While we're on the topic of art, I thought it would be a good idea to show you some of the materials we use in our classroom. We like to use materials that are "open-ended" - this means that they don't have to be used in just one certain way with a specific purpose that the children have to learn and conform to. Instead, the children can use them however they want, depending on their imagination and experimentation. They are in charge of their own creations! One great thing about using open-ended materials instead of specialty art materials is how inexpensive and easy to find they are! Open-ended, process-based art is one of the easiest ways to support your child's learning at home, using materials you have around the house or can buy cheaply at Dollarama. Let's take a look...
It is very important to us that the children can access their own art materials so they can control their own creative process and start to develop their ideas based on the materials they have available to them. For this reason we make sure the materials are visible and where they can reach them. In the containers above we have popsicle sticks, some strips of silver paper (you've probably seen these coming home - they've been making crowns, firefighter helmets and police officer hats out of them), various collage materials, glue, clothespins, and embroidery floss.
Above you can see markers and crayons separated by colour, cardboard cones, and our basket where we keep different kinds of tape and the children's stapler. Tape, glue, and staplers may seem like materials adults should control because they can be very messy and expensive. However, we find that the children quickly learn how to use these materials properly, and the more practice the better.
We like to use watercolour paints at school. It is a great way for children to develop their fine motor skills because they need to use the paintbrush more purposefully than with liquid paint. An advantage to using watercolour paints at home is that they are less messy than using liquid paint! You can buy watercolour sets at Dollarama. At school the children are comfortable setting up their own paints and water, and getting to work! You can also see our scissors and string/yarn. String and yarn, and anything small that the children use with their fingers, are great ways for children to develop the muscles in their hands and fingers that are necessary to write. Making art and using sand and playdough might seem unrelated to writing, but children cannot write until the muscles in their hands and fingers are developed enough to hold and control a pencil. Give them lots of opportunities to use their fingers!
Feathers!
We like to use liquid white glue as well as glue sticks - both use their muscles in different ways and are better for different materials. You can buy white glue at Dollarama. We have it in squeeze bottles and in cups with sticks for spreading - again, squeezing and spreading use different muscles and develop different skills. Liquid glue can seem very messy - and it is! But the more they use it, the better they can control it.
Another type of feathers and straws from Dollarama.
Googly eyes, pipe cleaners, pom-poms, sequins, buttons, cardboard cones...
Spreading glue. Sometimes the children will use glue and only glue for ages at the art studio. Squeezing it, spreading it, swirling it. Experimenting with materials like this is a key part of developing creative and fine motor skills.
This child spent three days working on this creation. She would put it away and then come back to it the next day. Sometimes it may seem like children lose interest in working on something quickly, but if you keep it around you may find that they choose to build on their work and turn it into a project. Only they know when they're done!
You can see that we have pipe cleaners, straws, and coloured popsicle sticks separated by colour, just like we do with our drawing materials. We do this for a few reasons - it saves children the time and trouble of searching for the colour they want so they can focus on their creative goals, it helps develop their colour awareness, and it is also pleasing to the eye. We want the children to feel they have ownership over their classroom, and also to feel that it is an inspiring, inviting space.
Some more art materials - beads, ribbon, foam stickers, buttons, and more. We buy many of our materials from Dollarama and Target (look in the $1 section near Starbucks for great deals on art materials). If you look in the arts and crafts aisle at Dollarama you can find glue, tape, paint, ribbon, paper, pipe cleaners, sequins, buttons, feathers, foam, and so much more. We also use recyclables. Boxes, egg cartons, glass and plastic jars and containers...it's amazing what your little artist will turn into imaginative creations!
Sometimes at the art studio the children will be unhappy if they get glue or paint on their clothes or hands, or if there is a mess on the table. I always try to remind them that all our art materials are washable, and that getting messy is part of art! Cleaning up at the art studio is a great opportunity to help them develop their sorting skills and independence. As we always say, mess is part of learning...but so is cleaning up!
Do you make open-ended art with your children at home? Have you noticed their skills developing? We always love to see what they make at home! Don't forget that you and your child can write to us in the comments and we will write back!
Have a wonderful week.
Ms. Snyder and Ms. Hammond
