1. Family PortraitBefore the days of instant anddigital cameras, painters oftentraveled around, stopping to makepictures of families wherever theywere asked. Often, they were askedto include details that wereimportant to the family. Draw orpaint a picture of yourself or yourfamily as an artist might have doneit before cameras were invented.Include some things that are dearto you and your family, such asfamily heirlooms (valuable objectshanded down from generation togeneration), favorite hobbies, toys,books, or collections.2. A Picture Tells a Thousand ThoughtsLook at some old photographs ofyour family or other people.Examine the poses, clothes, andfacial expressions. Do they seemdifferent from what you see inpictures ta.ken recently? What do thepictures tell you about the peopleand their lives? Write captions or ashort story about the pictures.3. Tell a StoryPractice the art of storytelling. Ifpossible, get together with a localstoryteller or children's librarianand ask how she/he keeps anaudience interested. Find a fairytale, myth, or legend that you like.Practice telling it out loud, as youwould if you were rehearsing a partin a play. Retell it, or part of it, to agroup, perhaps at a specialceremony or event. 4. Fancy FeetLearn a folk dance. Teach a friendor troop members some folk stepsand dances.5. Traditional ArtLearn an art form that wastraditional for girls 75 years ormore ago. Complete a smallproject using that art form. 6. What Toys Tell UsFind pictures of old children's toysor games, or visit a museum,historical house, or antique store.Talk to grandparents or olderrelatives who grew up in the preelectronicage about the toys theyplayed with as youngsters. 7. Folk ArtsAround the GlobeLook for examples and pictures oftraditional folk arts from at leastthree countries. Do a folk artproject either by following writteninstructions or by doing whatsomeone teaches you. 8. A Feast of Folk CraftsWork on a large folk art projectthat requires lots of helping hands,such as a taffy pull, a kite flyingfestival, or a troop quilt. 9. Fresh and OriginalCreate a new folk art product,using handmade or store-boughtitems. Some examples are addingenamel paint designs to oldpottery or dishes, making scentedcandles or soaps, making paper,or adding decorative items (beads,buttons, ribbons, etc.) to clothing.As with any project, use non-toxicmaterials that meet safety standards. 10. Time TravelVisit a place near you whereantiques, historical crafts, orcollections of folk art are ondisplay. You might visit museums,antique stores, or placesdesignated as historic landmarks.Find out how items on display wereused in the past
