Any invitation to create yields wonderful benefits for children! Self-expression, fine motor skills, and creative thinking are all brought to the table every time. Art can even be therapeutic! But there’s something special that happens when you work on a bigger scale. With big art projects, larger motor movements are often encouraged, strengthening both the small muscles in the hand, used in most art projects, but also inviting the larger muscle groups in the arms, and sometimes even the whole body! With a larger project and bigger movements, kids who typically steer clear of the art table are often more easily enticed. Big art projects also add a social and linguistic element as kids often work together to fill up such a big canvas. And with such big projects and big movements, outdoors is often an ideal studio — perfect for this time of year! [Read more…]
Multi-Sensory Paint!
One of the things that makes young artists so great, is that they are concerned more with the whole experience than with the product alone. Expand your next painting experience by trying out these tips that encourage children to use more than just their eyes to experience art. (Originally posted January 2010.)
If you’d like to incorporate a few more senses into your painting projects, add some regular salt generously to your tempera paint and use as fingerpaint or with a brush. The resulting project will have a bit more texture and grit that becomes even more visible as it dries. [Read more…]