Just So Festival: take your art outside

How’s this for a dream day?

Start your morning by hugging the Gruffalo (yes, the real one), make a lantern from willow branches and a princess doll from bits of junk, practise some yoga in a woodland glade, act in a Gory Story, discover the Fairy Queen down a secret woodland path, build an enormous sandcastle with new friends and then all jump on top of it, find the perfect climbing tree, warm yourself beside a camp fire and then round off the night dancing at a retro disco to some groovy tracks (with your dad!)

All part of an ordinary day at the Just So Festival.

We were thrilled to receive an invitation to the Just So Festival last weekend. Billed as ‘a creative weekend of magical adventures’ it didn’t disappoint. The girls have been talking about the festival all week – and playing and creating with ideas from the day. It’s a sure sign that something has really captured their imaginations when you hear them acting out stories, isn’t it?

Take your art outside

The festival was full of ideas which can be brought back home and I wanted to share some of them with you this week. There’s inspiration for exciting outdoor play spaces and woodland art on the way but to start things off, why not borrow an idea from the festival and take your art outside?

I shared some ideas for outside art over at Ready for Ten recently and the Just So Festival did it really well too. How about setting up a Paint Lab in your garden or playground and seeing what the children create? Use easels or pin paper to the washing line or wall and go for it! The extra space (and less concern about making a mess) gives the children the freedom to go big and bold with their paintings.

And how about this Just So washing line of paintings blowing in the breeze – don’t  you think they look joyous? A very practical way to dry your paintings and a fun way to add instant colour outside.

Come back tomorrow to see some inspiring outside play spaces.

Read our other Just So Festival posts:

:: take your art outside

:: exciting outdoor play spaces

:: Green Man tree gargoyles

:: create a pixie post office

And if you like the sound of the festival you can book tickets for the 2012 Just So festival.

Disclosure:our tickets were free but all opinions are our own

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