I believe that it is key to kids' development to create a learning environment, at school or at home that is:

• imaginative
• inspiring
• colorful
• positive
• stimulating
• motivational
• fun
• engaging

Download my FREE 8 page Growth mindset Poster and Writing Activity Pack if you would like these eye catching posters to decorate your classroom!

If you like the freebie, you might like to view this 50 page Motivational Classroom Decor Resource, available for $3.95 from my Teachers Pay Teachers Store

I’m a great believer in the positive power of art on our mental wellbeing.

Art is a fantastic vehicle for learning, communicating feelings and exploring outside of the box thinking.

​Do kids feel more comfortable or free to express themselves in a deeper way via creating imagery rather than just using words?

​I’ve listed 10 Ways Art Can Help Both Kids and Adults:

​1. to make sense of our thoughts
2. to connect with our feelings
3. to tell our story, explore our internal world
4. to encourage play, stimulate our imagination
5. to relax, quieten our minds, aid concentration
6. to relieve stress, reduce anxiety
7. to develop self awareness
8. to build confidence and self esteem
9. to lower blood pressure
10. to express complex states of mind

(Posters are available to download for FREE at the end of this post)

So, it's Back To School Week....
The class meets up again after the long holiday.
Children get to reflect over their summer memories, catch up with friends, and start to get to know their new teacher.
They explore their learning preferences, where they excel, the challenges they face, they set new goals for the coming year.

And the new teacher starts to build a picture of each child - what a lot is going on!!

How are the children really feeling on their first day back to school?
And how do teachers feel?
A mixture of excitement and apprehension?
We are all unique and can feel happy, sad, scared, anxious and excited all at the same time.
Excited to see friends again.
Sad, or maybe glad that the summer holidays are over.
Anxious about building a relationship with a new teacher.
Scared that maths might be too challenging this year.

This is where we can introduce icebreaker games, ‘all about me’ activities, student surveys and teacher questionnaires.

Researching ‘Back to School’ activities on the web (mainly pinterest because I love it), I found such an abundance of printable pages and activities, teacher surveys and questionnaires.

Most of them involve answering questions with words.

Being a visual, creative type who sees the world in pictures, this information gave me the inspiration to fill what I see, as a gap – to design some relevant, modern, imaginative back to school activities that involve illustrating our answers, exploring color and imagery, alongside expressing ourselves with words.

View my popular Back To School Resources available at my Teachers Pay Teachers Store by clicking on the images below:

Have a great start to the new school year!

All the best,
Diane

Through designing and road testing art resources for the classroom, grades 3 to 7, I've learnt that kids - both girls and boys - really do love to engage creatively with current, relevant themes that reflect their 'tech savvy' lives and 'appy' pursuits!

Many pre teen kids now own cell phones or mobiles as we call them in the UK.
Most parents, including me, are keen to limit screen time and remind our kids about pastimes from 'the olden days'  including engaging with 'books', 'paper', 'pens' and 'pencils'!

So my mission is to keep art going in the classroom and combine the two  - Good Old Art with a Modern Tech Twist! - 
Through art, kids can express themselves in an abstract way, explore their feelings, how they fit in the world, their hopes, fears, goals, likes and dislikes - often in a deeper and more meaningful way than using only words.

Art activities can be especially useful at the beginning of a new year when anxiety may be running high - for both teachers and students!

Themes that spark kids' interests include:

• ​​Modern Technology - phones, tablets, watches, gadgets, computers, social media, instagram, facebook. Tech Geek is the new cool! 
• Sport themes - always a great cross over with art, and can help engage reluctant artists, energetic boys and girls. Kids love expressing themselves through the clothes they wear and the sports they participate in and watch - prints, logos, t shirts, hoodies - all part of their developing identity.
• Graffiti, Street Art - Banksy, 'tags', spray can art, reflections of the world today
• Pop Art - bright colors, bold imagery and graphics, simple eye-catching patterns

My classroom and homeschooler/parent art activities are designed to engage kids of all abilities, are low prep, include finished examples for inspiration, require limited workspace and basic art materials

You can view some of my resources here by or by clicking on the images below: