I wasn’t bored much growing up. On rainy days and lazy Saturday afternoons, I’d be engaged in some craft project or interesting game. My mother, a teacher, has a gift for finding and organizing fun activities on a moment’s notice. Now that I’m a mom, I appreciate how easy she made it all look.

Some organized moms dedicate entire closets to craft supplies and keep file folders full of craft-ideas clipped from magazines and newspapers on-hand. But if that’s not your style, you can still entertain and educate your children with the fabulous art kits from Eye Can Art.

Eye Can Art projects were developed by professional art educators and three Seattle moms. The kits contain non-toxic, washable art materials and easy-to-follow instructions.While younger children will need help, my 8  year old product tester had no trouble at all using the printmaking kit.

These are not your average art kits. Eye Can Art teaches sophisticated concepts like collagraphy (a printmaking technique using found materials arranged in a collage), encaustic techniques (creating a layered picture using melted wax), and sumi-e (Japanese-style brush painting). Eye Can Art won the prestigious Parents’ Choice Award in 2008 for its printmaking and sumi-e kits. Since then, they’ve also introduced a book-in-a-box kit to inspire young authors as well as artists.

Each kit is packaged in an easy-to-carry faux paint can, and Eye Can Art kits sell for $24 at www.eyecanart.com. I’d recommend buying a variety of kits to store in your closet. You can break one out the next time your kids complain they’re bored or if you need a last-minute birthday present.

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