The days are getting shorter and the time goes back this weekend. Trees are loosing their leaves and the stress of late nights and too many commitments are catching up with me and making me feel like I could lose my leaves as well. I’ve tried to perk myself up a little with a haircut and a little online shopping in preparation for Christmas. But still, I’m tired and stressed and need to find a way to relax and unwind so I can get to sleep before 2 or 3 am.
The kids are complaining, too. After about 7-8 weeks of doing well with our new homeschool routine they figure they’re not getting as much playtime as they’d like (if only they knew how much work they’d be doing in a school)….
So…what can we do about this? How can we all try to relax a little more? Tuttle Publishing has sent us the perfect thing to help! Colouring books and origami!
A little while back I shared Floating World, Japanese Prints Coloring Book, and I enjoyed it so much I was really looking forward to sitting down with In A Japanese Garden Coloring Book (this post contains affiliate links). When I lived in Japan I visited gardens from Aomori to Shikoku and many in between. I always found peace and relaxation amongst the beauty of nature.
There are 23 images to colour in this book, ranging from flowers, fish, birds, ladies, and garden landscapes. Each image has comes with a poem, a copy of the original image, and on the opposing page, a sketch for you to colour. The pages are perforated so that you can easily remove them for easier colouring. And, as the pictures are so beautiful, this also make them easy to hang on your wall. Which is just what I have done.
You can use any variety of instruments to colour the pages; I simply used pencil crayons and then used water colour pencils for blending the sky and river. I really like how my first picture has turned out, and I think I’ve decided which picture I’m going to start next (there are so many pretty ones that I keep changing my mind)! Personally, I love the bigger views of the gardens, people, and buildings. My children also want to colour and they mostly prefer the fish, frog, and birds…although there are two pictures that we still have to agree upon as all three of us would like to take ownership!
About a month ago the children and I watched a program on TV and they learned about how wood block prints are made, and the exacting process involved in applying each of the colours separately. Having more information about the process has given them a greater appreciation of the skill involved.
So…how have I managed to keep the kids busy while Mom is relaxing? It’s not an easy thing to do sometimes. Well, Tuttle Publishing has you covered there, too!
Tuttle knows my kids love origami, and they have a great new kit, Color Your Own Origami. What a great idea to combine mindful colouring with the precision of origami.
Every piece of art will be unique, thus making it even more fun for both children and adults to get out the felt-tip markers (which are even included and fit nicely in the box).
These pictures kept the kids busy for ages! They would do a little each day and then return to it again and again until they’d completed a sheet. Kallista loved to keep me posted with updates on what she had done each day and what the colour-scheme was that she was using (autumn colours, etc.), she put a lot of thought into her colour schemes and patterns.
When a sheet had been completed it was time to make the tough decision of what to fold. There are 48 sheets of paper and 12 projects included with this kit. I chose to make a lantern while Kallista made a swallow and a picture frame and Tristan created a bat.
Kallista has noticed that the colours are especially vibrant when a page is held up against a bright window. This kit would make for pretty sun-catchers as well.
We’ve all been busy colouring! Have you tried the adult colouring craze yet? Or did you ever give up the crayons? Go on, take advantage of having children around and feel like a kid again while you colour and dream of beautiful places and memories of long ago.
If you’d like to know more or would like to follow Tuttle Publishing, you can connect with them through their website, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest (and you can see our other Tuttle reviews here).
If you’re interested in purchasing these items here are some Amazon links for you:
