Does your family have a tradition of picking out pumpkins? From the grocery store to the pumpkin patch to the U-pick farm, it is so fun to look at all the pumpkins and let your kids pick out just the right one for your home. 

You can use this experience to build your kids' artistic imaginations with these ideas:

1. Questioning-While your kids are scouting out your personal favorites, ask your kids questions to engage their imaginations and spur their vocabulary usage. Here are some ideas:

• Can you name 3 specific color(s) you like without using the word orange?
• Which shape do you think is best for our decorations this year?
• Do you remember what kind of pumpkin you picked/face you carved/painted last year?
• Do you find that you always pick the same shape or color, or do you like to change it each year?
• If this pumpkin had a face or a personality, what would it's personality be like? 

2. Writing-After your pumpkin-picking out experience, write about it. If your kids are not yet...

Are you looking for a quick, no/low mess activity to do with your kids this fall that will add to the fun of the season? You know, for that moment when you're tired, or they are tired, but maybe it's not good weather to play outside? Maybe they haven't had enough art time this week and need a new idea? Here's an easy activity for you! This is a great clay pumpkin project with air dry Model Magic clay for kids, so they can make some pumpkins to add to the fall decorations at home.

This one can also be done with Sculpey clay and baked in the oven. Years ago, I had Sculpey out for the kids to create with, and my husband Mike made the "see-through" pumpkin design, which we baked in the oven and used for years for our fall decor. 

I've made a 2 min. video showing you and your family how to do this--all you need is about 15 minutes, a small balloon, and some Model Magic.  Make a whole pumpkin patch! You can add twinkle lights inside these for extra sparkle for your table. 

Here's how to m...

It is the time of year when lots of us are looking at more pumpkin everything! Even this local church, where last week I was honored to be invited to a sweet Storygalorey friend's birthday party, got in the pumpkin spirit. The party was at her church and this sign outside caught my eye as I parked: 😂

Of course, I hope you have lots of pumpkin books to read (Grab the fall picture book list here)

and lots of pumpkin art to do with your kids and grandkids! 

This month I've got 1 pumpkin art idea for you each week-and all you need is Model Magic clay in red and yellow. I'll teach you how to make 3 art-y pumpkins 🎃 🎃 🎃 with the whole family. You could also get this multicolor Model Magic set containing 15 different colors. One advantage to this type of clay is that it is air dry clay-when you are done, just let it dry naturally-nothing more for you to do.

There are many air dry clays out there; I have only used Model Magic and it works well; so I have not experimented with other types...

I'll bet at some point you've thrown a rock into a pond and watched the ripples extend further and further out as a result of your casual toss. I've been thinking a lot about that metaphor this month. 
We never know which action of ours is going to have a ripple effect to touch someone else's ideas and actions, which in turn spark someone else.

Have you ever heard of Savonarola? Probably not. He was a monk and a fiery preacher during the Renaissance  who influenced Michelangelo. It is said Michelangelo heard his voice in his head while painting the Sistine Chapel.  What about Giuliano della Rovere? Ever heard of him? Thought not. He became Pope Julius II, who commissioned Michelangelo to paint the Sistine Chapel. Because Michelangelo was a sculptor, it was definitely out of his comfort zone to paint a huge fresco. But the pope influenced him to do it…and we are the recipients of Michelangelo's willingness to change direction.
People and their stories matter. Yours. Your child's. And God...

Want to develop deeper bonds with your kids? Sometimes art can be a great springboard to conversation and a better understanding between parents and children, or to help build the relationship between grandparents and grandchildren.

Last week I had the privilege of one-on-one time with a Storygalorey friend whose grandma purchased a private art lesson for him. He was visiting from another area of the world, and one way they've connected is through Drawing for Kids online art and stories. What a wonderful time we had! It was fun to get to know him and his story a little bit. It was amazing to watch this child enjoy art plus special attention from his mom and grandma. It was a special art date with them.

As our kids were growing up, we tried to take them on dates on a fairly regular basis to give them individual attention. Back then, I wish I'd thought of taking them on a creativity date instead of the expedient McDonalds! We wanted them to feel seen and to know they were loved in our ...

It was the very first summer of Storygalorey. I was nervous, but as I opened the front door, I was greeted by a smiling friend who had kindly supported me by bringing her daughter. I relaxed and took a deep breath. Nothing to be anxious about here! I glanced at her T-shirt and quickly took in the words printed on them. It was a shirt from her church, and it read: 

Every name has a story. Every story matters to God.  

Those words grabbed me. "Wow!" I thought, "that's kind of what was in the back of my mind with starting this new business. Stories, art, loving people, pointing to God..."

All I said out loud was, "I love your shirt!" 

Imagine how I felt when she came to Storygalorey the next time, thrusting a small grey bundle of fabric into my hands. "It's the T-shirt you liked! I had an extra!" I felt so loved and seen. That feeling--of someone seeing you and recognizing you in the moment, is exactly the message the shirt meant to convey, and she had acted it out. 

Every name has a...

This month we’ve been talking about how to choose classic books to read aloud to different ages of kids. To finish up the month, I’m going to:

• answer the question, why read aloud to older kids, anyway?
• add one more list-this one is must read classic books for middle school and up

But first, please ✨add sparkle and fun✨ with art and stories to your school or after-school learning this year!

❇️ Online classes are ready whenever it fits your schedule and can add fun to your learning! Find out more here about quick and easy monthly Art Club, and here for our step- by-step Drawing For Kids course. 

Reading aloud is great, but why should you still read aloud to kids who can read it to themselves? By the way, when I mention reading aloud, listening to audiobooks counts, too! 

Reading aloud to middle school students and teens can:

-draw reluctant readers into a great story. Try reading the first few chapters aloud, and then leaving the book on a table for them to pick up and finish ...

Last week, I shared some “must read” classic picture books to read aloud to young children. (And I missed a few...Richard Scarry's Cars and Trucks and Things that Go was one of them!)

This week, I’d like to share some classic chapter book read alouds for kids and parents to enjoy.

Are you ready for a little longer reading aloud experience for your kids? Perhaps you love picture books but are interested in something with continuity that will keep your kids coming back for more every afternoon or for a bedtime routine. 

📚Before I share my favorite next step chapter books, I want to remind you that Storygalorey art Club is a wonderful way to do art at home, with a new exciting art project every month, reading suggestions, and a private community where your kids can share art and ask questions from a trusted teacher! Your kids can enjoy lots of story based art at your own schedule, with easy to find supplies like colored pencils, crayons, and watercolors. Take a second to Join the pri...

 Recently I was asked by a conscientious young mom what I would recommend for a “must read” list of children’s literature.  What are some classic books every child should read, and every family can enjoy reading aloud together?

I remember wanting a checklist  like that when I was a young mom. It is so frustrating to read something poorly written, boring, or questionable to my kids. Worse yet, it is gut-wrenching to read a book where you actually sense a message you don’t want your kids to absorb. 

Back in the pre-internet days, I primarily used three resources to choose good read alouds for my kids: The Read Aloud Handbook by Jim Trelease, the Rainbow Resource Catalog, and the Sonlight Curriculum read aloud lists. I also drew on my own favorites from childhood plus whatever my friends recommended. Libraries also had some lists I occasionally found helpful.

The internet has made the search more accessible, but also more overwhelming. My favorite resource besides Sonlight lists is the...

Want a fun way to inspire kids' imaginations this week? I can't wait to share...but, first, if you are interested in more art and stories in a fun, private online community, jump on the priority list for our Art Club which is coming soon! 

Back to inspiring your kids to draw a time machine...

Do you ever close your eyes and wish you were in your favorite spot? Like, say, a beach location or a place nearer to home that you love to visit? That exercise itself is valuable--it may help you relax and it reduces stress.
If you take it a step further and imagine yourself in a new, yet-to-be-discovered place, or a place you are inventing in your mind, then you begin to also involve your imagination and to work your brain in a new way. And maybe, imagining something and dreaming about it can also spark an adventure or even an invention.

Ask kids the questions, "Where in the world would you like to go?" and "When in time would you travel if you could go visit any time or place?"

Let’s spark y...