This year, we may not be able to ‘trick or treat’ in the same way as we normally do but crafting is a great way to connect with family and friends this Halloween.
Shannon Wong-Nizic of Oh Creative Day has created a special activity using Pilot Pintor Paint Markers that can help the kids enjoy the fun this Halloween!
There’s no doubt about it, families have been put under pressure recently, with many in lengthy lockdowns and home-schooling. With Halloween on the horizon, we may not be able to ‘trick or treat’ in the same way as we normally do but craft is a great way to connect with family and friends.
“Online learning means that screen time is at an all-time high in many homes at the moment. Creative activities provide us with a perfect way to disconnect from screens and reconnect with each other. Arts and crafts provide a great escape, a way to use our imaginations and travel beyond the walls of our homes and celebrate the things that we usually do outside of our homes”
Shannon Wong-Nizic, craft expert and owner of ohcreativeday, an online parenting resource.
Here are Shannon’s top tips for connecting with craft this Halloween:
- Screentime downtime – disconnect to connect! As a family, make a shared agreement to disconnect from screens and technology for a period of time and connect over creativity. Discuss and negotiate the period for which you all think you need to be screen-free. It could be 15 minutes, it could be an hour! I’ve really struggled with the constant pinging of devices whilst being at home and helping my children learn from home. Turn the screens off, put the phone on silent and enjoy the screen-free time together. Put your phone out of reach or in another room so that you can mindfully focus on the activity in front of you. Keeping your hands busy with arts and crafts will cure you of reaching regularly for your phone to check emails and scroll. Guaranteed!
- Colour crazy – When it comes to colour, my philosophy is; “More is More!” Providing your little artists with lots of bright, bold colours invites them to explore, take creative risks and be imaginative. Providing complementary colours when creating with young children leads to colourful, frame-worthy masterpieces. My children and I love the Pintor Neon range because they always produce a vibrant, eye-catching result.
- Texture touch –We’re all currently contending with big feelings and it’s definitely true for our little ones who are missing friends, family, school and routines. At the moment, I am trying to make sure I offer plenty of sensory experiences through creating at home for my children with activities like threading beads, twisting pipe cleaners or having fun with textures like tissue paper. Such activities are grounding and absorbing as they provide sensory input which helps with emotional regulation. They are also low-mess activities- nobody needs to be dealing with artsy, craftsy mess at the moment!
- Chat away – I always say that “busy hands make for loose lips.” I love the way that getting creative allows children to relax and chat, often providing insights into what is on their mind. Crafting provides children with the chance to creatively express themselves whilst processing the world around them.
- Share the love – I have loved seeing the inspirational ways people and communities have used arts and crafts to connect in these socially distanced times. For all the negatives of technology, it has allowed us to remain connected and to share what we have been doing whilst at home. Encourage your children to take photos of their masterpieces and email or message them to their grandparents and friends!
To encourage connection through craft this Halloween, Shannon has created some special activities that can be shared with family and friends. You can check them out here.
Pintor Neon Paint Markers are available from Big W and select independent retailers, Medium 6-pack, RRP $31.20; Broad 4-pack, RRP: $25.00.
Shannon Wong is a teacher, mum of three and avid crafter. An enthusiastic fan of pom poms, PVA and paint, she runs popular blog and online parenting resource dedicated to all things creative, https://ohcreativeday.com/ and has over 30,000 followers on Instagram.
Download the template for your Monster mask HERE
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