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 "Does the thought of your child bringing home one more art project make you downright desperate for storage space?
Take a stand, manage the mess, and curate the clutter! Before you toss it, consider why your child's art might be important to save:
Children's art is a reflection of who they are from the inside. It speaks volumes about your child's personal interests and unique ideas. In addition, through aesthetic choices of color, line quality, and placement of compositional elements, children reveal much about who they are and what they think.
Art gifts are mementos of children's thoughtfulness to others. They are wonderful examples of how a child cultivates friendships and family relationships. By making something special for that special someone, children demonstrate their ability to build connections based on their knowledge of that other person.
And finally, grown children often enjoy connecting to tangible evidence of their creative childhoods. The opportunity to sort through early imaginative gestures is not only amusing but provides a valuable view into our playful past."
- from the Chicago Children's Museum
Kids create a lot of art. An AWFUL lot! So figuring out a way to store it and preserve it without having it take over your closets, storage room, attic, basement, garage and sanity can be a challenge. Sure you want to hang on to your child's art, but what's the point if it's hidden away where it'll never be seen, or worse..........ruined, dried out, cracked, warped, flaked and broken. Your child's precious art deserves better. Wouldn't it be wonderful if there were a way to celebrate and preserve your child's work? There is! In fact, there are a myriad of ways out there, thanks, in part, to the digital age in which we live.
One of my favorites is Souvenarte Books. Susan Berman (of Souvenarte) can create a beautifully bound, pictorial book of your child's art. So reclaim your closets; say goodbye to those macaroni art mosaics, the spool and glue menorahs, the trinket boxes and sculptures. Create the ultimate keepsake...........a photo book of your child's art to be enjoyed, shared, treasured and passed down for years to come.
Other Tips to Help You Manage Your Childrens' Art:
1) Start the school year with a portfolio for each child. (You can easily make one yourself using two pieces of over-size cardboard.) Punch three holes on each piece of cardboard. Tie them together with string. LABEL THE PORTFOLIO. (example: Sept. 2011, John Doe, Age 6).
2) Write the date on each and every piece of art your child brings home from school immediately. (Make sure to write down the child's name, too, if you have more than one child.)
3) BE DISCERNING - YOU CAN'T KEEP IT ALL! You don't have to save each and every piece of art your child brings home. Save only the pictures you like and find interesting and/or decorative. Save pictures that are well thought out, capture a milestone, reflect your childs interests or show a great deal of planning and work. Save pictures your child is especially proud of.
Don't feel guilty about tossing the little notes and drawings that come in daily. Save the important ones. If you keep them all, you'll get buried!
4) Display the most current art - either on the refrig or in the playroom. Magnetic paint is terrific for kids' rooms (no messy tape or nails to muck up the walls). Magnets hold the art to the wall until you're ready to rotate the pictures out and put up new ones.
5) Recycle childrens' art by turning pictures into wrapping paper or greeting cards. Send some off to the grandparents.
6) Take pictures. Lots of art can fit on a CD or DVD (I used to take pictures of my daughter holding her artwork.)
7) At the end of each school year, EDIT the artwork and keep only the best pieces.
8) And finally..........ENJOY your little one's creativity by taking the time to go back and look at their old artwork with them. Snowy days are great for this, so settle in with some hot chocolate and enjoy!
I hope these tips will inspire and motivate you so that you can enjoy your childrens' artwork for years to come.
'Til next time, be well, be safe, be organized............xxx's,
Nancy | 
