BEING CREATIVE

Some days I get so caught up playing in the garden, playing with trains, cars and boats, drinking fake cups of tea and eating fake toast with butter and planning full days out the house that I forget about the little things we can do from home that really cost nothing and make lovely memories, keepsakes and encourage certain development skills. 

Lucas is such an adventurous little boy, he loves the outdoors, he loves the garden and he loves nature. I wanted to incorporate that into our latest crafty morning. I got out the paints and the playdough and used different objects to paintbrushes to encourage Lucas to be more creative and to see what he could create.

We went out to the garden this morning and Lucas an I picked flowers, sticks, stones, leaves and also used dinosaurs at Lucas' request. I put the paint on a paper plate and let Lucas do whatever he wanted, offering him objects and asking who the picture he was painting was for.
He answered with who it was for and then would say things like "Dab dab dab" or "swoosh swoosh swoosh."

It was lovely watching him try different techniques with different objects. If it was a flower, he would try to print the flower pattern, if it was a stick he'd draw a line or dot it, if it was a leaf he's dab or try to print the leaf shape. It was so interesting to see how he was learning. When it came to the dinosaurs it was more stomping, roaring and also sliding them in the paint going "weeeee." So cute.

I really enjoy seeing him be creative as we're a creative family. Brad is creative musically, I am creative in photography and art (and an ex dancer too), my mum is a make up artist, my uncle is an artist, my nan and great uncle both paint and draw, to name a few. We're a very creative family and I love it. I prefer being creative to academic personally. That could be because i'm far from academic and i'm not particularly smart.

Lucas seems to be both creative and academic currently, but in time one or the other will outshine the other one, i'm sure. I don't mind what route he goes down as long as he's happy and doing what he loves. If he wants to be musical, arty, or into performing arts then that's fine, if he wants to be into maths, history or science, thats fine too. As long as he tries hard in school and is doing what he wants and not what he thinks is going to please us.

I am glad I thought about crafts this morning and it's really bought Lucas out of his shell. I have been really knocked down with contractions, pains and being heavily pregnant in the heat and feel that I haven't been able to put my all into him the past two weeks; even if I have tried as hard as I possibly could. I wanted to have some one on one time with Lucas this morning, doing something other than just playing with his toys.

I want to make crafts a regular thing, especially once Iris arrives. I want him to recognise that once Iris is napping, that mummy and daddy use that as Lucas' special time. We will paint, stick stickers into a sticker book, draw, colour in a colouring book, play trains, have Tv time and cuddles, bake and other things. This will encourage him that when she's napping he's calm and not running riot and also having bonding time with us and hopefully help him feeling left out after she's arrived and he realises the world doesn't revolve solely around him.

I love arts and crafts and feel it's the best time killer during the rainy and cold months ahead over Autumn, Winter and Spring. I love doing something a little different than just paint brushes and paint.