Art Materials Buying Guide

Article Link: http://exchangepress.com/article/art-materials-buying-guide/5012483/

Child Care Information Exchange Art Materials Buying Guide
by Roger Neugebauer

The arts curriculum is at the heart of nearly every early childhood program. But there are significant variations in the way in which the arts are presented and art materials are used in different programs. To give our readers some ideas on how to select proper art materials, Child Care Information Exchange surveyed a wide variety of vendors (listed at the end of this article) for this guide. Their recommendations on questions to consider in purchasing are summarized below.


- Are the materials appropriate to the ages of the children?
- Will children experience a minimum of frustration in using these materials?
- Do the materials provide a high ratio of child-led versus teacher-led usage?
- Can all children in the class participate whatever their level of development?
- Can children with special needs participate in the activities?
- Do any of the materials have dangerously sharp edges?
- Could young children choke on the materials?
- Are the materials made of any substance that is toxic when rubbed on the skin, ingested, or inhaled?
- Are the materials made of environmentally friendly products?
- Do the materials expose children to a wide spectrum of colors and textures?
- Are the activities involving these materials open-ended?
- Do the activities foster creativity?
- Are the activities both fun ...