By: Christina Shields
I am missing all of the creative families that attend our monthly Create, Color & Chill program at HEPL’s Noblesville location. As you may remember, Create, Color & Chill usually includes a fun, sensory station; a musical component; and a creative activity. Below you’ll find resources and ideas so you can Create, Color & Chill at home!
To recreate our fun, sensory station, make rice-filled socks or flour-filled balloons (with your grown-up’s help) or look around your house for Playdough, modeling clay, sand, and water beads. Any of these make great stress busters during the long days of social distancing.
For the musical component of Create, Color & Chill, you have access to tons of free music via the library’s subscription to Hoopla (including collections specifically curated for relaxation or children). Just login to your account with your library card (if you need a library card, we now have digital card applications). If classical music is your jam for relaxing try out the free library app Freegal and choose “classical” or your favorite genre! Additionally, Youtube and Amazon’s Alexa (Echo, etc.) have relaxing playlists for free!
Create is such an important piece of Create, Color & Chill. No matter what you’re creating, don’t worry about the end product; just have fun with the process. If it’s a nice day out, find a way to create outside (safely and carefully, of course)! If you have sidewalk chalk, the world becomes your canvas. Jackie Cravener has twelve new ways for you to create using sidewalk chalk.
For more DIY arts and craft activities check out these free resources:
- The Hobbies and Crafts Reference Center is a database on INSPIRE with many popular hobbies, crafts, and recreational activities. This database offers detailed “how-to” instructions and creative ideas for hobby enthusiasts of all ages. Full text is provided from leading hobby and craft magazines, including Bead & Button, Creative Knitting, FineScale Modeler, Quilter’s World, and many more.
- Ignite Studio, HEPL’s makerspace at the Fishers location, has been posting some awesome creative ideas on HEPL’s Twitter Follow their hashtag #IgniteAtHEPL.
- Pinterest also has many fun DIY arts and crafts resources for children. Try out this search phrase “crafts out of toilet paper rolls kids.”
I hope you have a fun and relaxing time creating and de-stressing with these activities until I see you again!