The child care setting can be a great place for children to use and explore different types of art materials. By providing children with many different materials appropriate to their ages and abilities, child care providers can encourage children to use their imaginations and be creative. Children can work on motor skills by stimulation using different types of materials (paper punches, clay, and crayons) and demonstrate an understanding of certain concepts, such as big and small. Through art children are able to express feelings, ideas, and solutions which they may not be able to express verbally. Below are a variety of articles to help you learn more about art in the child care setting.
Children’s Artistic Abilities
- Art Is a Valuable Learning Experience for Young Children in Child Care
- Creative Art Helps Children Develop Across Many Domains
- The Development of Creative Art Abilities in 0- to 3-Year-Olds
- The Development of Creative Art Abilities in 3- to 5-Year-Olds
- The Development of Creative Art Abilities in 6- to 8-Year-Olds
Planning Art Activities
- The Art Center in Child Care
- Planning a Successful Art Center
- Planning Creative Art Activities for Multi-age Groups
- Creative Art Activities for Children with Special Needs
- Making Creative Art Available to All Children in a Child Care Program
- Balancing Process and Product in Creative Art Activities
- Praise Effort Instead of Product When Discussing Children’s Art
- Avoid Activities Masquerading as Creative Art in Child Care Settings
Common Dilemmas with Creative Art
- Ways Child Care Providers Can Encourage Children Who Don’t Like Art
- Ways Child Care Providers Can Support Children Who Are Critical of Their Own or Another’s Art
- Ways Child Care Providers Can Support Children Who Have Trouble Getting Started with Creative Art
- Ways Child Care Providers Can Support Children Who Run into Problems Doing Art
Art Activities for Child Care
For specific art activity ideas to use in your child care program, check out the eXtension Alliance for Better Child Care Hands-on Activities Database.