We are agreed, having nieces and nephews is the greatest thing in the world! And now they are coming to visit you. Now what?

Once you know that the nieces and nephews are coming to visit their Aunt, the question arises about what you can do with them that is worthwhile, fun and age appropriate. Video games, DVDs or television should not be the default since children spend so many hours in front of electronic devices. Creating art with your nieces and nephews might be exactly the activity to draw them in, and keep them interested no matter whether they are two years old or twelve (though the activities will certainly have to be adjusted accordingly).

Get Ready Beforehand

Before doing any type of art project with your niece or nephew, it is important to set up the work area.  Make sure that you have a safe place to do your art. Find a table or an open space on a large kitchen counter where you can lay down some newspaper and not worry about spills or messy materials; a place where it would be no big deal if any trouble arose. That means, clear away your utility bills, your personal correspondence, your expensive pocketbook, and the magazine you were saving to read. Create an environment where the children will be confronted with a maximum of “YES”es, and a minimum of “NO”s. Your goal is to empower your niece and nephew, to make them feel positively about themselves, and confident in their actions. If you constantly have to tell them to avoid touching this or that, they are certainly not going to feel good about their actions.

Age matters

Art projects and choice of materials can be adjusted according to the age of the children you are working with. Young children under the age of five or so are often not yet drawing or creating art that is representational. Their art might still be abstract. Telling them to draw something exactly how an adult would do it is not the goal. They should be encouraged to draw, sculpt or paint in any design they would like. The art project should be free-form enough that the children feel free to create as they wish, rather than trying to copy a model or a master design. Children who are ten years old or older begin to feel very insecure about their own creativity, and seek adult models to copy more and more. Be aware of the developmental nuances of your nieces and nephews, and it will help you interact with them more positively.

The art activities that I will suggest on an ongoing basis will take many of these age and developmental differences into consideration.  They will allow for children to draw objects in their lives – their family, their house, their friends. But these works could also be completed with designs, squiggles and swirls. Please encourage your nieces and nephews to draw or create whatever images they want to, and resist the temptation to show them how you would do it, since this is really all about them. Even though you should feel free to create art with the little ones, now is not the time for you to explore your inner Matisse.