Laura Howard immerses herself in Te Papa’s new book, The New Zealand Art Activity Book: 100+ Ideas for Creative Kids by Helen Lloyd, and finds it is not your usual colouring book!

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Laura Howard immerses herself in Te Papa’s new book, The New Zealand Art Activity Book: 100+ Ideas for Creative Kids by Helen Lloyd, and finds it is not your usual colouring book!

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The New Zealand Art Activity Book: 100+ Ideas for Creative Kids draws kids – and those far too old for primary school - into its pages. Since it landed on my coffee table all visitors have picked it up, flicked, and then moved through the pages slowly as they become immersed in the beautiful reproductions and creative activities within.

Published this year by Te Papa Press, The New Zealand Art Activity Book is a large paperback of 184 pages, with colour plates throughout that are pleasingly high quality reproductions for an activity book. But this is not your usual colouring book. A wide range of activities have been thoughtfully combined with mini art history lessons in historic and contemporary New Zealand art. There is a major focus on drawing, with activities about collage, the use of perspective and colour, among many others.

Written and developed by Helen Lloyd (Senior Education Programmer at Te Papa) in consultation with Sarah Farrar (Te Papa’s Senior Art Curator), the book includes specially commissioned works by contemporary New Zealand artists Dick Frizzell, Sara Hughes, John Pule, Francis Uprichard and Rohan Wealleans, among others. Well-loved historic works by artists such as Colin McCahon and Rita Angus broaden the spectrum. I like the inclusion of quotes by a range of New Zealand artists, which adds insight into their varied approaches to art.

The New Zealand Art Activity Book fosters an enjoyment of art, rather than dictating restrictive activities that curb creativity as so many art activity books do – often because they are trying to create activities to fit within an exhaustive curriculum. This book was tested by kids, and it shows. Perfect for rainy days, and the coming school holidays!