For When You're Stuck at Home

Did this recent blizzard keep you and yours stuck at home?

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Living in New England, it was alarming to hear we simply shouldn't go outside from our local leaders. With winds so wild and snow so heavy, it called for an epic (and heARTful) indoor snow day! 

Though not quite as extreme, this recent experience reminded me of an experience I had with my cousin's children online during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Back then, I ZOOMed with my cousin's children every week as a way of keeping their lives (and mine!) filled with powerful art experiences. We started these ZOOMs with a simple intention: to go on a museum field trip online, together. Soon enough, as we explored more museums through Google Arts and Culture, we determined that we wanted to build a museum of our own. So, my cousin's children (behind their computer) and I (behind my computer) set to work. Week after week, we thought critically about what we wanted to add and why. Ultimately, the museum we created lived on in countless sketches and cardboard creations. Here's a glimpse into that experience:

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Just as our last cARTie at home blog activities have offered you tools to transform your home into a museum and practice building museum-habits of mind, this blog activity aims to make your next snow day an epic and heARTful one.  

Here's how:

1. Start wandering Google Arts and Culture for inspiration. Have each of your child(ren) pick a destination and lead the online tour. Take it as your job to write down notes as you all go. You can reference these notes in Step 2.
2. Pull out a BIG sheet of paper – as big as you've got (you could even tape scrap pieces of paper together) – and start brainstorming ideas for the museum of your child(ren)'s wildest imagination(s). Use open-ended questions to guide inquiry, like: How do we want people to feel in our museum? Why should people come to our museum? What could make our museum special?
3. Flip your BIG sheet of paper over and start to sketch the outline of your museum. Let your child(ren) finish the outline. You can ask them questions about what they are adding next and how it will connect to the rest.
4. Pull out miscellaneous building materials (ie: tape, glue, rubber bands) and recycled media (ie: empty juice containers, cardboard boxes, scrap paper). Model curiosity about how you might put some of these materials together to recreate a section of the museum outline. If new ideas come up, model how you can make another note on the BIG sheet of paper too.
5. Follow along as your child(ren) gets invested alongside you. Let them take the lead, as possible. Enjoy asking open-ended questions to push critical thinking and creativity further.
6. Once you notice your child(ren) coming to an impasse, bring our mark-making media (ie: markers, glitter glue, tempera paint sticks, pens, crayons). Invite them to think about the colors they need to include in the museum and what other details they wish to add.
7. Continue in this fashion, introducing new media as needed.
8. Celebrate your creation(s). Even if not completely finished (no museum ever is!), take time to go on a tour of your museum. Take photos to document.

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We can't wait to hear about your experiences! If you post on social media, tag us @CTcARTie!