Young children are naturally curious. But, you already knew this, right? Play to your preschool aged child's need to explore with an imaginatively awesome art activity. Even if your child gets her fair share of finger painting during her school day, you can add these easy activities into your at-home learning experiences. The best part is that they're completely process-based. That means your child isn't necessarily making something. Instead, she's exploring the materials and making her own discoveries through the actual art-making. Check out these process art adventures that are perfect for children in preschool.
Creative Collage
You've got a pile of scrap paper that's ready for the recycling bin. The old magazines, newspapers, flyers, and odds and ends aren't doing much right now. But, you could transform them into a no-cost art material. Hand them over to your child, and let her tear or cut them into shapes with safety scissors. Cut the side off of a cardboard box (you may need to do this for your child, as cardboard is often too thick for safety scissors to make it through), give your little artist a bottle of school glue or a glue stick and let her collage at will. She can experiment with overlapping edges, creating patterns and building new textures.
Finger Paint Plus
Take finger painting up a notch with the addition of a few texturizing materials. Pour the paints onto a palette (or use cardboard as an inexpensive alternative). Let your child add craft sand, glitter, craft feathers, or teeny tiny pieces of cut paper (DIY yourself some confetti from tissue paper) into the paint. Now she's got a super-sensory way to finger paint. As she paints, ask her to describe the different textures that she's creating.
Clay Play
This one couldn't be easier. Break apart pieces of soft modeling clay, give your child a few simple tools and let her play, sculpt and mold away. Don't worry about buying fancy clay tools. Popsicle sticks, plastic spoons, and a regular rolling pin all work perfectly well.
Colorful Creations
Let your young child take full advantage of everything she has to draw with – without assigning her a task. Give your child a piece of blank paper. Fill a basket with crayons, washable markers, colored pencils and oil pastels. Hold off on asking your child to draw a picture of 'something'. Let her take the lead and experiment with the different drawing tools. She can make marks, draw lines, scribble or use the drawing tools in her own ways.
While your child might get her chance to play with paint, draw pictures or even make a sculpture with papier mache at a preschool like North End Montessori School, she can keep the artsy fun going at home too. Using process-based activities, you can help your young child to get creative, make her own discoveries (and build critical thinking skills) and experience everything that art has to offer.
