We loooove Artsy Thursday. It’s one of our favorite Week of the Young Child theme days, because art and creativity are super skill builders for young children – they can be a pathway to motor skill development, critical thinking abilities, and social and emotional learning.
Nurturing Young Creators: Process Over Product
If there was any one group of people in the world who are natural artists, it would have to be little kids. By their very nature, they are built to learn how the world works and to create meaning from what they discover. Often, though, their natural tendency for exploration and expression can get thwarted by “art” activities that focus way too much on the finished product and not on the process of creation. This can sometimes make children feel stressed or defeated when they cannot recreate the model in front of them. That feeling can slowly extinguish the flame of creativity that lives inside them. While there can be benefits from handicrafts that follow a defined set of instructions and materials, it is important to understand the difference between art and craft. Our Excellence in Care and Early Learning team has prepared this quick guide poster to help you get the kids in your life creating with confidence.
(Download and print this poster)
Using Recycled Materials To Create Art
This brochure from our Step Up to School Readiness initiative has fun ways to create visual art, music, dance, and dramatic play activities with just common household materials.
There really is no wrong way to get your Artsy Thursday on. Tag us on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram to show us what you create!
