Art is an important part of our daily routine here. I don't consider myself to be all that creative of a person, but I so love watching children create. In particular, I love the way that art combines so many different and important skills for children. It's practical life, it's fine motor, it's sequencing, it's color theory, it's sorting, and so much more.
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Henry was never big into art projects as a toddler, and I honestly think because we never had a very conducive art area or open ended exploration. I got very sucked into Pinterest inspired art projects that he couldn't care less about. Anyway, different story with Nora. She loves art and is engaged in the creative process almost daily.
One way that we keep our art supplies neat, organized, and accessible for both Nora and Henry is through our DIY crayon sorter! I actually made this back when Henry was a toddler and it has been working well for our family for several years. Not only is it beautiful, it helps to enforce the sensitive period for order.
Make a Montessori inspired crayon storage
You'll need:
- 4 ounce metal fruit cups or other small cups
- Acrylic paint
- Modge Podge Sealer
- Small Screws
- Painted Board
It took several layers of paint to fully cover the cup. Make sure to let the paint dry fully between each layer or it will just peel the layers of paint right off. Once the cup is completely covered with paint, you can seal the inside and outside with modge podge. This will give the cups a glossy look and make crayon marks easier to clean.
When all the cups are sealed and dried, then you can arrange on your board. We used 1x2 board, in a straight line in rainbow-ish order. But, this could be done in any arrangement that suited your space. Once your arrangement is set, simply screw the cups into the board. One screw per cup has kept our cups securely in place for years. And, that's it! Add some crayons and let your child create!
Not Interested in a DIY? There are great commercial options too!
How do you store your art supplies? Have you found sorting crayons by color helps to keep things neat?
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