1. Guiding Art, Blockbuilding, and Sensory Experiences
Chapter 19
Guiding Art, Blockbuilding, and Sensory Experiences

2. The Importance of Art Experiences
Art promotes physical, social, emotional, and cognitive growth.
Physical growth is promoted through movements involved in painting, scribbling, and playing with clay.
Children learn responsibility.
Through creative activity, children are allowed to express emotions.
Cognitive growth is promoted by exploring, experimenting, and problem solving.

3. Techniques for Guiding Art Experiences
A good art program allows children to express their ideas.
Helping children during art sessions is an important task.
Start each session by telling the children what supplies and tools are available that day.
Let children decide when their work is done.
Model art appreciation by offering feedback.

4. Did You Know… Studies show children do not have color preferences.
According to children, beautiful colors include yellow, blue, orange, and green.
Ugly colors included brown, white, and black.

5. Stages of Art Skill Development
Scribbles
Basic Forms
Pictorial Drawings

6. Scribbles Occurs between 15 months and 3 years of age
To help children in this stage, make them aware of their movements
Comments on the child’s artwork are helpful

7. Basic Forms Occurs between ages three and four
Children now have better control of their movements

8. Pictorial Drawings Occur between the ages of four and five
Children attempt to mimic their view of the real world

9. Art Supplies and Tools Tempera paint Brushes Easels
Crayons, chalk, and felt-tip markers
Paper and painting surfaces
Coloring books
Paste
Glue
Cleanup tools
Space and storage

10. Tempera Paint Tempera paint is common in many child care centers.
It can be purchased in liquid or powdered form.

11. Brushes Provide children with a number of different sized brushes.
Pieces of string, cotton swabs, sponges, and feathers can be given to older children.

12. Easels
Sturdy, adjustable easels should be provided as a place to paint.
Clamps or hooks attach at the top to hold paper in place.

13. Crayons, Chalk, and Felt-Tip Markers
Children enjoy these items, but they are harder to use than paint.
Crayons come in regular and kindergarten sizes.
Chalk is available in both art and chalkboard forms.
Felt-tip markers come in washable or waterproof inks.

14. Paper and Painting Surfaces
Newsprint, manila paper, construction paper, wallpaper, cardboard, or old newspaper
Remember that small children have little muscle control and therefore need larger surfaces on which to paint or draw

15. Coloring Books
Studies show that coloring books have a negative effect on children’s creativity by blocking their creative impulses.
Avoid heavy reliance on them.
Rely on activities that allow children to explore and experience.

16. Glue The best all-purpose adhesive is a white liquid glue.
Take precautions when using white glue.
Children should wear smocks.
Table surfaces should be covered.

17. Cleanup Tools
Keep cleanup tools in the art area so they are available when needed.
Encourage children to be responsible for cleaning up.

18. Painting Activities Easel painting Finger painting String painting
Mono painting
Chalk painting
Texture painting
Salt painting
Spice painting

19. Easel Painting
Easels should be adjusted to the right height for children.
Brushes should have long handles.
Provide only a small amount of paint.
Permit one child per easel.
Encourage children to wear smocks.
Teach children how to use the paintbrush.

20. String Painting Cut several pieces of heavy yarn or string.
Place a tray, or trays, of colored paint and paper on the table.
Show children how to slide yarn through the paint and onto the paper.
Another technique is to place the string in the folded paper and pull it out.

21. Mono Painting Starts with regular finger painting
Place another sheet of paper on top of painting, smash them together and pull apart

22. Chalk Painting Dip chalk into water and draw on construction paper.
Choose paper color depending on the color of the chalk.
Add vinegar to the water to deepen the color of the chalk.

23. Texture Painting Mix tempera with liquid starch.
Add sand, sawdust, or coffee grounds.
For best results, paint should be thick.

24. Salt Painting Mix salt with colored tempera and put in shakers.
Have children spread paste on paper.
Have children shake salt/paint onto paste.
Shake off excess and allow to dry.

25. Spice Painting This results in a scented painting.
Have children spread glue on paper and shake spice on.
Cinnamon, onion powder, garlic powder, and oregano all make aromatic paintings.
For texture, use bay leaves, cloves, or coffee grounds.

26. Cutting Children need time, supplies, and space each day for cutting.
Give children quality scissors.
Provide left-handed scissors for left-handed children.
All scissors should have rounded tips.

27. Blockbuilding
Stages of blockbuilding
Types of blocks and accessories

28. Stages of Blockbuilding
At 2 years of age, children carry the blocks around and do not engage in construction.
Stage 2
From 2 to 3 years of age, building begins.

29. Stages of Blockbuilding
Bridging: the processes of placing two blocks vertically a space apart, then a third brick is added
Stage 4
Children begin to construct enclosures.
Stage 5
By 3 or 4 years of age, children begin to build more intricate buildings.

30. Stages of Blockbuilding
The children begin naming their structures and include dramatic play.
Stage 7
By age 5, children decide what they want to build prior to construction.

31. Types of Blocks and Accessories
Blocks come in a wide variety of materials including
wood
cardboard
plastic
rubber
foam
Children enjoy using simple figures such as animals and multicultural people.

32. Displaying Children’s Work
Children need to know their artwork is valued.
However, children should always have a choice in whether they want to save their work.
Bulletin boards should be low enough for children to see their work.
Bulletin boards also convey information to families.

33. Sensory Experiences: Sand and Water Play
Sand Play
Water Play

34. Sand Play
A sandbox should have a ledge for seating all the way around it.
Outdoors, sandboxes should be placed in a quiet area of the playground near a water source.
Indoor sand tables should be placed near a water source, too.
A variety of containers should be provided for stirring, sifting, straining, pouring, and molding the sand.

35. Water Play
With careful supervision, water play is another activity that is developmentally appropriate for children.
Water play can take place indoors using a water table, plastic bins, laundry tubs, or wading pools.
A variety of nonbreakable kitchen utensils can be provided.
Older children may enjoy using a hose outdoors.