Mo Willems has joined the ranks of good-spirited celebrities who are trying to keep many of us entertained, while we get to grips with self-isolation during the coronavirus pandemic.
The children’s book author has stepped up with an excellent idea for keeping kids entertained, and most importantly, for parents, keeping them quiet.
As schools have shuttered their doors across the country in increasing numbers, this could be a real life-saver for many already stressed-out parents.
The artist behind The Pigeon and Elephant & Piggie has created Lunch Doodles, which is a series of 30-minute episodes where he shows children how to draw some of his iconic characters.
“You might be isolated, but you’re not alone. You are an art maker. Let’s make some together,” says Willems.
Mo Willems hosts Lunch Doodles every weekday
Working with The Kennedy Center, Willems broadcasts his Lunch Doodles every weekday at 1 pm EST on the center’s website.
The Kennedy Center has also been kind enough to post the first two episodes onto YouTube.
As well as teaching your little darlings how to draw, Willems also gives short tours of his studio. You can also send in your questions and your child’s drawings for a chance to be featured on the show.
Just send them to [email protected].
They are also encouraging children to post their artwork to social media using the hashtag #MoLunchDoodles
In the first video posted, Willems told his audience: “I know a lot of you guys are not in school, you’re at home right now because of all the things that are going on.”
Lunch Doodles with Mo Willems will last at least 2-weeks
“Well, guess what? he says, “I’m at home too. So for the next couple of weeks, I’m going to make drawings with you, I’m going to show you some stuff about my studio, and we’re going to hang out together. Matter of fact, I’m really looking forward to it.”
On the Kenndy Center website, Willems encouraged us to “grab some paper and pencils, pens, or crayons.” He added, “we are going to doodle together and explore ways of writing and making.”
It sounds like the perfect hometime activity for those self-isolating artistic children and their parents.
For parents wondering how to occupy themselves this weekend, they may want to consider tuning into the Hallmark channel.
They promised us a weekend-long marathon of Christmas movies, precisely what many of us need to take our minds off a global pandemic.
If you don’t have kids and want to keep your mind off the current troubles, you might want to consider joining Jared Leto on a meditation retreat.
Leto only recently discovered the furor surrounding coronavirus when he returned blissfully unaware after 12 days meditating in the desert.