Art with Intention
We created our Choose Wisely guides to highlight developmentally beneficial items to have at home or give to young children.
We want to help you make informed choices. There are so many items marketed to children and parents - yet few are developmentally meaningful.
Instead of hoping for the best, with all good intentions - or leaving gifts from loved ones to chance - start here! We will help you be specific.
That said, this list is simply a guide. You definitely don’t need to purchase these specific items to see the benefits. You can find similar options on Amazon, at Target, at resale shops, in family storage, etc.
Art tools!
NOT art kits!
Suggested Rules of Engagement:
Purchase quality art materials instead of quantity.
Treat tools and materials with care.
Use in a developmentally-aware sequence.
Just a few art materials available at a time. Rotate to keep interest and appreciation high.
Art with Awareness:
Painting: finger paint, to larger, thicker paint brushes with simple, primary watercolors, to more variation in color and paint
Drawing: thick wax crayon blocks, to thick crayon sticks, to thick drawing pencils, to regular drawing pencils, to more variation in color
Tearing and Cutting: practice tearing paper with finger tips, before moving on to cutting with straight-edged child-sized scissors, to variation in scissor edge, used with construction paper
Collage: your child can creat collages with the paper they have torn or cut or snippets of fabric, ribbon, yarn, etc.
Clay: consider starting with salt dough (easy recipes online); then, introduce plain, air dry clay in a neutral color to start, with no tools, then introduce tools and painting
Art is an area where we get a bit careless with children. Paper, paint, etc are often presented to children as disposable and rapidly replenished.
Many children also get in a habit of treating art tools roughly, and of not putting them away.
Art materials should be cared for and respected. The first step is raising your expectation bar as the adult in your child’s life. Show thoughtful handling and the importance of order and tidyness with art tools.
I suggest you DON’T consider the following for ages 2 - 6 years:
Sticker books and sets
Paint by numbers
Coloring posters and books
Your child needs to develop into their own creativity.
They also need to develop into their own motor skills and capacity for self-expression.
Keep art-making open-ended. Focus on exploration of materials - tools, colors, textures, forms - and techniques - avoiding anything prescribed as much as possible.
Enjoy!