This one goes out especially for the parents. You who, pre-kids, used to have cultural outings to live concerts, museums and theater. Sure, you might manage to fit in some shows here and there, but not at a clip that truly fills your culture-loving soul.
And so I offer you an easy way to augment your cultural outings with cultural "in-ings."
Gather the kids! Don the Snuggie! Cozy up in your living room lounge chair and get your culture fix! From creating to listening, these at-home remedies work for all ages (with the possible exception of the films, which may not be right for the youngest ones... but that's fine because you don't have to share your juicyfruits if they're asleep).
1. Common Chord
If there is one music genre people of all ages can agree on, it's world music. Why?
1) Ignorance is bliss: If you can't understand the words, you can't argue about the lyrics.
2) You never get bored: It's world music, the options are plentiful.
Good sites to explore World Music: Putamayo and Cumbancha Records
2. Multi-tasking Features
Pop the kernels and get the Juicyfruits -- it's movie night! And, to maximize the Armchair Art experience, have a special focus on films that do double-duty because their subjects are artists. For example, biopics like Basquiat, Ray and Frida.
(image courtesy of Swank Motion Pictures)
Or you can go the documentary route with something like Who the #$&% is Jackson Pollock? whose plot goes something like this: woman meets $5 garage sale painting; $5 painting meets someone who says it could be a Jackson Pollock; possible Jackson Pollock artwork meets art experts who debate the work's authenticity. Zany antics and name-calling ensue.
3. The Power of a Big Star
(image via henrimatisseprints.com)
Think Picasso's Blue period meets Matisse's cut-outs. Create your own masterpieces using that giant star, the sun. I like creating Sunprints as much as my 4 year old, and I am slightly older than 4. It's incredibly easy once you have Sunprint paper which, like everything else, can be purchased online. The fact that the process is nearly foolproof does not diminish the reward. (Note: I do realize this might require getting out of the comfy chair, but you don't necessarily have to get out of pajamas... sunprints can process in sunlight through a window.)
(sunprints from Sunprint, Lawrence Hall of Science, UC Berkeley)
4. You've Seen It, But Do You Know It?
The Art Game Book touts itself as providing games, puzzles, quotes and commentary about 20th century American and European art. Sounds fun enough and seems like a practical way to offer your kids a broad overview of modern art. Plus, the added bonus of competition from the games in the book lets you know if you really are smarter than your 5th grader.
5. The Nearly Lost Art of Storytelling
Not your run-of-the-mill "once upon a time" tales, StoryCorps offers living history through real life stories that will make you laugh, cry, relish in the spoken word and possibly inspire you to record your own. Who knows, maybe the next Garrison Keillor is sitting on your lap right now! At StoryCorps' website, there are hundreds of stories to listen to (culled from the 30,000 they've recorded), plus select stories are now animated.