The Quickest Way To Set Up An Invitation To Create

Have you tried setting out “invitations to create” for your kids? Sometimes referred to as art prompts or provocations, invitations to create can help kids get excited about working with art materials in new ways. They are simply an invitation to engage with the materials laid out in front of them. You can learn more about invitations to create here.

I have found that an invitation, in and of itself, can be a quick and easy activity when a child needs a little prompting. But it can also spark inspiration and become a gateway to exploring other materials for a drawn-out creative session. Either way, invitations are all about the creative process, which is why they are one of my favorite ways to engage young children in the arts.

How To Plan For A Quick Set-UP

I recently had a client who needed help turning a basement storage area into an art closet for her playroom. They already had a great spot for doing art, but she needed a way to organize it behind closed doors. She also wanted help figuring out some interesting- but simple- projects to set out at a moment’s notice.

I immediately thought of invitations to create! Then I realized that a busy mom of 3 (soon to be 4) would need some invitations to create set up ahead of time. So the question became, how would I turn this storage space into something that was organized, easy to access, and included multiple invitations to create?

Here’s what the storage area looked like before…

And here is what it became…

The storage unit on the right holds all of the general art supplies that are easy to access and ready to bring out to the art table when needed.

The unit on the left has 7 shallow drawers and holds 9 ready-to-go invitations to create. When my client wants to quickly set up something on the art table, she can pull out a drawer, transfer the materials to a tray (the trays are stacked on top), and set it out on the table.

A peek into some of the drawers…

 

Wouldn’t you love to have 9 invitations ready to go for those moments you just can’t catch a breath? This storage unit (from The Container Store’s Elfa line) really helps keep everything organized, but you could also use other types of drawers, shelves, or bins to store your ready-made invitations.

If you are in need of a little more guidance, I just launched an e-guide with 30 days of photos and ideas for invitations to create. You can purchase it solo or get it as a free gift with The New Playroom e-guide. Find out more here.

Have you tried setting out an invitation to create? How did it go? I’d love to hear about it in the comments below!