Art is an important part of our curriculum. Every day, children find a variety of art materials available on our shelves. Drawing, painting, cutting, pasting, and playing with play dough are not only enjoyable but also provide important opportunities for learning. Children express original ideas and feeling, improve their coordination, develop small muscle skills, learn to recognize colors and textures, and develop creativity and pride in their accomplishments by exploring and using art materials.

When children are engaged in art activities, we talk with them about what they are doing and ask questions that encourage them to think about their ideas and express feelings. For

example, we might say:

“You made a lot of pictures. Which one do you want to hang up>“

“You worked a long time with the play dough today. What did you like doing best?”

As you can tell, we like to focus on what children are doing—not on what their finished artwork looks like. We say such things as these:

“Tell me about your picture” instead of “What did you make?”

“It looks like the play dough is sticking to your fingers. What could we do to make it less sticky?” instead of “You’re not having much success with the play dough.”

Taken from The Creative Curriculum, 1992

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