Looking to get crafty? Look no further! We’ve enlisted our friends from Creative Galaxy to bring you some art-tastic activities that you make out of what you have at home!
Creative Galaxy follows the adventures of Arty, and his inspirational sidekick Epiphany as they soar through the Creative Galaxy fixing problem – with art! Whether it’s saving the day with mixed media art, creative snacks, or even slime, Arty always discovers new ways to come to the rescue for his friends and family.
We’ve highlighted just a few of the many awesome arts & craft ideas from the newest season of Creative Galaxy, now streaming on Amazon Prime.
So come on artists, let’s get creative!
*And before we start, don’t forget when crafts require scissors and cutting, always get a grown up to help!
1. Art from the Heart – Shadow Box Time!
Turn your feelings into art!
In “Mom’s Overnight Trip,” Arty’s Mom is away on a work trip, and he really misses her. To cheer him up, Arty’s Dad takes him to Sculpturon where their new friend and talking sculpture, Seraphina shows them how to make shadow box art, helping Arty feel much better. So, if your little one is missing a friend or family member during this time, you can help turn those feelings into a masterpiece!
As Seraphina explains, Joseph Cornell collected everyday things, from newspaper to string, and arranged them into boxes he built, turning them into creative works of art! Among many items, Arty’s shadow box includes a playdough sculpted Epiphany, a drawing of his friends, and the car his mom was playing with earlier that morning. The activity helped get Arty’s mind off missing Mom so much, and including the car was a fun way for him to express that he did miss her.
If you want to follow along in Arty’s steps, all you need is a box of any kind, adhesive to hold the items in the box in place (glue, tape), and anything that “lights you up,” as Arty would say! Let your little one(s) be inspired not only by the crafts you have but also by the things around them!
If a shadow box isn’t for you, there’s so many other ways we can use art to help feel better. You can draw a postcard to send to a loved one, bead them a bracelet, even have some fun with your food! There are never too many ways to play with art, so let’s get started.
2. Art to the Rescue!
During hard times like these, we can use art to help people who might be going through some challenges in our community! Let’s see how Arty does it.
After a big storm in “Galaxy Day,” Arty and his friends discover that the library has been ruined. The kids race into the Creative Galaxy to gather supplies to help fix it, but soon realize that all the planets have been impacted by the storm too! At each planet, they leap into action to help fix some problem the storm has created – helping paper mâché a new bird’s nest at Paperia planet and re-painting Pablo’s house on Paintoria planet. Before heading home, they bring supplies from each planet and snacks from Cooktopia to help everyone fixing the library. “We help each other,” Arty proclaims “with art! That’s what we do.”
Taking inspiration from Arty and his intergalactic friends, we too can help those in need through art: sew a facemask your little one(s) can decorate and donate; draw/paint postcards to send to health workers and/or elderly homes/grandparents; make ‘wash your hands’ or ‘social distancing’ signs to post around your neighborhood. There are so many great things we can do to help our local and global communities while involving our kids and the fun of art!
3. Art-tastic Video Games
Calling all gamers! Bring your screens to life – with this game-inspired art challenge!
In “A Playdate Adventure,” Arty’s dad needs his tablet back but Arty, Epiphany and Eureka really want to keep playing their adventure game. The team travels to Sculpturon where they meet Seraphina, who uses some ingenuity and imagination to create a life-sized art-tastic version of the game! Empty milk jugs are covered in gold foil replicating boulders to jump over. A magical waterfall is created using a hula-hoop and some blue and silver streamers. Pool noodles become a path, carpets become lava and cardboard boxes are transformed into tunnels! And the final touch—dragons are crafted from empty toilet paper rolls.
Now it’s your turn! Take a note from Arty and friends, switch on your imagination and transform an everyday setting into an out-of-this-world gaming adventure.
Here are a few ideas to get you started:
- Turn your backyard into a jungle with discoveries to explore, using cups as binoculars
- Soar through the sky on a pillow cloud adventure in a cardboard airplane
- Find a space to set sail in a carboard pirate ship
Now go forth and turn art into an adventure!
4. Art for our Furry Friends – Make Your Own Pet Toys
Got a furry friend? Show them some love – with art!
In “Taking Care of Splatter,” Arty and Epiphany are so excited to watch Jackson’s dog Splatter! But when Splatter only wants to play with Baby Georgia’s favorite stuffie, Arty and the gang travel to Fabrictopia to create a toy that’s just right for Splatter. How do they do it? Follow along to the instructions below for your own art-inspired dog toy!
Instructions
1. Collect three old T-shirts of different colors.
2. Lay them flat on a table and cut horizontally across the top, right underneath the arms.
3. Now, clear the tops of the t-shirts out of the way leaving only the bottom three pieces.
4. On each piece, cut open the vertical seem on one side and unfold.
5. Then cut each piece horizontally into three long strips of fabric (9 pieces total)
6. Grab all the pieces and tie them together with a knot at the top (making sure the colors remain separate).
7. With the knot in place, begin braiding the three colors together.
a. In order to braid, start by bringing the color on the right over the middle to the inside. Then grab the color on the left and do the same thing – always bringing the outside strip over the middle to the inside.
8. Once you’ve reached the bottom, secure the braid with a knot.
And just like that, your pups’ toy is ready for some tugging! If you don’t have a dog, that doesn’t mean you can’t get creative as well. With cardboard boxes, some popsicle sticks and glue, you can make your curious cat, bunny, or hamster a fun new home. Or, string some beads along a pipe cleaner to make a swing for your bird, or the birds that visit your backyard. Have a string and a bell? Tie them together for never-ending kitten fun. The options are endless! Use what you have and get creative artists!
Ideas are everywhere, all you have to do is get creative! If you enjoyed these crafts, be sure to stream Creative Galaxy on Amazon Prime for more.
Finally, for those who are just discovering Creative Galaxy for the first time, we’ve highlighted a few more ideas that were featured on seasons 1 & 2 for you to watch and try at home:
Here the episodes I think work best for kids stuck at home during quarantine:
- Episode 101 – Kids learn a very pointed lesson about pointillism!
- Episode 102 – Make your own stuffie!
- Episode 104 – Learn how to bring the things we love from the outside, inside in a creative way!
- Episode 108 – Learn new ways to make daily routines a little more artistic 🙂
- Episode 203 – How to create a space installation and learn about the Rube Goldberg machine!
- Episode 205 – It’s time to build a fort!
- Episode 212 – See how art can lift your spirits!