Sometimes it can be hard getting my boys to do something creative.  At the moment, they rush home from school and are desperate to get out and play with their mate and if the weather is bad then they will ask if they can play on the XBox.    Sometimes I need something that they can do that is fast, fun and doesn’t take any planning and this is where drawing comes in. Drawing for fun.

My boys at nearly 10 and 11 do find a blank sheet of paper intimidating rather than inviting.  This is a stage that a lot of children go through, heck it is a stage that a lot of adults are still at.  Me included.

Not only can that sheep of paper be intimidating but our expectation of our drawings to be realistic can be really offputting.  The need to make the picture look “right” leads to a crisis for many older children.  In trying to draw realistic, children often get disappointed of their own drawings. So it is really important to focus on the process, not the outcome.  I want to make sure that the boys keep drawing and ensure that they find it fun.  So over the next couple of weeks we are going to be using our #screenfree time to draw as a family.

Remember: Everyone can draw.  Drawing, like writing and reading, is a skill and not just a gift given to a few.

Drawing for fun

To start with we were challenged by Sunlife to draw a celebrity and the boys took on the challenge.  Now bear in mind that my we don’t really do celebrities here, so that is a very loose term!

Can you guess who they are?

This is Maxi’s drawing and the one below is Mini’s

Do you need clues?  Well, they are from movies.  If you really want to know then you will have to scroll down to the end!

SunLife have enlisted the blossoming creative talents of several nursery school children to bring you a new kind of amusement. They are challenging your artistic eye and knowledge of the latest in celebrity entertainment with their quiz.  See if you can guess who these nine celebrities are, based on the creative interpretations of toddlers.

More fun drawing

My boys really enjoyed doing this and I loved their choices.  So much so that I decided that we needed to embrace creativity and lose our fear of the blank sheet.  So I took the advice of an online mate and ordered Tangle Art and Drawing Games for Kids (UK link/US Link)  Book by the amazing Jeanette Nyberg who blogs at Craft Whack

Jeanette’s book is all about prompting spontaneous creativity and laughter in your home.  This is the book you need to realise that you don’t have to be a trained artist or crafty DIYer in order to get all creative up in your grill. Whatever that means!

So keep an eye out on our Instagram account and see what we have been up to over the coming week.  Oh and if you are on Instagram come and follow us and share your details in the comment so we can follow you back.

Jack Sparrow and Indiana Jones