Curious Creative
by Raechel Littman, PhD, MPP
Resources for the Curious Creative
Welcome creatives! Are you looking for ideas for artistic and scientific activities for children and adults?
Parents Corner
Resources for homeschooling or just keeping the kids busy, learning and having fun.​​
​​Not only do fun educational activities keep the children occupied, the parents get a break, and they get to enjoy being a kid themselves. Children give all of us an excuse to do playful things, like scribble, doodle and finger-paint without risking the usual embarrassment that we are getting color all over our faces. So why not give yourself permission to play with the art supplies too! Kids learn by example, and we are demonstrating to children how to express themselves creatively. Perhaps all the parents out there get to rediscover the joy of art that you may have ditched long ago because you thought you should be all adult now.
Imagination Time: I truly believe that accessing and the practice of using imagination is one of the most powerful abilities any person possesses. Here is one activity to get them to make up stories and get the creativity flowing. I have included my children’s book for an example.
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Imagination Time is a children's workbook to help them flex their imagination with storytelling, writing and artistic activities.
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Paperback copies can be found at Kindle Direct Publishing.
Young Ecologist Training: The purposes of the following activities are to encourage free thinking and curiosity. Even if it can be annoying and it may make you feel inadequate if you can’t answer, we want them to ask lots of questions. But the thing about science is that we seldom know the answers. We have to figure out how to find them through observation. Every day you can try one of the following activities and build their ecology training.
1. Scavenger Hunt: This is the first trick to observing nature! Getting curious and recording observations. I have included an example of a Scavenger Hunt here.
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2. Survey the Garden: This is a genuine technique scientists use. Not only will they have fun and be occupied, they will learn valuable skills too.
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3. Naturalist Training: This activity is meant to teach skills in observation and asking questions!
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4. Free Creative Time: I notice this is usually what everyone finds the most fun and affords hours of entertainment and learning. This way, they discover their own preferred medium or they may just chop and change like I do!
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For detailed lesson plans, see the free downloadable workbook below. If you like what you find, sign up for the Curious Creative Newsletter for other fun learning activities as they come available.
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Art Spa
I would normally call this art therapy, but this term is officially used for professionals who employ art as a therapeutic method. I am not a professional in this regard, but I do use art as a way to meditate and address harmful emotions or even promote positive feelings as self-healing techniques. I would like to share with you different fun things I do as a spa retreat when things are getting a bit stressful. Or I need to flex my creative muscles.
Art journaling does the following:
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Gets the creative juices flowing.
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Can be cathartic.
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More importantly: it’s fun!
Just Play
Just remember, art isn’t serious. It is play. If you are getting frustrated, step away and try something else for a while.
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Nature Journaling
The benefits of nature journaling:
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Teaches skills in observation, writing, drawing, imagination, and curiosity, bridging the arts and sciences.
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Increases connection with nature and creates a better understanding of how we can impact the environment around us and in turn, how it impacts our own lives.
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Promotes happy and healthy living through increased mindfulness and the enjoyment of learning and creativity.
For weekly journaling prompts, visit the Curious Creative Substacks.
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Experimenting with Mixed Media
Get Messy and Bad!
Another technique I use is to create messy, BAD art to silence that inner critic and enjoy my inner child. I will go out of my way to explore mix-media with a fun new challenge every week with the pure intention of making it BAD. It is a freedom we seldom allow ourselves and I believe hinders our ability as creators to explore our full potential. It is also a trick I play on my mind. If I go into a piece of art knowing it will suck, I don’t care if it does. Mission accomplished. If it is ok, I am pleasantly surprised and keen to push it a bit further. And if it is great, well then, I just discovered a new technique and possibly a true authentic form of artistic expression I didn’t have before.
For regular lessons on art journaling, please visit the Curious Creative YouTube channel and subscribe to be alerted to videos as they come available.
Creative Art Retreat
Have you always wanted to go on one of those uber expensive art retreats where you get to escape from it all into an idyllic setting and learn from a master? Personally, I haven’t had the budget for this. BUT, there is no reason why we must spend heaps of dough not to create one, especially on a weekend! Surely, there is no guilt for doting on yourself on a Sunday. Plus, we are saving money that we might otherwise spend on a vacation.
For tips on how to create your own retreat, visit Substacks.
