The answer is to keep their hands busy. Kids today are not nearly as self entertaining as we were when we were growing up.When we were adolescents, there was no XBox 360, no Wii, no computer, no iPod, and Heaven forbid no cell phones! I mean come on, think about what we actually did to amuse ourselves?
How many of you like to draw? At least draw stick figures. Maybe an army of stick figures attacking each other on paper battlegrounds. I'll bet the inner artist is within every person just dying to come out and play!
Give a group of kids each a mead sketch book and some type of drawing utensil and they will be amused for hours. Make it a contest. Have them draw something from nature. That gives them the opportunity to be OUTSIDE and do something besides sit in front of a computer or TV all day with their game console.
Whether they are given pastel sticks, colored pencils, crayons, or even paints, most kids can come up with a creative drawing. There are plenty of materials available to inspire kids (and us old fogeys too) to draw.
I still have the precious things today that my kids created in school led by loving teachers trying to keep the love and appreciation of art alive in the classroom.
One of my daughter's teachers had them take a blank bound little book and write and illustrate their own story. I have the "Sunburned Whale" in my precious collection.
All UPSable
