First things first: This idea came directly from Art Bar’s newest book Cardboard Creations. If you don’t have this book already, go buy it. You will not regret it at all. When it arrived Colston and I immediately thumbed through it and bookmarked almost every single project to do.

In a clear case of cosmic fate, we got a piece of furniture delivered the day after the book arrived. I decided to save some of the styrofoam and cut them down to smaller sizes. I stuck them on a shelf and promptly forgot about them for a couple weeks.

Brixton grabbed a piece, trying to procrastinate one morning, instead of putting his shoes on. We compromised with him finishing getting ready and he couple play with it when he got home. Lightning quick, he got himself ready and then I was left with trying to figure out something to do with a random square of styrofoam.

That was when Bar’s book came into play. I took her supply list and decided to break it up into day-by-day steps instead of putting it all out at once. Which made this activity last us ALL.WEEK.LONG.

Day 1: they each got a styrofoam square and I set out some washi tape for them to pick from, as well as some scissors. I showed them each the concept once, and then I was informed that my assistance was no longer needed. So I stepped back and let them go to town.

Day 2: We added plastic toothpicks and pony beads

Day 3: I set out some wooden beads of various sizes

Days 4 & 5: we kept out all the same pieces. They continued to add and move around the toothpicks and beads.

Y’all. Look at this. I set up ONE activity for an entire week. Each day I added a new component, but the base didn’t change, we just added onto it. The definition of “process art”

What is your favorite kind of non-messy art play? Any other process art ideas that can be set up and played with day after day? Let me know in the comments or tag us on Instagram @thebplusmama and give us a follow to see what we’re up to on a day-to-day basis!