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Talking to kids about Halloween is a little different this year. They are dreaming of their costumes and all the candy they will get when they trick-or-treat, and we are thinking about how we can give them those things while keeping them safe.

We won’t be doing our annual Halloween parties, or “normal” trick-or-treating, but the good news is that there are many ways we can give our kids everything they are dreaming of for Halloween.

In this newsletter, we will give you some fun ideas about how you can make Halloween special. We’ll explore where you can go to safely collect treats as well as crafts, activities, and virtual things you can do to give your kids the best experience as possible so that they will remember Halloween and not a Covid-19 Halloween.

Fall is one of our favorite seasons in the studio that we typically will go all out to celebrate. We are sad we won’t be holding our annual Harry Potter party complete with floating candles, wand and potion making, and all the kiddos dressed to support their Selected house. But that won’t stop us from finding a way to celebrate. We’ll also show you what we are doing to help you celebrate!

Here are a few ways you can make this year special for your family!

1. Decorate – Go all out on your decorating! If you don’t own many Halloween decorations, then you can make some! Use things around the house or join us in the studio and make some with your family.

Here are some ideas of projects you can do in the studio, or order on our website and create at home.

2. Do some crafts with your kids – kids love to do simple crafts and Halloween offers a perfect opportunity to do this. There are thousands upon thousands of ideas of projects to make from things you probably have lying around your home. You can take a look at our Pinterest page to get some ideas here.

We also have a monthly subscription box that has 8-10 different kid-friendly crafts. Our subscription box also includes the necessities such as kid-friendly scissors, glue stick, tacky glue, and regular school glue! Boom, done! Subscribe by October 4th and get our Spooky Craft Box sent directly to your home!

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3. Dress Up! Just because you don’t have anywhere to go, doesn’t mean we can’t dress up. Even if you can’t sew, there are tons of costumes you can make. Get the kids to help! If they help with the creative process, they are going to be so proud of the costume they created.

Here is an article that gives TONS of inspiration. I mean seriously #13….the tiny gumball machine, ugh, so cute. A red outfit and some pom-poms and you’ve got yourself a costume.

4. Do a scavenger hunt! Instead of going door to door, take a drive around town, or take a walk around your neighborhood to find Halloween related things! Make your own, or download our free scavenger hunt worksheet!

5. Make your own Haunted House!

Get some bedsheets, some chairs, lamps, and basic supplies like spiderwebs, fake spiders, black lights, glow sticks, and anything else you find spooky and create your own haunted house. Create one for your kids to walk through in the hallway or have them create one for you. Either way, this is a fun way to spend the afternoon on Halloween! Make sure to video it for memories!

Whatever Halloween looks like for you and your family, take time out to spend it together and don’t let the circumstances of life get in the way of that. When your kids are all grown and Halloween is not a big deal anymore, you will want them to look back and know that you did what you could to make the most of the season!

Happy Halloween from your Venvino Art Studios Family!

Decorate your home to inspire you

Written by Janice Kiser

Your home is your sanctuary. Especially these days when we can’t do much away from home. Decorating your home for fall doesn’t have to cost a fortune. Fall is my favorite season to decorate, dress, and create because of all the rich color and mix of patterns that make you feel cozy.

2020 is no exception. Navy blue, chalky whites, browns, orange and pastel yellow this year are the colors that inspire.

The most simple projects sometimes can make the biggest difference. Think of our studio as the craft room; you always wanted to paint and create to make your home customized to fit your personality and style. Our artists are always available to help inspire, teach, and ensure you have a great time creating.

So, browse our Pinterest boards and our website, and come up with some fun projects that you would want in your home. If you give us a call and let us know what you want to do, we can also get it ready for you before you arrive. Or, if you don’t know what you want to do, let us inspire you!

Written by Janice Kiser

Art usually seems like just play for younger kids, but it actually helps them learn in ways we didn’t even know about. You can even teach just about any subject using art. And what kid doesn’t like to do art?

There are 3 ways your kids generally learn. By reading, doing, or seeing. We also know that when you physically write something down, or do something yourself, that you retain that information longer. So, using art to teach, seems like a no- brainer.

In addition, simply learning art helps kids to learn in other areas of their lives.

We all know that art teaches kids creativity. But there are

many areas of life that creativity is critically important for kids. If kids are able to quickly “think outside the box” then this will give them an advantage ahead of other people.

One of the most important skills that can be learned through art is confidence. at a certain ages kids start to think that everyone around them can do it better than they can. We teach them to appreciate their own growth.

Enrolling your kids in an art program can be one of the most important thing you can do for their education.

Ten ways your kids learn through art:

1. Creativity – Being creative is critically important in all aspects of life. When things don’t go our way we need to have an ability to figure out how to accomplish our goals. When you are being creative in art you have to keep thinking of new ways to get your piece to turn out the way you imagine it. Therefore you are working those muscles of being creative.
2. Confidence – This is by far one of the most important skills your kids will learn. Because of our world is more and more connected through social media our kids are learning not how to be proud of themselves but how to question themselves. Not everyone sees art the same way and what one person thinks is beautiful another may think is ugly. However, the goal should be to focus on how your skills are growing as an artist and how to be proud of that growth no matter what others think.
3. Problem Solving – Without realizing it, kids are constantly solving problems through art. How do I create this puppy dog in clay? What will my character do next? And we all know that problem solving is an important skill to have in order to be successful in your life, education, and careers.
4. Perseverance – When you kids pick up a paintbrush for the first time we know they won’t be creating a Monet, but through practice, learning, and challenging themselves they will one day create that masterpiece they have always dreamed of creating. Enforcing their ability to push through things even when they get hard.
5. Focus – When kids are engaged with something they love doing, they are more likely to focus on it longer. As they practice the skill of focusing on something to finish it can encourage them to do this in other areas of their life.
6. Non-verbal Communication – Kids communicate so much through their art. This is why therapists all around the world use art to find out how kids are feeling. Most children do not have the ability to communicate their feelings because they don’t entirely understand what they are. So when we encourage them to communicate through art it helps them to communicate and understand the way they are feeling.
7. Getting Constructive Feedback – Getting feedback is an important part of learning. Kids learn to get constructive feedback without feeling like it is a failure and can learn to grow through this feedback. A bonus to this is when kids start to ask for feedback!
8. Dedication – Kids learn to associate being proud of a final piece with the dedication it took to finish it. So many times kids get frustrated and want to quit, but when they can learn to push through that and be proud of their work it reinforces their ability to be dedicated to that work.
9. Collaboration – When kids are given an art assignment that is learning a specific skill, they get to be creative so long as they are able to incorporate that skill. This means they have to collaborate with the teacher, get ideas from other artists, and in the end work out how they will create their piece while ensuring that they are fulfilling the guidelines. This again is so critical in teaching kids that you can get what you want AND follow the rules.
10. Accountability – Making mistakes in art is going to happen. We can’t be perfect every single time we are creative. However, being okay with your mistakes and trying again allows kids to know that making a mistake is not always detrimental. We can make mistakes and still take accountability for fixing them.