Give a child a pack of crayons and some paper to keep them occupied.
Keeping young children occupied can sometimes be a task. Indulge their creative sides by introducing them to transfers and drawing. Invest in some sparkly glitter pens, colored crayons or pencils and colored paper or cardboard. Gather a box of these items together along with some fun rub-on transfers. Bring the box out when you have a group of kids over for a slumber party, or for a rainy day, and it will keep them occupied for hours.
Instructions
Encouraging their creative sides.
1. Choose a theme. Give your group of children an objective to work towards, such as producing a birthday card for their Grandfather, or seeing who can produce the best picture of a lion. Give them glitter pens, crayons, colored pencils and colored cards to see what they come up with. If your child is over the age of 10, you can give him a gold or silver solvent pen, provided you warn them not to breathe in the fumes. For children under the age of 5, give them the crayons to start out with and introduce the stickers and transfers at later to maintain their interest for a sustained period of time.
2. Have a picture frame ready. To make a normal drawing session into a special event, let the children choose their own picture frames and then ask them to do a drawing which the frame will complement. You can then hang the picture frames up as decorations in the children's bedrooms, or they can be gifts for parents. This is a great party activity, because it makes kids feel very important to have their own drawing framed.
3. Give verbal praise over whatever they have produced, and display it prominently on your refrigerator or wall so that they feel appreciated. Don't bring the drawing utensils out at every opportunity, rather, save them for a rainy day so that they never get tired of using them.
Choosing the right drawing task.
4. Choose an age-appropriate task. A 10-year-old child enjoys playing with both transfers and glitter pens, and is old enough to be trusted with a gold or silver solvent pen. A 4-year-old child cannot be expected to handle a transfer by themselves, so certain elements of the drawing activity will need to be supervised.
5. Provide exciting materials. Many stationary products are available to purchase for children. For example, you buy a pack of "scratch-art" paper. Scratch art paper is covered by a thin, filmy layer of black material, which can be scratch off using the edge of a coin, to reveal a colorful underside. The undersides can be rainbow/multicolored, sparkly, or plain, and scratch art stickers are also available. Ask your child to produce a scratch art bookmark, door hanger or Christmas decoration. These materials are available at most craft shops.
6. Give them a task. Hone your child's skills as an artist by giving them an object to draw. If the child is under the age of 5, ask for something that they will easily relate to, like a picture of Mommy and Daddy at the zoo. If your child is slightly older, introduce them to the concept of observational drawing and 3D. Provide them with a very simple object, such as an apple, an eraser or a rubber ball, and show them produce a three-dimensional effect by mimicking the shadows on a given object.
Introduce fun transfers.
7. Use a transfer. All craft shops sell rub-on transfers. Transfers are images or lettering which can be easily printed or transferred onto another surface. To use the transfer, simply peel off the layer of sticky-back plastic, apply the transfer face-down onto your chosen surface, and rub over the back of the transfer using a spoon.
8. Take your child to choose the transfers. Transfers can safely be used by all children, although for children under the age of 7, you will need to give them a helping hand. Transfers come in all designs, shapes and sizes, and can be applied onto paper, cardboard, clothing laptops, glass windows, walls and furniture.
9. Select the right transfer. There are different transfers available for different tasks and surfaces, so if you would like to brighten up a wardrobe, for example, you should buy a set of transfers which will be suitable for varnished wood.
10. Suggest an object. Your child may have a laptop that needs cheering up. If you have glass doors leading out to a garden, ask your child to put some transfers on these as a safety measure, or to add to the scene when looking outdoors.
11. Design your own transfer. Custom-made transfers are also available for purchase. If you are looking for a birthday present for your child, design them a transfer featuring her name and favorite Disney cartoon character to be placed on her bedroom wall. Alternatively, you could ask your child to design his own transfer to personalize his backpack or school books.
