Art in the Park

This post is sponsored by Stonyfield.

At the end of the school year, we scramble–hustling to make it through and checking off the last of school responsibilities that seem to pile up all at once. I find myself waiting for the end to come, knowing celebratory relief is near; but I’ve forgotten a bit that any day is good for celebration, and I don’t have to wait for it to come.

This week, we created our own celebratory relief with an after school “Art in the Park.” I picked up Nella and Dash from school with the surprise announcement that we were headed straight to the park to make art and eat snacks, and you would have thought I had told them we were going to a theme park. Spontaneous adventures are their favorite. So are snacks.

Here’s what I packed for our little adventure:

A picnic basket with:

– Fresh cherries (I love how they their arrival to our grocery stores promises “Summer’s Coming!”)
– Stonyfield yogurt pouches – My kids love them, and I love that they are certified organic, made without toxic persistent pesticides or GMO’s. We always have Stonyfield yogurt pouches in our refrigerator–so easy to grab and go.
– Stonyfield snack packs (includes dipping pretzels and crackers when they’re hungry for a little more–which they always are after school)
– 2 clipboards (for a writing surface)
– a stack of white drawing paper
– watercolor paint palette
– paintbrushes
– a drawing/activity book
– a cup (to hold water for our paintbrushes)
– a bottle of water (to pour in the cup for watercolor paints and extra to drink)
– a blanket to sit on

There’s something about making art out in nature that’s extra special–the new perspective stretches your creativity a bit more.

…and the kids knew it was special. “Can we do this again?” Dash asked.

Completed masterpieces. We have been encouraging the kids to compliment each other’s work and pick out one thing they like about the other one’s work. Dash liked that Nella used a lot of different kinds of blue. Nella liked Dash’s “rainbow and big sun.”

When the kids were babies, I used to take a blanket outside in our side yard all the time–with a pile of books, snacks, toys. It’s such a special way to relax with the kids and an instant mood boost. We’ll be repeating Art in the Park more this summer–preferably up in Michigan where it’s not quite as hot and humid in the summer.