KidzArt Official Blog

KidzArt wants to say “thanks” to all of the wonderful teachers that we know.  First, we want to recognize the talent and dedication of all the KidzArt teachers who work tirelessly with KidzArt students of all ages around the world.  They each have a special way of helping children express their creativity and boosting their confidence through encouragement, fun and interactive exercises while teaching them to draw.

We also want to thanks all the elementary and middle school teachers throughout the world, who recognize the value of art enrichment for children and welcome KidzArt into their classrooms every day.  We honor the meaningful contribution that you make to the lives of students every single day.

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Everyone looks for that special gift for Mom or Grandma on Mother’s Day.  Now you’ve found it!  Put your child’s artwork on affordable, fun gifts that Mom will treasure for years to come.

Visit http://www.KidzArtProducts.com to see the selection of customizable products including aprons, mugs, apparel and much more. 

Order by April 19th to guarantee delivery for Mother’s Day!

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March is Youth Art Month in the United States, a time to promote the value of art education for all children and to encourage support for quality school art programs.  We believe that art should be an important and valued part of the lives of young people.  Art and creativity promote problem solving, encourage children to try new things, use their imaginations and overcome their inhibitions or obstacles in order to grow and learn. 

During the month of March, be an advocate for art!  Find a way to show your support, whether it’s in your home, school or the greater community.

Check out how some of our KidzArt students have explored their creative abilities! 

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Valentine’s Day Sculpey™ Pen  

This is an inexpensive and fun project for any age. You can make hearts for Valentine’s day or any other shapes!

What you will need:§  Sculpey oven bake clay about 1 oz—Various colors (One “square” per child is plenty)§  White round stick pen (try Walmart’s brand, it won’t melt)§  Needle nose pliers  What to do: 1.    Remove the ink cartridge from the pen with pliers and set it aside. 2.    Take a “ball” (about1”) of Sculpey clay and work it until it’s soft.  Pat or roll it into a thin layer the length of the pen and about 2” wide.3.    Cover the pen with the Sculpey. 4.    Gently roll the pen back and forth on your work surface. Don’t roll too much, just until the clay is flat. Over-rolling may cause the clay to pull away from the pen. 5.    Add small bits of color to the surface.  Add a shape at the top of the pen6.    Bake at 225 degrees for about 15 minutes. 7.    Replace the ink cartridge when cool. To push it in completely, press the ink tip into a layer of something soft and stand the pen up. Press the clay cover pen case down onto the ink cartridge.  

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Put a new spin on holiday gifting by recruiting the kids’ creativity to help make homemade gifts.  Tighter budgets along with some creativity can be the inspiration for making one-of-a-kind presents this year.  Kids love to make crafts for the holiday season and get a great sense of accomplishment in creating items can be functional and given as gifts.

 Here are a few simple homemade gift ideas that the kids will enjoy making!

Share your home-made baked goods with family and friends with this special home-made gift bag: 

Decorate white or brown paper lunch sacks using acrylic paint in either red and green or blue and white.  Each bag can be different.  Stamp or paint stars, snowflakes, trees, icicles, etc. Sprinkle painted areas with silver glitter glue, tap off excess and let dry completely.  Fill the bag with wrapped baked goods.  Punch a hole in the top of the bag and thread an 8″ green or red ribbon through the holes.  Tie in a bow and give as a gift.

2.  Holiday Scratch Art Gifts

Purchase Scratch Art Scratch-Lite paper available on line or in your local art store.  Cut out festive shapes such as stars, circles, hearts or snowmen.  A rainbow of color appears when you  scratch out a design on the shape (use a wood stick, chopstick or skewer to scratch)!  Use as gift tags or punch with a hole punch and thread varying lengths of decorative ribbon or yarn to make a necklace, bookmark, tree ornament or a mobile. 

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On Wednesday, October 28th between 6-7am, Tammy Imrie, director of KidzArt in Jacksonville, Florida will be on Channel 12’s “Good Morning Jacksonville” in a special segment featuring No-Carve Pumpkin Masterpieces!  Tammy and some of her students will be using paint, clay, glitter and glass paint to create unique pumpkins that are fun, easy and safe for all ages to make!  Visit www.kidzartnfl.com for local KidzArt class information.

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If spending hours scooping out seeds and stringy pumpkin isn’t on your list of fun things to do this Halloween, decorating a pumpkin without carving is a fun option.  Forget the knives and break out the permanent markers along with some other household craft items to decorate your pumpkins.

Decorating pumpkins without carving is a great alternative for younger children who can’t use carving utensils.  Without carving, your child’s decorated pumpkin will last a lot longer and it can be displayed in your home throughout the fall season.

Here are some clever pumpkin art projects that will excite the kids, minus a big mess:

1. Stenciled Pumpkin Designs- Go online and peruse the hundreds of pumpkin template designs available.  But instead of carving, kids can use a stencil to trace a pattern on the pumpkin.  Use colored permanent markers (Sharpies® work well) to color, draw patterns, etc.                2.  Glitter Pumpkins- For kids who love shimmer and sparkle, cover your gourds and pumpkins with a coating of glitter.  Using craft glue that dries clear, “paint” the entire pumpkin with glue.  While the glue is wet, sprinkle your favorite colored glitter over the pumpkin.  Let it dry for an hour and shake off the excess sprinkles.                                                                                                                                                        3.  Pumpkin People- Kids can create ‘pumpkin people’ by using a variety of household items.  Draw eyes, nose, mouth, cheeks on the dry, clean pumpkin. Or get creative and use fruits or vegetables for ears, eyes or a mouth, glue on raffia for hair, add a hat, a bandana, glasses, ribbons or felt to give each pumpkin its own personality.                                                                                                                                 4. Black on White- For a dramatic effect, kids will get a kick out of drawing with black Sharpies on a stark white pumpkin. Try tracing and coloring in simple black silhouettes like bats, cats and spiders!                                                                                                                      Post your creative Halloween art projects!  We’d love to try ‘em out.

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A teacher’s greatest reward is being on the receiving end of appreciation and gratitude from current and past students as well as their parents.  During Teacher Appreciation Week (May 4-8th), take the time to recognize or do something special for a teacher that you or your child are fond of or one that has had an huge impact on your lives. 

Here are some ideas of how to say “Thanks”: 

1.  Encourage your child to write a poem or a song about his or her teacher.

2.  Have you child bring his or her teacher flowers or an apple to brighten up the day! 

3. Help your child show his or her gratitude by giving a one-of-a-kind gift.  Put your child’s artwork on a fun product to make the perfect Teacher’s gift.  Check out the selection of customizable Teachers gifts at www.KidzArtProducts.com.   It’s a unique way to say “Thanks” for all that teachers do!

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From the bottom of our hearts, we want to wish a happy new year to everyone who has supported us this year.  Many thanks to our wonderful kids, parents, education administrators, employees, franchisees both domestic and international, vendors and wonderful support staff.  Best wishes for a prosperous journey in 2009 filled with love, happiness and, of course, ART and CREATIVITY!  Look for great new curriculum and exciting new programs this year!

Happy New Year from co-founders Shell Herman, CEO and Chris Cruikshank, President

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What more could a parent ask for?  Imagine your child proudly grinning as you carefully unwrap their home-made paper around…more paper.   His grin grows wider as you turn that unwrapped paper around and see that it is something he has made himself.  From love, from creativity, from his heart, for you.

I remember growing up and my own mother insisting not to buy her cards from the store, but rather make one for her to hold on forever, and that she did.  To this day we can go through years of drawings, paper mache and momentos from our past.  From paint to markers, poetry and shapes, those pieces of art of which I created meant the world to my mom.  I didn’t use a ruler, never a computer (what the heck was a computer?) nor did I just use some stickers.  The most meaningful and often beautiful gifts created were always those where the use of imagination was free flowing, and those adults who guided me let my mind open as I thought of my mom’s smile of approval upon presenting her with my latest masterpiece.

Technology is a wonderful thing, and never would I turn down a chance to visit a local Hallmark, but this holiday season KidzArt invites your children to use their minds and some markers to create not only gifts for the family, but for their friends, too.  Given that many families are looking to save some money this season, show your children that what matters is not how much money is spent on a gift, but the thought and process behind it.  Your child will be surprised that often they are given the greatest gift of all…one of confidence and understanding that they, too are capable of creating something beautiful to share and give to someone they love.

KidzArt is proud to offer gift-making workshops and opportunities throughout November and December for your children to create beautiful presents to proudly present to family and friends.  Don’t forget that we also offer the ability to put artwork on products.  Visit http://kidzartproducts.com and please visit http://kidzart.com to find a KidzArt location nearest you.  Happy holidays, and happy gift-making as well!

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