I want ideas for open-ended art activities to do with my kids 6 and 3 years old.?

try some of these...

painting with different objects (with/or without an easel)...kitchen utensils, toy cars, balls, marbles, leaves, branches(really fun at christmas time using christmas tree branches), and also try using different textures in your paint...try sand, soap(powdered laundry soap or dish soap), glitter, or even just use less liquid to add to powdered paint(be sure an adult does this part)

try adding items to the experience with playdough....kitchen utensils, scissors, and even make your own playdough with both edible and non edible things and then you can add other things like kool aid powder, and glitter to change the texture and smell

use various types of papers....manilla, drawing, newspaper, paint canvas, paper bags, construction paper, etc and use a variety of items to work with them crayons, markers, pens, pencils, scissors,

try mobiles, and staybiles these are moving and non moving structures that can involve a variety of items in your art box and any way you do them is right....for staybiles use a flat or semi flat base and then add a variety of items to "decorate" it.....ive used small boxes, popscicle sticks, straws, paper clips, foil paper, branches, leaves, etc can be as small or as big as you want (maybe take them to a museum to help get some ideas) for mobiles usually start with a hanger or dowel/rod and then add items attached on a string, wire, yarn. with these balance is important so be sure you test how it balances before you finish.

art can be outside too, but doesn't always remain to look at forever like most inside art work but is also fun ....try sand castles(and i use that term lightly check out some websited using google and type in sand sculptures or sand castles) and you can add items to complete them like branches leaves different colors of sand, rocks......try also making other natural sculptures even try making nests(great fun for one of my classes we collected items we thought would make a good nest and then tried to figure out how to keep them together).......also try to make rock sculptures, plant a garden or window box and color it with flowers in patterns....

keep trying all kinds of different things and maybe you will create or nurture the next "rembrant"

I"m a sparks leader who also has to keep young kids busy. So here are a few ideas. Have the kids color an "All About Me" book. They can draw pictures of themselves, family, best friend, pets, what they want to be when they grow up, favorite food and thing to do. Make necklaces with string and beads. You can make up a story and represent each colour to a certain character or object in the story. Make homemade playdough and have them shape their favorite animal. Call your local fire dept and have them come for an hour and show a video and talk about fire safety and tour the trucks. Call your local police dept and have them come and show the cars and talk about strangers and being safe. Have a teddy bear's picnic. Each child brings a healthy snack and tells the story behind their special bear. Learn the teddy bear's picnic song and talk about what is a healthy snack and what is not. relay races of all sorts are fun. Use balls, skipping ropes, pails, water, sand, almost anything. Have a grow your own seed day. Get styrofoam cups, decorate them and add soil and some seeds and have the kids take care of them until they grow. Lots of sunlight and water and love. I hope that's a few ideas for you. I have a whole binder full of activities if you need more ideas. Good Luck!!

Try potato stamps. Cut a small potato in half and carve out a shape. Then paint it in different colors with a brush or dip it into a solid color and stamp on paper. Even a small child can make a stamp without a knife using a fork, toothpicks, anything, and you can decorate all sorts of things with the stamps. Great for introducing the concept of patterns. You can save the stamps and build a collection over time.

Have fun!

i find if we do an outdoor experience or other experience and then bring back collected materials the children can create from their experience a representation ie bird watching - then go on a feather hunt or nesting materials give them the natural coloured play dough or make salt dough and have them shape a body and stick in feathers ther is no right or wrong way. Flowers in spring make an art palete out of sturdy card board give them a glue stick go out side call out colors and they find something outside that color then stick it on the palette

Try creating finger puppets using gloves (the fingers). Each finger could be a different character. You can use markers, sew or glue pieces on. It's a great activity.

Using the tracing of your hand, your hand can represent many things such as turkey feathers (thanksgiving), duck (easter/spring) foot and hand tracing (reindeer-hands are antlers and foot is head).

Creat a "I'm thankful for..." chain. write something you are thankful for on a piece of paper, rool and fold & glue to make a chain.

Have fun!

I love pictures for this age, give each child a disposable camera and let them go crazy, develop the pics and let the children decide what they want to do with the pics. We have made a quilt from pics of their friends and families, as well as cards and pics with frames designed by the children.

I used to have a box filled with all kinds of stuff, colored paper, glue, glitter, pom-poms, popsicle sticks and stuff.

Ceramics are fun, you could buy a figure and paint them.

You could make pretzels or suncatchers.