Necessity is the mother of invention, or so they say, and boredom can be a powerful tool for creative and imaginative thinking outdoors.

When we talk about provocations or invitations as teachers, what we really mean is we are providing a spark, or a material that might invite a new idea or process to be created. Our modern world holds little value in boredom, and parents have become accustomed to staving off boredom at any cost for their children.

So what to do when your kids complain they are bored during this time of self-isolation? Send them outside to become anywhere artists!

Mud is the perfect boredom buster, and easily accessible in just about every backyard, sidewalk crack, and garden. Mud painting is a simple and low prep way to invite children to creatively and independently explore outdoors. Read the full blog post with anywhere artist ideas and examples, with a read aloud here: https://meganzeni.com/imaginative-play-anywhere-artist/