Art in Kindergarten

Art enables children to identify the real things around them. They like to use their senses as they burrow their way through their childhood. They love to smell and taste, even if things were not edible! But most of all, they like to touch; and what more than art can help them celebrate their sense of touch. To help my students express themselves freely in the classroom and beyond, I abide by the following rules:

• Never hold the children’s hand while he or she is painting;
Guiding a child throughout the art process is as if we are saying: “You cannot do it by yourself!”, or “You are going to mess it up if I let go.” I try to choose projects that give children a chance to be in control and actually decide what goes where, so I exclude pre designed artwork that needs the children to paint inside a pattern without thinking. Instead I talk to them about what we are going to do, ask them a few questions to trigger their imagination, and hand them a brush!

• Do not limit the child to one kind of media to complete an art work;
I always put many different types of material and spread them on the table. In this way, the children choose the one they are most comfortable with. They might even use more than one, which always turns out to be more interesting!

• Do not praise the child’s work without discussing what you see;
When describing the work of a child, art or otherwise, I use words that make sense to him or her. Choosing words like nice, pretty¸ etc often belittles the child’s accomplishment. So I try to make comments like: “I see a duck, where is it going. “, or “Is that a tree, I wonder what kind of tree it is?” This usually prompts them to think about new things to add to their drawing and even turn it into a story. Of course some children will submit a blank paper or maybe even a set of meaningless scribbles, but eventually, and with patience and encouragement rather than praise, it will enable them to grow.


Tip: Let the children wear old mommy’s t-shirts or smocks if available. We do not need to be distracted by worrying about them messing their outfits.