This post is sponsored by GapKids. Check out all the fun Shine On activities at your nearest Gap store. For event dates and locations, visit Gap’s Facebook page and join the conversation on Twitter with hashtag #ShineOn.
As the mother of two small children who fancies herself as creative, I love to encourage the artistic side in my children. Creativity can take many forms and I believe it should be celebrated and encouraged. It’s the children of today and their creativity that will make our world a better place.
I encourage my children’s creativity with art, play, books, humor, activities, performances, you name it. I showcase my children’s art with pride and let them know how much I appreciate it. For as controlling as I can be in so many parts of my life, when it comes to my children’s creativity I don’t try to control it at all. If they want to color outside the lines, I let them. I like to think of my kids as the artists in residence. Encouraging their creativity actually reinvigorates my own.
This month, select GapKids stores across the country will host Shine On Saturdays events that are meant to help kids express their creativity. What the heck is a Shine One event, you say? GapKids Shine On Saturday events are a series of special art projects by Merrilee Liddiard of Mer Mag. The projects are inspired by the GapKids and babyGap fall collection and range from creating geometric masterpieces on canvas to making colorful custom journals. Oh and did I mention the events are free?!
Here are upcoming GapKids Shine On Events near San Francisco:
Saturday, August 18
10am-1pm
GapKids @ University
35 University Ave
Los Gatos, CA 95030
Saturday, August 25
10am-1pm
GapKids @ Broadway Plaza
1139 S. Main St
Walnut Creek, CA 94596
Was your creativity encouraged as a child?
I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective, and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.
That’s really cool. I don’t feel like my creative was encouraged (because my parents were so young with me, they still had a lot of growing to do.) I feel like I found it anyway. Maybe I’m not where I would have been had they helped in the process. I love to see parents do what you’re doing, it’s beautiful/
You definitely found your way. It is beyond apparent that you are in touch with your creativity.
Yes, my creativity was encouraged! I was entered into several are contest from the age of 5 to 18 and won quite a few. I love to draw, paint and color with crayons. Yes I still color with crayons… my nephew loves it. 🙂 I too encouraged my children’s creativity. When they were little you could hardly see the refrigerator do for all of the drawings and painting etc. I think they loved finger painting and water colors more than anything.
I want to do some melted crayon art. I’ve been wanting to for awhile. I just gotta figure out how I want to do it.
This is very sweet. I still have a lot of Vidur’s “art” from when he was a toddler. My Mom always encouraged me. 🙂 and made me believe I could do anything I set my mind to.
And your mother was right.