Parents' Guide to Art Attack

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Common Sense Media Review

Emily Ashby By Emily Ashby , based on child development research. How do we rate?

age 5+

How-to show inspires creativity through fun craft projects.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 5+?

Any Positive Content?

Parent and Kid Reviews

age 11+

Based on 3 parent reviews

What's the Story?

In ART ATTACK, host Lloyd Warbey shares the joy of creating works of art with viewers at home. Each episode shows Lloyd and his guests drawing, painting, and molding finished pieces from paper, cardboard, and clay. Often the projects yield something kids can use in imaginative play, like a set of dragon wings. Others make new use of unused items like old buttons or plastic caps. Warbey illustrates basic artistic techniques -- including shading and the use of graduated line width -- to create different visual effects as well.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say ( 3 ):
Kids say : Not yet rated

If you're looking for some creative inspiration, look no further than Art Attack, a lively British kids show inspired by the long-running '90s series that makes the arts-and-crafts process seem quite the scintillating endeavor. All of the projects featured in the show are kid-friendly and make use of basic materials like paper, string, and paint, and they're sure to please kids who love to create. Even better, the host repeatedly reminds kids of the value of making each work of art his or her own, which encourages their sense of creativity rather than their inclination to copy what they see him doing.

If crafting is your thing, then you'll have just as much fun as your kids do in replicating these fun projects at home, but consider yourself warned: The show's brisk pace and the magic of TV editing make the creation process seem much faster -- and less messy -- than it likely is in real life. This isn't a how-to that's paced so you can make your project along with the host; it's more like a quick synopsis of the steps before the finished product's big reveal. The good news is that it will get your crafty kids' wheels turning; the flipside is that it falls on you to make the magic at home.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about whether arts and crafts are a favorite activity in their home. Do you like the creative process? Do your kids? How does artwork allow you to express yourself in a unique way?

  • How did your completed project compare to what the host made? In what areas did you take creative license? Is the reward in creating the project or in enjoying the result?

  • Families can talk about how art enhances the experience of life. Take a trip to an art museum, watch a play, or attend a concert. What stories does the artwork tell? How do artists use different colors and materials to complement the messages they try to send in their work?

TV Details

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