Farmers Markets Signs

This past Sunday, Uptown and Boogie Healthy Project’s Summer Graduate Research Intern, Tiffaney Batista, helped lead an exciting and creative activity at our Kids Club at the Bronx East Farmers Market. Families joined us in designing their own Farm Stand Signs using art stencils, paint, and lots of imagination!

The stencils featured images like gardening tools, trees, flowers, and words such as “Market,” “Fresh Eggs,” and “Farm Fresh”. Children were able to choose from any of the designs as they saw fit to their colorful masterpieces. These stencil designs were thoughtfully chosen to reflect our organization’s mission of promoting sustainable agriculture and supporting local farmers markets.

Not only was this activity fun and engaging for kids and parents alike, but it also helped us further our goal of making the Kids Club table more vibrant and welcoming to new club participants. The signs created will be displayed at our market table in the coming weeks, which will help to build a stronger visual identity for our youth programming.

This activity was not focused on children alone, as parents were eager to join in on the activity too, making it a multi-generational art moment that fostered community connection and creativity. They offered creative suggestions and lent a helping hand to some of our younger artists. Parents shared that they were excited to see an activity for their kids that is relevant to the markets and were happy to contribute in any way. If you’d like to replicate this type of activity with the little creatives in your community, it is helpful to know that these stencil artworks can be created on nearly any surface. This is a highly adaptable activity, as they can be replicated on T-shirts, tote bags, other types of fabric, and more!

Whether you're looking to relax, express yourself creatively, or bond with your kids, this simple stencil painting activity is a perfect choice. It takes roughly 15-20 minutes to complete. Here’s how to try it on your own at home:

Supplies Needed
Art stencils
Colored pencils
Washable or watercolor paint (thicker works best)
Various paintbrushes
Compostable lunch tray (for mixing paint)
Paper or clean fabric
Old cloth or paper towels (for spills)
Cups with water to clean brushes in between colors

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Set Up Your Space: Cover your table with a cloth or paper to catch any drips or splashes. This activity can get a little messy!
2. Choose Your Stencils and Colors: Select your favorite stencil designs and paint colors. Think about the message or vibe you want your sign to share.
3. Sketch First: Use colored pencils to trace your stencil onto paper or fabric. This helps avoid getting paint on the stencil itself.
4. Get Painting: Pour paint into the lunch tray to make it easier to dip your brush. Fill in your stenciled design with your chosen colors.
5. Let It Dry Between Colors: To keep colors clean and vibrant, let each one dry before applying another.
6. Final Touches: Once your artwork is complete, let it air dry fully. You now have a beautiful farm-themed sign that is ready to be hanged or displayed!

This colorful activity was a fantastic way to kick off our Sunday Farmers Market Kids Club. We welcomed 15 young artists this week and we’re just getting started!

Beyond being a fun and engaging artistic exercise for children, hands-on art activities like this one can reduce stress, boost emotional well-being, and even support healthy brain development, including improved hand-eye coordination and cognitive skills.

Stay tuned for more family-friendly, farm-inspired creativity at the market. We hope to see more smiling faces and creative minds next Sunday!