Do it yourself

Mandala

PROJECT COURTESY OF LITTLE ARTISTAS, SAN FRANCISCO

Your little Banksy or Basquiat will love this one. This project, which will allow your toddler’s creativity to unfold while exploring a new medium, involves creating a different kind of street art. Make sure you and your child pick a good canvas, whether it’s a nice stretch of sidewalk or a piece of plywood — we were even able to do it on some cardboard. The idea comes from San Francisco-based Little Artistas, a studio that has helped many kids explore fun and creative ways to express themselves since 2013. And don’t worry unlike tagging, you won’t have to worry about this activity being illegal, messy (the paint won’t stain if you use washable liquid watercolors) or permanent.

MATERIALS

Corn starch (½ cup per child), water (¾ cup per child), measuring cups, plastic cups, craft sticks, paintbrushes, droppers, liquid watercolors (in a variety of colors), containers for liquid watercolors, chalk

PROCESS

Tell the kids we’re making a mandala, and ask if they know what it is Draw a large circle with chalk Have each kid scoop out a ½ cup of cornstarch into a cup. Have each kid add a cup of water and mix with the craft stick

Ask them how it feels after each step. Add watercolors to the cups and stir with droppers. Let kids paint a part of the circle of their choice.