Developmentally Appropriate Art Projects
Young children enjoy creating artwork, and parents can help guide them toward activities for their developmental stage. Child-centered, or unstructured, art is more appropriate for young children so that they have a lot of choice in how the project is made. The adults can facilitate and encourage children by providing the materials, modeling, and making suggestions without directing the project.
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Water Painting
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Babies who are sitting up and holding small objects in their hands can begin painting with water. Offer your baby a paintbrush with a large handle he can grip easily and a large container of water. During warm weather, sit on a patio or driveway and show him how to dip the brush in the water and paint the ground to make a design. To make this an inside activity, set a large piece of colored construction paper in front of your child and give him the wet paintbrush to create a picture.
Sponge Painting
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Toddlers love to see the effects of their painting, but parents don't always want the mess that often comes along with it. Let your child do with sponge painting in a zippered plastic storage bag for mess-free fun. Slide a piece of white paper inside a gallon size storage bag. Cut a sponge into several small pieces and dip each one into a different color paint. Place the sponges into the bag and seal it. Offer it to your toddler and show him how to press on the sponges to paint on the paper. Invite him to shake the bag to move the sponges around and paint some more. Take the paper out of the bag to let it dry and display his work of art.
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Tissue Paper Collage
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Young preschoolers can begin using scissors and glue to create art. Give your child colorful tissue paper and a large piece of construction paper. For younger preschoolers who have not yet learned to use scissors, show them how to tear it into smaller pieces. Children who are ready for scissors can cut shapes out of the tissue paper. Offer them glue or a glue stick to attach the tissue paper to the construction paper and create a collage.
Making Jewelry
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Older preschoolers have developed the fine motor skills to begin stringing objects to create jewelry. Offer your child a variety of materials for stringing such as yarn and string, O-shaped cereal and small plastic beads. Help him tie a knot in one end of the string. Show him how to slide each piece onto the string to create a bracelet or necklace. This can be an opportunity to teach about patterning as you string different-colored or different-sized beads.
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References
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