Coloring a Smile… And a Laugh!
I discovered Color-A-Smile on DGT’s project page a few months ago, when Minnesota’s winter had our house adrift in artistic renderings of butterflies, Santa, and tutu-wearing cats.
Color-A-Smile redistributes children’s art to nursing homes, and it seemed like the perfect way clear out my own clutter without tossing away all of my daughters’ hard work.
It would have been, too, if my 5-year-old hadn’t taken our talk too much to heart.
I told her about Color-A-Smile in a general way. I told her that they would send her work to people who may be feeling lonely or unwell and that she could help them feel a little better. She could help them smile.
She fiercely set to work at our kitchen table. I assumed she was adding her name, age, and the word S-M-I-L-E, which she asked me to spell for her, to all of her drawings. I enjoyed the quiet while I got dinner ready.
Then she unveiled her work saying, “Here mom, I just wanted to make you and dad smile.” In her lovely pre-kindergarten scrawl she had labeled each and every picture “To Mom” or “To Dad.”
“Do you feel better?” she asked. At the time I had a minor cold. Apparently, my sneezes earned all that delightful art. Of course, it made me feel better, like any good laugh does. Unfortunately since this episode, every time I encourage her to make a picture for Color-A-Smile, it winds up with my name on it!
We’re now working on cards for Make a Child Smile, which encourages kids to send cards to specific children on their list. I’ll let you know how that turns out.
Have you found ways to use your child’s drawings and coloring pages to improve the lives of others? It would be great to re-purpose rather than recycle them!
Tags: Craft, Improving Lives
