Children are highly intuitive, especially when it comes to art and emotions. They may be unable to express everything they see and feel with words. But exposing children to art is a fantastic way to enhance creative and social-emotional development.
I am a firm believer that children and art go hand in hand. From the youngest age, I took my children to museums to explore and experience art, culture, and artifacts.
As a preschool teacher, I incorporated art into my lessons regularly.
One of my favorite ways to combine children and art was a lesson I would do on artistic interpretation.
I chose twenty to thirty famous pieces of art. They ranged from Dutch Baroque with Vermee’rs The Girl with the Pearl Earring to Impressionism by Mary Cassatt to modern art by Jackson Pollack and Picasso.
Each child was asked to choose their favorite from two or three paintings. Then they created a story about the picture. I would write their stories down verbatim. Then type them up and create a book with their stories to keep on the classroom shelf.
It was one of my favorite lessons every year. And it was one that received the most feedback from parents. So many of them never considered exposing their preschoolers to classic art.
Interpreting Art Develops Creativy, Empahty, and Cultural Awareness
When young children are exposed to art, it automatically sparks creativity. They may wonder how the art was made and want to recreate it themselves. They may marvel at the colors and textures present or invent their own stories to explain the pictures.
Art makes people feel. Therefore children exposed to art are provided with the opportunity to experience and express a wide range of emotions.
Art exposes children to different cultures and ways of life. Viewing art from other cultures increases their awareness that not everyone lives as they do. They’ll see different styles of dress, homes, families, plants, animals, and more!
Cultivate Creativity at Home
There are many ways to cultivate creativity at home with children and art. Here are some fun and easy ways to bring more art into your child’s life.
- Pull out your favorite famous images from your high school or college art classes. Supply them with crayons, paint, and paper, and let them reinterpret.
- Create a museum in your home by hanging your child’s artwork. A laundry line and clothespin along the hallway or in their room are all your need!
- Read books about artists at home. Then follow up with a trip to a local museum or view paintings online.
- 13 Artists Children Should Know by Angela Wenzel
- ABC’s of Art by Sabrina Hahn
- Meet the Artist Series (30 book series) by Read With You Center for Excellence STEAM Education
- The Artist by Ed Vere
- Swatch: The Girl Who Loved Color by Julia Denos
- Take pictures of 3-D art created with Play-Doh or sand. Turn the pictures into an album.
- Keep an art area stocked with a variety of art supplies.
- Look at picture books with few or no words and have your child create a story.
- Tuesday by David Wiesner
- Penguins Set Sail by Jessica Linn Evans
- Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
- Journey by Aaron Becker
- Flashlight by Lizi Boyd
Think Beyond Markers and Crayons
People often think of crayons, markers, and paper when picturing children and art. But I encourage you to think beyond markers and crayons. Art is about the process of creating something. Therefore the more supplies you can provide your child, the more creativity will occur.
Create a loose objects box with feathers, buttons, scraps of fabric and paper, colorful straws, felt scraps, sequins, stickers, and more! If you’re unsure how to get started, buy an arts and craft supply kit. Supply glue, paint, scissors, playdoh, LEGOS, stamps, ink, glitter, etc.
If you’re worried about the mess, place a drop cloth under your art station and or take art outside on nice days. The good thing is there is no wrong way to do art! To learn more about doing art with young children, check out my book 50 Things to Know About Crafting with Preschoolers.
May 22, 2023, by L. Elizabeth Forry
