Published September 28, 2023
31 creative prompts to spark your artistic side this Inktober
This October, your MetroParks are encouraging you to spend some time outside cultivating your creativity. Inktober – ideated nearly 15 years ago – began as a way for artists to practice their inking skills and create positive drawing habits. Inktober challenges those of all skills levels – artists and non-artists – to follow prompts to create one masterpiece a day for 31 days.
Education specialist and Paint-A-Park instructor Mary-Beth developed 31 Inktober prompts you can do at home or in your MetroParks. Be sure to tag us on social media so we can share your incredible creations.
- Visit us at Hills & Dales MetroPark from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. for Paint-A-Park to draw and paint the beautiful landscapes. Â Â
- Paint a picture of vegetables from the demonstration garden at Possum Creek MetroPark or Carriage Hill MetroPark’s historical farm.
- Explore a prairie habitat and draw your favorite plant in as much detail as you canÂ
- Use objects you find in nature like sticks, flowers, grass or pinecones to paint withÂ
- Draw a fossil from Germantown MetroPark
- Paint using the rain (or water) to help shape your picture (washable markers or watercolor pencils are good for this)Â
- Draw a picture of our animal ambassadors at the Wagner Subaru Outdoor Experience (Paint-A-Park will be in the children’s tent at 3 p.m. on Saturday)Â
- Make a sound map near the lagoon at Eastwood MetroParkÂ
- Go on an insect hunt and draw pictures of what you findÂ
- Gather acorns or other nuts and draw funny faces on themÂ
- Get down low and see nature from the perspective of a snake slithering through the forest then draw what you see Â
- Make a crazy creature out of natural found objectsÂ
- Make a leaf rubbing from the trees at Sugarcreek MetroParkÂ
- Visit Carriage Hill MetroPark and paint a picture of fall on the historical farmÂ
- Take a pair of binoculars to Island MetroPark and draw as many birds as you can Â
- Draw what it would look like to see from a bat’s eyes hanging from a treeÂ
- Find something small and draw it bigÂ
- Paint with mudÂ
- Make different animals out of the colorful leavesÂ
- Find a spider web and draw the spider that lives thereÂ
- Visit Fall Family Adventure at Wegerzyn Gardens MetroPark and do a craftÂ
- Trace the shadows from plants you find at Cox Arboretum MetroPark
- Paint what it would look like to see from a fish’s eyesÂ
- Paint a scene from a MetroPark you’ve never been to beforeÂ
- Draw each letter of your name as a plant or animal from your MetroParksÂ
- Draw your favorite animal from Ohio in a funny costumeÂ
- Paint the sunset from the Possum Creek MetroPark prairieÂ
- Go for a slow hike and draw the eyes of the animals you see — they see you too!Â
- Nature is everywhere — visit a cemetery and do head stone rubbingsÂ
- Make suet cakes full of bird seed and leave them out as treats for our bird friends — draw what you see and remember to take pictures!Â
- Draw your favorite costume you saw while trick or treatingÂ
