My daughter and I go to a weekend ECFE (Early Childhood Family Education) class once a week and Nora LOVES – I mean LOVES anything that has to do with paint or glue there. She goes right past the sensory table and digs into crafts nearly every week. This means we’re sent home with a slew of masterpieces and I’m sure I’m not alone when it comes to struggling to toss them.
This week I decided to make another craft opportunity out of a previous one! When we left class I curled up her painting into a roll. Nora found it and in her mind it had become a treasure map. She rolled and unrolled it charting a course through the house for her latest make believe adventure.
I took her direction and pulled out the craft box. We went to work making her painting into a treasure map. We took turns drawing and adding to the story as we went. Roads, lakes, railroad tracks, a house, a garden and of course a hidden treasure with freshly drawn digging marks.
She even drew signs and ran to get the pom poms to glue on red, green and yellow “lights”. She also added blue. Watch this video to see what she thinks a blue light should mean. She cracks me up!
What will you turn your next craft opportunity into? Take your child’s lead and see what adventures await. Maybe you can create a map to get you there next time? Get out coffee grounds, sand, noodles, grass or anything tactile that you think might add to your own map.
courtney b says
January 21, 2013 at 12:04 pmyour kids are going to be so creative when they’re older thanks to you!
Robin O says
January 21, 2013 at 3:32 pmGorgeous treasure map! I definitely need to look for more crafting opportunities. I would also like to frame more of the kids’ creations. Thanks for the inspiration!
Denise says
January 21, 2013 at 11:07 pmthis gives me an idea for the two homeschooled girls I tutor for Spanish! Thanks! They love anything artsy too!
Jenn says
January 22, 2013 at 7:27 amAnother fun tutorial for the little ones. You are a great mom
Vickei Couturier says
January 22, 2013 at 8:30 amthat looks so cool,,my grandkids would love it ,they love doing crafts with me,they make their parents chrismas gifts each year
ColleenMarie82 says
January 22, 2013 at 11:02 amI like this idea, we have started incorporating some home school like activities into our everyday routine, I think my daughter would really like this!
Liz Ticona says
January 22, 2013 at 9:24 pmI can’t wait until my baby boy is old enough where he can start expressing himself in art! I’d love to do something like this for him ! Thanks for sharing , i’m sure my little boy would love it!!
Beth Rees says
January 22, 2013 at 9:30 pmThat is so much fun! I love how you used her artwork too and let her expand on it. Definitely something to treasure
In the Hammock says
January 23, 2013 at 8:09 pmThis looks so fun! Love the bright colors.
amanda assencoa says
January 25, 2013 at 1:58 pmfantistic
Sarah Hayes says
January 26, 2013 at 1:20 amI so wouldve loved this when I was little. I cant wait to do things like this with my daughter
Zoopa Mome says
January 26, 2013 at 6:01 pmWhat a great idea! My daughters would love doing this….they usually use old newspapers and pretend to have a map! hahaha
Brandy says
January 28, 2013 at 11:18 amWhat a fun adventure map! I can definitely see myself creating something like this with my son eventually.
Eileen says
January 28, 2013 at 10:54 pmThe painting was beautiful in itself! The sand is a great idea,. How about Easter grass, the non shiny kind for “grass”. Plastic wrap for a lake overlay to reflect. That’s so fun to think about art projects again. My youngest is 13 and does very little with art anymore in school..at that age. But we have a live in 15 month old grand daughter and another grandchild who comes here for day care. I am loving your ideas because even at that age they can be proud of some projects that they don’t necessarily get to have a lot of “hands on” with.
Janelle says
April 20, 2013 at 11:32 pmI’m glad you have some little ones to share your artistic fun with. Don’t give up on your older kids though either. Although most of my examples here are likely below them, most of my interest in my artistic abilities started when I was in middle school and my mom encouraged me and allowed time in art classes after school and in the summer months. It’s the age when you start to doubt everything about yourself (your looks and popularity and talents) so for me art was the one thing I truly felt I could use to just be me without judgement.
Some simple ideas for an older child: paper and pencils or charcoal, scratch art paper (you scratch through the top layer to expose colors below), craypas or oil pastels, watercolor paints. If the interest is still there you might be surprised where it goes. Have fun with both of the generations of creativity in your home and thanks for your feedback!
Janelle says
April 20, 2013 at 11:33 pm…and thank YOU for the great ideas on additional map materials! Sounds like you have quite a bit of creative talent yourself. 🙂 I need to add to my supplies it seems.
Zoopa Mome says
January 31, 2013 at 12:15 pmThis is so creative and fun! My girls would love it!
Betty Baez says
February 1, 2013 at 7:48 amThis is cute I plan treasure hunts in the summer and this would be great for the kids to make their own maps
Rita Dippenaar says
February 2, 2013 at 7:56 amSo cute!
JRFrugalMom says
February 3, 2013 at 5:51 amIt looks like a lot of fun, and I bet my boys would love this.
SHYAMA BALACHANDRA says
February 13, 2013 at 8:59 pmlove the idea!
Janet W. says
February 28, 2013 at 5:41 amMaking a treasure map is such a fun idea! It really allows the child to be creative!
Brittany F. says
August 20, 2013 at 9:27 amThis looks similar to something my brother did when he was in elementary school. He used printer paper to draw a neighborhood, then kept taping new pieces to it to add more drawings until he had an entire city map. It was one of his coolest projects.
Shannon says
May 10, 2014 at 9:22 pmThis is so fun! Thank you for sharing your crafts.