Mini Artists – serie

WINNER of the Made For Mums 2024 Gold Award - Non-fiction/activity bookTwenty art projects inspired by famous artworks for budding mini artists aged 3–6 years. The benefits of art to young children are well known. Art stimulates curiosity, creativity and the imagination. It also cultivates wellbeing, but being creative with young children can feel surprisingly daunting - and this is where Mini Artists comes in. The twenty projects in Mini Artists are designed to engage children with art through making. Mini artists will discover drip painting with Jackson Pollock, carve soap sculptures with Barbara Hepworth, and create their own obliteration room with Yayoi Kusama. They'll also travel through time and explore art from different periods, from cave painting to Medieval stained-glass, and Chinese ink painting to washable graffiti inspired by Jean-Michel Basquiat. Each project requires minimal set-up so the maximum amount of time is spent creating together, and the step-by-step instructions show photographs of the projects in progress so they can be followed at a glance. The projects use simple materials, from clay to ink to paint. Being grounded in art history, Mini Artists features a range of interesting art techniques that are ideal for teaching new motor skills.

Mini Architects harnesses the enduring fascination young children have with building to introduce them to architecture and structures from around the world. Designed to engage young children with architecture through creative art projects, Mini Architects takes inspiration from some of the most famous architectural wonders of the past and present, including the ancient Pyramids of Giza, Stonehenge and Le Corbusier’s Cité Radieuse. Mini architects can choose from a variety of easy-to-make projects using simple materials and featuring a range of interesting techniques, ideal for teaching new motor skills. Step-by-step photographs and clear instructions are easy to follow for both children and adults, and each project requires minimal set up and clean up, to ensure the maximum amount of time is spent creating together. Each project is accompanied by photographic reproductions of the famous buildings that inspired them, along with fun facts and questions about the structures and their architects, designed to familiarize young children with the creative world of architecture and encourage discussion.

Following on from Mini Artists and Mini Architects, this new title will introduce creative children to the world of Graphic and Product Design. Across twenty easy-to-prepare craft activities, children will gain an understanding of how and why objects have been created throughout history – from traditional items made for function and cultural significance to essential and efficiently crafted everyday products – and creations that reflect the creativity of the artists who made them. From road signs and billboards seen on the way to school or nursery, to lamps that light our homes, children are surrounded by examples of creative design every day. Through twenty projects by designers from across the world, mini designers will learn what good design can accomplish and how to apply those principles in their own creativity. The wide variety of activities and craft techniques means there is something for every interest and mood. Craft projects include making a mixed-media vase inspired by Hella Jongerius, creating a toy race car from recycled materials and designing a map of an imaginary city based on the iconic London Tube map. With fast set-up and clean-down times for every project, this book is perfect for use at home or in schools and play groups, and will make for wonderful creative bonding time between imaginative children and their art-loving grown-ups.