Exhibit: Lifelike

My Mom, my younger brother, Andrew, and I went to the Walker tonight to see the current exhibit, Lifelike. On Thursdays after 5pm, admission is free, so all we paid for was parking (which was only a couple bucks). It's fun to walk through the museum when there's so many families there--it's a lot more fun to hear the kids' reactions to things and to have other people to enjoy the art with.

Lifelike is a perfect exhibit to take your children to. I know the Walker can have "weird" art sometimes and some of their shows aren't appropriate for young kids, but this current one is awesome. It's all about playing with our brains.



A comb leaning against the wall....that's five feet tall. A trash bag...carved out of marble. A perfect replica of a milk carton...seven feet tall.

My favorite piece are the giant folding chairs and table:

Doesn't look that big  in this picture, right? Well, watch this 2 minute video to see how many people it took to get this piece into the museum!



This is a great family friendly exhibition that is really neat to see. Don't just settle for looking at the art in the video, it's way more awesome to experience it in person. It's fun trying to figure out what things are made out of, how the artists were able to create their pieces to look so realistic.

Lifelike runs through May 27, 2012. To plan your visit, find directions, and other information check out the Walker's website: www.walkerart.org

Project: Simple wire sculpture

Here's a very simple project that leaves room for a lot of creativity across a wide range of skill levels. Create a sculpture using simple craft supplies: buttons, beads, feathers and pipe cleaners.

Picture from The Artful Parent

Project: Book binding

For the creative kid who wants to try their hand at something new, I discovered this two part tutorial that walks you through binding your own book. There are pictures and in-depth instructions every step of the way.
Part 1 lays out all the materials and prep work, showing you how to sew the pages together. Part 2 tells you how to add the cover and complete the process.
You do have to download the file to see the text (just click "Download Image" just to the right).

Project: How to make a plush toy

Here's a how-to that walks you through making a simple plush toy out of craft felt. The Basic Plush Toy Tutorial is perfect for beginners (that's who the author says it's aimed at). It's an easy template for your kids to get creative with and add more elements to.

Project: How to make a fleece hat

Here in Minnesota at this time of year, it's important to be properly covered when you go out in the cold. I came across a very simple how-to for making an easy polar fleece hat. The Fleece Hat Tutorial walks you through the process step-by-step, with a bunch of accompanying pictures. The author used a solid colored fabric to make it easier to see what she did, but I would go for a fun pattern myself.

Something like this!