Today we present yet another art activity.  What can I say?  I love art activities;  they really keep my kids occupied!

Today we'd like your kids to use their artistic abilities to demonstrate mastery over a certain subject.

"Mastery" is kind of a fancy word meaning "something you know all about," or "something you can do really well."

For instance, my kids have mastery on the topic of animals.  They know all about -- and they love -- animals of every kind.  They know jungle animals, sea creatures, forest animals, burrowing animals, pets -- you name it.

What else could kids show mastery over?  A lot of things.  Here are some examples:. . .

 

Have you heard of Pandora before?  It's internet radio, and it's very fun.  If you haven't already, you should try it out!

In Pandora, you create your own personalized radio stations based on certain criteria.  You could type in "Mozart" or "Metallica," and Pandora will play music by those people -- as well as music related to those terms.  You can even type in the name of your favorite song (for instance, I like "El Rancho Grande"), and Pandora will play your song and what it thinks is similar.

If Pandora or the concept of internet radio is not for you, no big deal.  For today's free, fun activity for your kids, you can use the regular old radio -- or your CD's or iTunes collection.  (A lot of cable and satellite providers also offer "radio" stations as part of their free packages -- you could use those channels, too!). . .

 

Today's activity is very easy and very fun.  It involves both following instructions and being creative.

 

Grab some crayons, some blank paper, and some children at loose ends.  

 

Start the activity off by thinking of a simple shape you could draw, such as a cube or a house.  Don't tell the kids what you have in mind, but rather begin drawing the shape slowly, line by line.  The kids should copy your every line on their pieces of paper, so when you guys are all done, you will all have the exact same (or extremely similar) shapes.  . . .

 
My kids love pinball, and I think because of the same reasons that I am not a fan. 

Essentially, pinball is loud.  There is a lot of racket and often a lot of flashing lights.  My kids were given a small pinball contraption as a gift, and well, I'm ready to re-gift it!

In order to better satisfy the pro- and anti-pinball contingents in my home, I have invented a new, more mellow version of the game:  super olden days pinball.. . .

 

This one is very easy, and it makes for a very fun activity for your kids.

Today, you and the kids are going to be changing the dimensions of your house.  All you need is some masking tape.

Put the masking tape on the floors in your house to create new "walls" and "rooms."  Of course, your kids should definitely contribute their thoughts as to where new walls and rooms should be.. . .