Here are some ideas on how to get more art in your life.
Art is a way to communicate. Young children explore what they are thinking and feeling through their art efforts. By being attentive to a child's work, listening as they "explain", you are building their understanding of art as a method of communicating with others. Of equal importance, you are creating a feeling within your child that what they have to say has value since you are taking the time to listen.
WAYS TO HELP YOUR CHILD EXPRESS HERSELF WITH ART by: Robbin T., age 11 (from KinderArt Speak)
- Give your child some paper, along with color pencils, Cray pas, watercolors, or pastels; ask her to draw any or all of the following:
- how she is feeling
- what happened
- dreams
- Take her to the museum if she would like to go. Look at paintings that are big and colorful (not real adult looking or serious); paintings that she will not find boring. You probably know what kind of things she likes. Be sure to go to the food court and the gift shop.
- Draw and paint with her. She will enjoy it and it will be fun!
- Collect lots of stuff in a box that you can make sculptures and art with; for example, clothes pins, pipe cleaners, fabric, paper clips, ribbons, lace, etc. Invite her to make something with these things; this could be a sculpture or a collage.
- Look through books about artists that she might like; pick out paintings and drawings that you can use as examples of what kind of art to make. Understand how and why the artist painted what he or she did.
- Play music that she likes while doing art; for example, a favorite song or singer.
Beyond the Fridge: Saving Your Kids Artwork
By ClubMom Member Krista, Richland, WA
A frequent problem for parents is what to do with all the artwork their kids produce. We all love it, but let's face it: There just isn't enough room on the refrigerator. Here are some suggestions I share with parents of my art students:
1. Laminate art at a copy or print shop to use as place mats or bookmarks.
2. Buy a blank craft calendar and add a piece of artwork each month to make a unique Christmas gift for a relative.
3. Store the favorites in a portfolio your child makes using a pizza box that you let them decorate (your local pizza parlor may donate a new one to you).
4. Scan your child's work into your computer to print out your own note cards. Don't forget to put the artist's name and title on the back of the card.
5. Devise a rotating art gallery. Each relative interested in participating gets to have a piece of art for a month, then it rotates to the next recipient.
6. Be creative! The most important thing is to let your child know you look forward to seeing them express themselves through art.
http://www.coolmath.com/parents/getready_patterns.htm
There are tons of things that you can be doing at home to get your little ones ready for kindergarten! In fact, we recommend that you continue doing these things throughout kindergarten and first grade.
There are tons of things that you can be doing at home to get your little ones ready for kindergarten! In fact, we recommend that you continue doing these things throughout kindergarten and first grade.