn is FUN!  The choice makes such a a difference in the outplay of the game that it kind of feels like a choose-your-own-adventure story. :-)
3.  It is a fun game even when you are not winning because you can work toward little goals.  Also, a person can come from behind at the beginning of the game and still win with a little careful strategizing.
4.  There are multiple winning strategies.  It's interesting to see what strategies different personalities gravitate toward. 

What we didn't like as much:
1.  The game takes a loooong time to learn, (longer than Settlers) and the game lasts awhile too.  (Generally 1 1/2- 2 hours)
2.  Each game is different because people make different choices, but the board varies very little from game to game (unlike Settlers).
3. Because it lacks any trading element,  Puerto Rico involves less psychological manipulation and teamwork than Settlers.  (Some people might consider than a good thing, but I always liked the interpersonal elements of Settlers)

Bottom Line:  Puerto Rico is great for a group of adults (or teenagers) who are willing to invest 2 or 3 hours several times within a few days in order to really learn the game. For our family, this kind of game is a really good fit for our holiday get-togethers.   It becomes really fun once you understand the strategies and makes for great bonding.  

We all pretty much agreed that it's not as good a game as Settlers of Catan, but for a group of people who have already played Settlers quite a bit and would like to try something different, Puerto Rico is a fun option. 

What Makes a Good Set of Building Blocks?

CSN, an online family of stores that sells children's toys, shoes, dining ware, dutch ovens and more, is giving me an opportunity to do a review on any one of their items.

I'm choosing to review the Melissa and Doug 100ct set of building blocks because I'd like the opportunity to write about what I think makes a good set of builiding blocks. Stay tuned for the upcoming review!

Book Review: Pete's a Pizza

I'd like to share a favorite book with you. It belongs to a genre of children's literature I call Parent/Child Play books. That is, it models a kind of playing that parents can continue to do with their children long after the book is finished.

In Pete's a Pizza, Pete is sad because he can't play outside. His father decides to cheer him up by pretending to make him into a pizza. He starts by kneading Pete like dough and then adds toppings and bakes him in the oven (couch). There are some moments when Pete really gets into the pretending too (e.g. he refuses to talk because he's "just some dough and stuff")
When I read this book to M her eyes sparkle- especially on the lines that let her in on the little secrets (the flour was really baby powder). It's just the sort of imaginary play she is often trying to draw her father and me into (she likes it when her daddy lifts her high in the air against a wall and says he is hanging a picture). I think the elaborateness of the pretending in this book is like a dream-come-true to her.

I have not yet made M into a pizza. I'm waiting for a day when she is a little sad. I think the pizza-making is sure to cheer her up!

Upcoming Review: Puerto Rico

Be on the look-out for an upcoming review on the family board game Puerto Rico. The company giving me an opportunity to review this game is CSN Stores- which is actually a network of online companies. Besides being able to buy a wide variety of board games and toys there, you can also purchase of decor and accessories for your child's bed.

Puerto Rico, from what I hear is a complex German board game supposedly enjoyable to the same crowd as enjoys Settlers of Catan (and our family loves that one! see my review of Settlers here). Our family is very interested to try this new game.

Have any of you played Puerto Rico? I'd love to hear about your experiences!

Review: Island Adventure Water Table and Your Ideas for Summer Fun

It's certainly fun to have a new enticement for little ones to want to spend time outdoors; so when I was recently given the opportunity to review the Island Adventure Water Table made by Little Tikes, I jumped at the chance.

Here are the table's basic features:
- three bellows for the child to push
1. to make a water fountain spurt up
2. to cause a drawbridge to go up over the moat
3. to make the water in the moat circulate and push the toy boat forward

- a small waterwheel that turns when the child pours water into a spout
- a toy car and toy boat

Pros:
- Probably the best recommendation is that we've had it for weeks, and my daughter still asks to go play with it just about every day. She can play by herself, and play imaginatively and creatively.
- The water wheel works very well and is fascinating to toddlers
- The height is just right for 2-5 year- olds to play standing up

Cons:
- The bellows for the drawbridge and water circulating in the moat don't work very well at all. In fact, we have yet to succeed in getting the water from the bellows to push the drawbridge up- even once.
- The legs fall off every time every time the table is moved.
Bottom Line: If you are looking to buy something engaging and relatively inexpensive for summer fun, I think this is a good option, but I would suggest maybe letting your kids discover what the moving parts do on their own. If you get them excited ahead of time about the way it is advertised they may be in for a disappointment.

The water table is a fun choice, but I'd also love to hear about other summer toys that your families have bought or made or ideas you've come up with that don't require any props at all!

Upcoming Review: Fisher Price Water Table

Here in Texas, it's starting to show signs of soon being warm enough to splash around in the water outdoors. I remember that when I was little, I looked forward to that season with sooo much anticipation. My mother's rule was that we could play in the sprinklers when the temperature reached 75 degrees, and when it reached 80 we could play in the inflatable pool. You can be sure that we watched the thermometer with diligence so as to be sure not to miss an opportunity (we lived in Michigan, after all, and we had to make the most of every little scrap of summer)

To help melt the winter blues away a bit, CSN will be giving me an opportunity to review an outdoor water toy. (CSN is a family of online stores that is currently promoting, among other things, a diverse line of kids bedding).

The toy I will be reviewing is a Little Tikes Island Adventure Water Table. It looks like a lot of fun- the sort of thing that might really entice little ones to want to play outdoors. Can't wait to try it out and tell you what I think.

I thought too, that on the day that I write the review for the water table, that it would be fun for all of us to share some of our best outdoor water activities/games/toys. I would love to hear your ideas so we can be ready with an arsenal of fun for when the hot weather hits!

Here is a picture of my cousin and I years ago using plastic bags to fling water at each other (we had run out of water balloons at my house and had to improvise!)