I remember LOVING it when my mom would open the chest at the end of her bed and show me the collection of pieces of “art” she saved over the years. They had a special smell. The colors were quite muted. But they were MINE. And SHE kept MY WORK. At least the worthy ones. It was like discovering a buried treasure over and over again. Come to think of it…I wonder where that collection, worthy of a gallery installment in my mom’s kitchen went…
Flash forward to my life as a mom and the collection of creativity that fills my sons minds, fingers, and souls. Right now, the theme is sports – oh my goodness, SPORTS! They have created (mainly with total solid manipulation from the older to the younger) paper sports arenas. Paper + cardboard + markers = sports field, rinks, etc.
That first piece of art is totally saved. I have my bin, one for each kid – I have dreams of what to actually do with them, someday I keep telling myself. Until then, let the creative juices flow and create masterpieces and fill the bins up. If you already have stacks of kid art on your counter, here are some things to consider when you sort through and are trying to figure out which ones to save and which ones to toss.
Gallery Night: We have hosted a home gallery event where I taped all their current year pieces to the hall walls, kitchen walls, doors, etc – then invited the grandparents over. That was AGES ago now – so note to self, host a semester art show this year.
Storage: Basic simple plastic totes – you know the ones that you store clothes in. Keeps things dry, could be organized, and tidy. I have found storing one in each kids closet works best.
Longevity: Let’s be real here – the cotton glued to craft paper to make an awesome bunny is adorable come Easter time, but the likely hood of it surviving storage for more than a few seasons (I got lucky somehow) is slim. When my kids come home from school/church/grandma’s I TRY to snap a photo with my phone. Sometimes, when my studio is set up, I do it up right and take the photos in nice light and a white background. ( Sometimes, sorry boys)
Sharing: An awesome way to bring a little joy to someone’s life is to send them a note and a piece of kid art. Nothing fancy, think about how you’d feel if you got a little extra love in your snail mail box.
Display: Here are three separate ideas you can choose what works best for your home.
- In an actual frame, and hung up. They do create cool frames that you can swap out the art every so often.
- A close line (IKEA makes a cool metal one) that displays the current art in our kitchen.
- On a bulletin board. My kids have filled theirs from little summer creations.
So momma’s – with a month into school already – secure an empty tote and start the preservation.
PS: I asked my mom what she did with my childhood art, here’s what she said: “I saved the art that ‘spoke’ to me, that gave me the feeling that the artist (you) did their best and really thought about their creation.”
