Art for young children is a learning experience when children are discovering what is stimulating, interesting, and engaging. They are most interested in experimenting and doing art rather than making a finished product. During the process, the children experience the joy of exploration, the delight of creating, and sometimes the frustration of challenges.
The art process can be sensory, such as feeling slippery cool paint on bare fingers. Other times it is a mysterious surprise as colors blend unexpectedly. The adult’s job is simply to allow this process to happen! Provide interesting materials, offer help with materials that may be challenging to use, but it is best not to make art samples to copy, as this tends to limit the possibilities of the process and may hinder the world of discovery and creativity.
- Tell me about your artwork (painting, drawing, playdough)
- I see you’ve used many colors!
- How does the paint feel?
- Tell me about the _____ part.
- Varieties of paper
- Glue, paste, tapes
- Paints, chalk
- Fabric, yarn
- Scissors
- Natural materials
- Recycled materials (cardboard tubes, plastic milk jugs, junk mail)
- Various writing instruments (crayons, markers, colored pencils)