Art Mistakes: Stories and Activities for Families

Have you ever made a mistake while drawing and felt that it spoiled your picture? Could you have changed your drawing to turn an "oops" into an "ooh, so cool" part of your art?

In The Book of Mistakes, an artist turns her mistakes into part of the story she tells herself as she draws. A celebration of creativity and resilience, this story is perfect to share with someone at home. Talk about setbacks and how they can fit in your creative process. You can also explore author Corinna Luyken's story behind The Book of Mistakes.

Take a minute to brainstorm ways you could turn a mistake into something new and then work on some art together. Perhaps you can even draw your emotions like Niko does in Niko Draws A Feeling. Or you can take turns drawing with different materials. One person can use colored pencils while the other person uses markers. Can you work together to create a story using images only?

What can you do if you and your art partner don't agree about what to draw? People have lots of different opinions about art. Read Ish by Peter Reynolds and think about how you take criticism from others. Then watch the paint hit the fan when two artists start criticizing each other's art in When Pigasso Met Mootisse by Nina Laden.

Want to learn more about making the most of mistakes? Try some of these growth mindset activities from Khan Academy.