It’s pretty cool to be able to sit around a table with paintbrushes in hand and be ready to enter the world of color and thought. In our busy lives, it’s easy to forget the small pleasure of making art with family. But when was the last night that you planned to do this alone?

If you want to get your family to be creative and spend time together, have a Family Art Night.

The Set: Building Your Canvas

Take a look at the tools first! This is where the fun begins. Get canvases (or, if you’re really brave, use old boards or wood), paint in every color you can think of, and different-sized brushes. Remember that you can mix colors on pallets—even a simple paper plate will do! You don’t need fancy kits to make beautiful things; sometimes the simplest things are the best.

There is a smell of fresh paint and hope in the air as everyone gathers around.

Calls for Inspiration

Once you have everything you need, you should look for ideas. You could use an online lesson; a lot of great artists are happy to share their tips for free. Think about painting with Bob Ross while he shows you how to make “happy little trees.” Instead, you might want to encourage creativity and let everyone say what they want without any restrictions. Art is unique and personal, after all!

If you don’t know where to begin with free drawing, choose a theme. It could be something close to your hearts, like your favorite place to visit, or it could be an idea you both want to look into. Even though themes don’t limit free speech, they do help start a conversation and point people in the right way.

Laughter Is The Best Color

The room is filled with laughter—the kind that almost spreads. You will find that this activity brings back stories that have been buried for a long time.

Someone might remember drawing on the beach with their family on a vacation or how much their grandmother loved paints when she taught them over the summer. These kinds of events bring people together and build family ties.

Perfect isn’t about whether or not your art will be shown in a gallery one day (though that would be cool!). It’s also not about being perfect. It’s really about having fun with each other and letting thoughts flow without any extra pressure or criticism. Instead of just paint on paper, let those carefree splatters become memories you’ll love.

Sharing Our Masterspieces: The Great Reveal

The “great revelation” at the end of the night is one of my favorite parts. Every member of the family shows off their masterpiece with a mix of pride and worry. After all, we judge our own work too harshly when compared to other people’s. Enjoy these works of art! Talk about the ideas that led to each piece of work or any problems that were met to bring them to life. Talking about certain works one at a time helps family members learn more about them and enjoy them more.

As you gather your brushes and clean up any spills that happened, take a moment to think about how fun and creativity brought everyone closer together tonight. You might remember these creative nights with fondness years from now. They were a lovely reminder of how important it is to make time for play in our busy lives.

Why not plan an art night for the whole family? You should accept your flaws because they tell a story about your life.

Get some art supplies, let out your inner artist, and use those boards to show how happy the group is. You never know, it might become a beloved tradition that fills your whole house with sunshine and happiness.