A sad symptom associated with Novemberitis is dwindling creativity, and many of us feel the impact all too distinctly.

But don’t worry, I’ve got three easy creativity boosters for you today. Not only are these great activities to keep little ones occupied during the school holidays, but they require only basic supplies and no artistic skill!

So, let’s jump right in, shall we?

Blob Painting

I’ve shared this fun activity in previous blog posts, but it remains one of my favourite pastimes on those days my creative brain is on strike.

All you’ll need is paper, watercolours, a paintbrush, and some pens. And you don’t need fancy paint either! I used my daughter’s kid’s set for this post.

Begin by painting loose blobs on the page and let them dry.

Next, we’ll look for pictures in the blobs, turning the page until we see a shape, then draw the pictures with our pens.

I try to follow the curves and shades in the paint and allow that to guide my drawings. Sometimes, inspiration strikes fast, but other blobs require some brainstorming. 🤣 Finishing a page is super satisfying and really helps loosen the creativity blocks in the old noggin!

Squiggle Drawings

For this exercise, you’ll need paper, pens, and optional colouring supplies.

The idea is similar to blob doodles: we’ll create a new picture out of something else. But instead of painting blobs, we’ll draw random lines, curves, and shapes on the page. The key is to keep it simple!

Next, we’ll rotate the page until we find a layout for our intended artwork. The only rule is that all the squiggle lines must be used in the final artwork.

Kayla used the layout pictured above, and drew this silly picture from those lines.

She drew these squiggles for me, and this is what I came up with.

For additional fun, photocopy the original squiggles and have multiple people create art from the same prompt. It’s amazing how vastly different the results turn out!

Buddy Draw

For this final exercise, you’ll need a buddy/buddies, paper, pencils, and optional colouring tools.

One buddy draws something simple on the page, the other buddy adds to it, then passes it back to the original buddy (or to the next one, if you have multiple buddies participating). The page goes back and forth, with each buddy adding something to the picture until it’s done.

Kayla and I drew this one together. She started us off, and this is how it went down.

We’ll colour this one in our next sesh. 😊

We didn’t set a drawing timer, but a time limit can be a fun addittion to this exercise (especially if you’re working with a group).

I hope this post inspires you to boost your creativity! If you have any neat ideas to add to this post, meet me in the comments or send me a DM. I love hearing from you!

Yolandie