Take the Challenge: A Month of Creativity for Boston Families

3/4/13 - By Tara D

Did you know that March is National Craft Month? In honor of the occasion, the folks at Artbeat Creativity Store in Arlington have issued a challenge – A Month of Creativity – and we’re taking it up a level. Inspired by cre8time.org, the challenge is to find 8 minutes every day, for 30 days, to devote to an art activity. We've added a Mommy Poppins twist: Spend 8 minutes each day working on an art activity with your kids

We’ve started the challenge, and so have many of our readers. We know you can do it – and we’ve got a whole palette of tools to help you succeed. Read on for a roundup of ideas to get you started, stores for art supplies, and places to make arts and crafts in and around Boston. 

Are you in?

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Getting Started

Visit cre8time.org for inspiration.

Pick up  a Month of Creativity Kit from Artbeat . The kits are $15 and include 30 surfaces (each very manageable 3 inch squares) for making different types art: watercolor papers, canvases, squares of felt, collage boards, and bristol boards.

Grab some stuff out of your recycling bin, get the scissors, crayons, markers, pencils, and glue, and just... make something! (This is my family’s preferred method.)

If you’re looking for  kid-friendly arts and crafts ideas, one of our 4 Homemade Mother’s Day Gifts might be a good starting point. They're fun projects for any time of year.

For Pinspiration, visit our Pinterest page. We have a Crafts for Kids and Parents board, and we've just added A Month of Creativity.


Stocking Up

30 days of creativity may require more supplies than you have on hand. Take a look at Crafting with Kids: 5 Places to Get Arts & Crafts Supplies in and Around Boston for some of our favorite places to buy arts & crafts supplies.


Getting Out

You may want to combine your art making with social time, or maybe you just want to get out of the house. Take a look at our posts featuring great places to get creative in and around Boston:

In Boston, take time to get creative at the MFA, ICA, Diablo Glass School, and Mama & Me. They each offer unique and wonderful opportunities for kids and parents to make art.

In Greater Boston, some of our favorite places for creating art are the Brookline Arts Center, Family Fun Saturdays at the Peabody Museum, Gather Here, and Mucky Kids.

If you’re in the MetroWest area, you can take shelter in one of these arts and crafts oases : Kidcasso Art Studio in Arlington, Dabblers in Concord, Whimsy in Framingham, and New Art Studio in Newtonville.

Not long ago, we found three new places to make really cool things: The Color Loft in Braintree, Indigo Fire in Belmont, and Make Meaning in Dedham. Definitely worth checking out.


Sharing the Fun

Enjoy those eight minutes each day with your kids every day, and good luck! Check our Facebook page and Pinterest boards for updates – we will tell you how we’re doing with the challenge, and we want to hear how it’s going for your family. Email me photos of your family’s cre8tive time, and I’ll post them on our new Month of Creativity Pinterest board!