Creative Arts Materials

Name of Activity: Creative Art Exploration

Originating Idea: The children have shown an interest in exploring different art materials.

Curriculum Area: 37. Exploring Art Materials: Children explore building and art materials.

Creative Arts 

Materials:

• Large sheets of paper
• Washable, non-toxic finger paint
• Large crayons
• Chunky paintbrushes
• Playdough
• Large wooden blocks
• Cardboard tubes
• Sponges
• Child-safe stamps
• Smocks
• Baby wipes or damp washcloths

Appropriate Age Group: Infants and Toddlers

Beginning of Activity:

Arrange several art and building materials on a table or the floor where children can easily reach them. Invite the children to explore by saying, "Today you can use these materials any way you'd like!" Demonstrate that there is no right or wrong way to create.

Middle of Activity: Your ideas for scaffolding children at different developmental levels

Early:
Offer one or two materials at a time, such as finger paint in a sealed sensory bag, large crayons, or soft playdough. Encourage young infants to touch, squeeze, pat, and observe the materials while describing what they are experiencing.

Middle:
Encourage older infants to explore different materials by making marks with crayons, pressing stamps into playdough, stacking blocks, or using chunky paintbrushes. Follow their lead and talk about the colors, textures, and movements they discover.

Later:
Invite toddlers to combine materials by drawing, painting, building, stamping, or sculpting with playdough. Encourage them to experiment with different techniques and talk about what they are creating without focusing on the final product.

End of Activity:

Let the children know it is time to finish creating. Help them clean their hands and return the materials to their designated places before transitioning to the next classroom activity.

Follow-up Ideas (2)

1. Rotate art and building materials each week to encourage children to continue exploring new textures, colors, and creative possibilities.

2. Create an open-ended art center where children can independently choose from a variety of materials during free-choice time.

Name of Activity: Picture and Photo Gallery

Originating Idea: The children have shown an interest in looking at pictures of familiar people, animals, and objects throughout the classroom.

Curriculum Area: 38. Identifying Visual Images: Children respond to and identify pictures and photographs.

Creative Arts

Materials:

• Laminated family photographs
• Classroom photographs
• Picture cards of animals, foods, and familiar objects
• Children's magazines with large pictures
• Small mirrors
• Bulletin board or display board
• Low easels or floor stands for displaying images

Appropriate Age Group: Infants and Toddlers

Beginning of Activity:

Display a variety of photographs and picture cards at the children's eye level. Invite the children to explore the images by saying, "Let's look at these pictures together!" Encourage children to move around the display and choose the images that interest them.

Middle of Activity: Your ideas for scaffolding children at different developmental levels

Early:
Hold photographs close to young infants and encourage them to look, smile, reach, or touch the pictures. Describe the images by naming familiar people, objects, colors, and animals.

Middle:
Encourage older infants to point to familiar faces, animals, or objects in the pictures. Respond to their gestures by naming what they see and expanding on their observations.

Later:
Invite toddlers to identify familiar people, objects, or animals in the photographs and picture cards. Ask open-ended questions such as, "Who is this?" or "What do you notice in this picture?" Encourage them to describe what they see using words or short phrases.

End of Activity:

Invite the children to help return the photographs and picture cards to their baskets or display area. End the activity by talking about some of the favorite pictures the children explored before transitioning to the next routine.

Follow-up Ideas (2)

1. Create a classroom photo book featuring the children, their families, and classroom experiences for children to revisit during free-choice time.

2. Rotate seasonal photographs, nature pictures, and images from different cultures to encourage children to explore and identify a variety of visual images throughout the year.