Article Link: http://exchangepress.com/article/sparking-a-love-of-art/5025646/
Gina had a wonderful art center. Her preschoolers enjoyed a wide variety of art materials including crayons, markers, construction paper, old magazines and scraps for cutting, as well as a wide variety of collage materials. She moved new materials in and out of the center, but she noticed that the children were completing a lot of the same kind of artwork. She wondered, what else can I try to challenge these kids?
Open-ended art occurs naturally in early childhood programs, as children experiment naturally with art materials in an art center. These centers typically include a variety of materials such as paint, paper, markers, scissors, tape, glue, clay and collage materials. Over time, new materials can be introduced, and individual art projects evolve as children experiment. One week they are painting the swirls of bright summer flowers, the following week they are making a messy collage with crinkled paper, buttons and a large puddle of glue. Children learn best in open-ended explorations when teachers help them make connections (Drew & Rankin, 2004). These connections may include showing children how to use new materials, or showing them a new technique to help them create something in a different way. For example, as children ...