Creating a Family Creativity Zone

January 22, 2024

Kristi Roe Owen,

One of the best decisions I’ve made as a parent was setting up an art and creativity station in the center of our home. It’s an idea I borrowed from my days as a pre-K teaching assistant in a classroom with learning centers. From the time my own kids were little, I made sure we always had a dedicated space full of every kind of art or crafts supply I could think of, adding more little by little as the kids grew. Whereas a lot of families will keep art supplies stashed away in a hall closet or kids’ room, ours have always been front and center in our living or dining room, which keeps them on our minds rather than stuck somewhere lonely gathering dust.

Creating our art station gave the kids their own version of the teacher’s supply closet right at home, which has been handy through the years as they’ve found themselves working on homework or school projects. But it also gave them a go-to creativity zone, a welcome oasis when they need to take a digital break, when they’re bored, or when they just feel inspired to do something hands-on. When they’ve got friends over, it gives them something fun to get into. It was a godsend during those seemingly endless lockdown days of the pandemic, and snow days here are never a problem.

Our family’s creativity zone has expanded from its early days on a rolling Ikea cart to take over two cabinets (we still call it the “art cart,” referring roughly to the collection of art supplies as a whole). But after years of adding a few items here or there, we now have just about everything a young (or fortysomething) creative could want. All three of our kids love to draw, and I really believe having a well-stocked art cart has been central to their creative journeys.

If you don’t have one in your home, I highly recommend carving out some space and stocking it with a handful of art supplies. It’s fairly easy to get started, and you might be surprised at how much your creativity collection grows just by adding little items from time to time. Here are some tips to help get you started.

Finding the Perfect Space

The key to the success of the art cart is making it completely accessible so your kids can help themselves to it anytime they want. Sure, they’ll probably make a mess, but you can teach them to clean up after themselves as they mature, and it’s worth it to see kids inspired to think and create for themselves.

The art cart works best if it’s in your living room, dining room, or some other space where there’s a table nearby. It can be as simple as a bookshelf full of milk crates, a rolling cart, or even a sideboard stuffed with artmaking goodies. The main thing is that you want to make it easy for kids to get into and put things away when they’re done.

Gathering Your Supplies

All you really need to get started is some paper and something to draw on — you can (and should) build from there. What you don’t have to do is drop a ton of cash on your art station. Stay alert so when you see something cool that would make a good addition, you’re ready, and think outside the box — things like the spare buttons that come with a dress, broken necklaces, or Christmas tree tinsel can make pretty cool art cart supplies. Garage sales, clearance aisles, and your local Buy Nothing Project group are also great places to gather items for your art cart.