By Alice
Okay… so imagine this:
Our kitchen table disappeared. Yup—vanished like a magician’s hat. One minute it had a stack of clean napkins and some leftover spaghetti, and the next—POOF! It transformed into the Official Family Art Headquarters, bursting with sparkles, string, paintbrushes that looked like wizard wands, and one very suspicious bunny holding a glue stick upside-down. (I’m looking at you, Mr. Fluffernutter.)
That’s when I had my big, sparkly-thought moment: What if creativity is one of the ways God made us to reflect Him? Like, the very first thing God did in the Bible was create! “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” (Genesis 1:1) He didn’t wait around or doodle in the sky—He got to work with galaxies and giraffes and, I’m pretty sure, the idea for googly eyes.
So this week, I declared an Art Adventure Day, where making a mess counted as making something meaningful. We mixed colors, folded paper into shapes that may or may not have been penguins, and imagined what it would be like if clouds were made of marshmallows and the paintbrushes whispered Bible verses.
Do you know what I learned? When we explore creativity, we’re actually stepping into a kind of worship—a fun, colorful kind. Every gluey masterpiece becomes a tiny reminder that we are God’s handiwork too (Ephesians 2:10). And sometimes, our masterpieces look like macaroni noodles shaped like a camel. That’s okay.
Let’s dive into why making things with our hands can help grow our hearts too…
🎨 Why Hands-On Art Is Basically the Best Thing Ever (Even Better Than Jellybeans!)
Okay—so Ariel says art is like… a secret superpower hiding inside your fingers. When you squish paint between your hands or swirl your brush like a unicorn tail, you’re not just making a mess—you’re making magic.
Hands-on art for kids isn’t just fun (although splattering blue goo everywhere is definitely in my Top 10 Activities of All Time). It’s a way to tell stories without words, like when I painted a picture of our dog Faith flying a spaceship made of pancakes. That painting said, “I was happy. I was hungry. I was also a little confused.”
Art Helps Us Think Big (and Color Outside the Lines)
When you doodle, sculpt, glue, or paint, your brain starts dancing with excitement. 🧠✨
Science people say art boosts creativity, problem-solving, and patience. So basically, every time you color, you’re training to be a genius. Or a cupcake decorator. Or both.
“We are God’s masterpiece.” —Ephesians 2:10
That means God made you with a heart full of ideas, and He LOVES when you use them!
Feelings Go In. Art Comes Out.
Sometimes, I don’t know how to say what I’m feeling. Like when I miss Yaya or when I’m so excited that I might burst into glitter. That’s when I grab my markers. Drawing helps me share feelings without needing big words.
Your art doesn’t have to look like anyone else’s—it just has to feel like YOU. That’s what makes it special. And sometimes, Fluffernutter says, “Art is how your heart takes a nap in color.”
🤔 Wonder Time!
Have you ever prayed while painting or drawing?
What’s something you’ve made with your hands that made you smile?
If God gave you a blank canvas today, what would you paint on it?
📚✨ What’s Inside Ariel’s Amazing Art Guide? (Spoiler: So Much Cool Stuff!)
Okay, okay—so Ariel wrote this super-official art paper and I thought it would be about how to paint bunnies wearing sunglasses. But NOPE! It’s even better. Her guide is like a magical treasure map full of creative art projects for kids who love getting glue on their noses (accidentally on purpose, obviously).
She calls it: “Creating Hands-On Art Projects Using Watercolor, Pastels, and Clay.”
I call it: “How to Turn Your Kitchen Into a Glorious Art Tornado!” 🎨🌪️
This isn’t just about drawing stuff. It’s about making feelings out of colors, turning squishy clay into critters, and painting dreams that swirl like jellyfish made of joy.
“God gave us hands so we could hold paintbrushes, build kindness, and high-five creation!” —Mr. Fluffernutter (probably)
🖌️ Watercolor Wonders: Soft Like Bunny Ears, Wild Like Rainbows
Get ready to swoosh your brush and make clouds, sunsets, or secret snail castles. Ariel shows how to use salt to make your paint sparkle (WHAT?! Salt! In art! Not snacks!). These watercolor activities help kids express their feelings while learning real techniques—like wet-on-wet painting, layering washes, and creating dreamy effects that float like prayers on paper.
🌈 Pastel Magic: Color That Glows Like Joy
Pastels are like crayons that got upgraded into color wizards. They blend like whipped cream dreams, and Ariel teaches how to layer them to make BOOM! art that pops right off the page. These activities in her faith-based creativity guide help kids explore shading, contrast, and emotion—without needing to stay inside the lines (hallelujah!).
🎭 Clay Creations: From Squish to WOW
This part is messy. Very messy. And so, so fun. Ariel’s clay projects help you shape animals, hearts, cups, or “Holy Land snail vases” (my idea). She teaches beginner sculpting skills, texture tricks, and how to turn any idea into a thing you can actually hold—like faith, but squishier!
“We are the clay, You are the potter; we are all the work of Your hand.” —Isaiah 64:8 🏺💛
🎨 Big Thoughts to Ponder!
Can making art be a way of talking to God?
If you could sculpt a Bible story out of clay, which one would you choose?
What does a “joy color” look like in your heart today?
🎨✨ Alice’s Super Silly, Very Serious, Totally Epic Art Challenge! (Fluffernutter Approved)
Okay, brave artist friend—it’s your turn now! Ariel showed us all the fancy “how-to” stuff, but I get to tell you the best part: YOU get to make art now! 🎉
And not just any art. This is a faith-filled, glitter-sprinkled, maybe-slightly-goofy creative art challenge for kids (and grown-ups who act like kids sometimes, which is my favorite kind of grown-up).
“God made the WHOLE world out of nothing but love and light. So YOU can totally make a turtle sculpture with macaroni and heart-shaped buttons.”
—Mr. Fluffernutter, Chief Art Inspector 🐰
🎨 Step One: Pick Your Magic Tool
Choose your hands-on art style:
- 🖌️ Watercolors (a.k.a. paint that dreams in puddles)
- 🌈 Pastels (for swishy rainbow masterpieces)
- 🫳 Clay (squish it, squash it, sculpt it into something wow)
Which one makes your heart do a happy dance?
✏️ Step Two: Steal—um, borrow—a Project from Ariel’s Guide
Open up Ariel’s “Creating Hands-On Art Projects Using Watercolor, Pastels, and Clay” and pick a project. Or mix them up into a brand-new creation! Want to make a pastel penguin with watercolor wings? Yes. Please do.
Add your special sparkle—maybe your favorite color, a Bible verse that makes you smile, or glitter shaped like a cross (if that exists, I need it immediately).
📸 Step Three: Show Off Your Glory!
When you’re done, share your faith-inspired art project in the comments!
We want to see your swirls, shapes, and splatter-happy masterpieces.
Tell us:
- What did you make?
- What inspired you?
- Did you accidentally glue your elbow to the table? (No judgment. I did.)
“Let everything you do be done in love.” —1 Corinthians 16:14 💛
Art made with love is always beautiful—especially when it’s also covered in pom-poms.
🐰 Wondering Time!
Would your masterpiece praise Him with bold colors, soft shapes, or a clay giraffe wearing sunglasses?
If Jesus made an art project with you, what would you both create?
What colors remind you of God’s love?
💖 Let’s Make Glorious, Giggle-Filled, God-Loving Art Together!
Okay, this part is my favorite favorite favorite part (yes, three favorites!)—because now we get to make art together. Not just doodle-on-the-fridge art. I mean the big, bold, who-cares-if-there’s-glue-in-your-hair kind of faith-based creativity for kids that makes your heart go “Wheeee!”
Art isn’t just drawing stuff. It’s like giving your feelings a squishy, sparkly costume so they can dance around the page. Sometimes, when I can’t explain my emotions with words, my paintbrush does it for me—like swish! “I feel brave!” or splot! “I miss someone!”
“Every good and perfect gift is from above.” —James 1:17
And that includes crayons, glitter, imagination, and YOU.
🎨 Every Art Adventure Is Different—Just Like Us!
Whether you:
- Paint like your brush has its own personality,
- Blend pastels like a rainbow smoothie,
- Or sculpt a clay cat that accidentally looks like a turtle…
That’s all part of the fun!
Art projects for children don’t have to be perfect. They just have to be you.
God made us all a little different, which means our creations will be too—and that’s exactly how it’s supposed to be.
“Art is like a prayer with paper wings.”
—Mr. Fluffernutter, Bunny Philosopher Extraordinaire
Drop your ideas in the comments, okay? I’m starting a Gallery of Glorious Giggly God-Art and need your help. (Also… Fluffernutter wants to be in charge of naming the art, so… good luck with that.) 🎨🐰✨
With glue on my fingers and love in my heart,
💖 Alice & Mr. Fluffernutter
