Word of the Year for Kids | Art Activity for Kids

Word of the Year is for Kids and Adults Alike!

Have you ever thought about a word of the year? Or a phrase? A word of the year is meant to define the year – almost like a vision of what you want your year to be.

I love the idea of a word of the year for myself. It’s this one word that shapes the course of my year, and brings me back to the basics when I wander off (which I do…a lot).

For 2019, my word was LEARN, and that’s exactly what I did. I learned a lot about children’s art, and how to teach, but I learned other things. I learned how to communicate more effectively, I learned that stepping outside of my comfort zone always leads to amazing things, no matter how much I want to turn and run the other way, and I learned how to stay authentic to myself. For 2020, it was FOCUS. 2021 was STRENGTH and 2022 was EVOLVE.

For 2024 I’m choosing “Step Up” – not a word, but a phrase that defines my physical rehabilitation journey, and my goal for Soul Sparklettes Art. Is there a word or phrase that defines what you want your year to look like?

word of the year for kids - sparkleschooling — Words of the Year are for kids too! One year, my kids chose Sparkle!

Choosing Your Intentions for 2024

I love the idea of a word of the year for myself. It’s this one word that shapes the course of my year, and brings me back to the basics when I wander off (which I do…a lot).

word of the year for kids - focus — Having way too many things in the background, as well as a busy looking word, is a reminder to read the word itself.

Finding your word of the year may be simple. Sometimes a word keeps popping up – in every podcast, every book, and every blog, FOCUS popped up a couple of years ago, so I knew it was my word. For 2024, trying to do stairs continues to be annoyingly hard, and I know there are some things that still feel big and scary – so STEP UP is exactly what I want to see happen.

But having a word isn’t enough – what if you could remind yourself by looking at a beautiful arty rendition of it every day to remind yourself that you matter, your year is important, through all the twists and turns?

A Word of the Year for Kids Too

My Sparklettes are always excited to have a word too, such as ARTSY, SPARKLE, or PLAYFUL.

word of the year for kids - decorating your word — All it takes is a piece of white paper, and a Sharpie or black marker to get started.

Are there any words that sum up a kid’s life better? That’s exactly what I wanted for my homeschool – artsy and playful. With a side of mom stepping up, eyes on the prize.

Word of the Year for Kids Art Project

I wanted this project to be simple. To show others that art at home can be simple and fun, without even needing to buy a single art supply you don’t already own.

word of the year for kids - big sparklette ARTSY — Big Sparklette chose ARTSY, with a spiral pattern. We used these oil pastels for extra 80s flair.

Instructions:

MATERIALS:

White paper

Sharpie, or another black waterproof marker

Oil pastels, crayons, markers, or watercolors

PROCESS:

Have kids choose a word, and then write it on a piece of paper with room to decorate the inside. Kids can use stencils, you can write it for them, or you can encourage them to make “bubble letters”, all depending on their ages.
Tell kids to choose a pattern for their word and decorate it with the Sharpie. Polka dots, spirals, stripes, zigzags are all wonderful. Or tell them to create their own pattern. Kids can use a single pattern for the entire word, or a different pattern for every letter.
Have them use their favorite color of oil pastels to make several large shapes around the word and color them in, making sure to press hard with the oil pastel to make it more vibrant. Once the shapes are colored, have them draw different types of lines to the edge of the page. Encourage kids to be careful when coloring around their word.
Notes: If you don’t have oil pastels, feel free to use markers, crayons, or even watercolor paint. If you use watercolor paint, make sure that the black marker you used was waterproof, or the lines will disappear as you paint over them.

Little Sparklette chose playful with polka dots. She pressed down hard so she got vibrant swaths of color.

Start Off the New Year with SPARKLE

That’s it. A word of the year for kids is a way to connect them to a new year in a quick, simple, colorful, and fun way. There’s no goals they need to worry about hitting, just a big, beautiful word. And hey, if you get out the glitter, I wouldn’t blame you.

Choose a special place for them to hang their word – on their bedroom door, in the art room, or in a place that they can see it every day to remind themselves.

Don’t forget to hang yours up too.

And if you’re a homeschooler, make sure to join us in the new and growing The Creative Homeschool Facebook Community to talk about adding art to your homeschool and homeschooling creatively.