2. The Art Area How Children Use the Art Area Take a look at the art area, and you will see children exploring and creating with a wide variety of interesting materials. Children typically spend their time in the art area mixing colors, painting, writing, drawing, pasting, taping, cutting, pounding play dough, and making models out of clay and other threedimensional items. Eager artists choose which materials they will use and what they will do with those materials. A phrase used a lot in developmentally based educational programs is “process over product,” and it is especially appropriate in this interest area, with supportive adults understanding the importance of children’s exploration, creativity, and problem solving. As with all areas of the learning environment, it’s important to stock the art area with materials that reflect the individual interests and developmental levels of all of the children in your classroom. Keep in mind that you may have a child who spends three minutes pulling apart chunks of play dough and placing them in a bowl working next to a child who spends forty minutes carefully shaping play dough to form a body and head, then adding sticks, buttons, jewels, and yarn for arms, hands, legs, feet, eyes, a nose, ears, a smile, and hair. In addition to having a rich variety of materials available, it’s equally important to have enough of the same materials or tools so that the area can accommodate as many children as needed. Remember that in addition to making art, young children are also beginning to appreciate art. To encourage their appreciation, provide books about artists and art, and display actual examples and reproductions of artwork. Ask families if they have A child paints with paint in a plastic cup that he has filled himself and will clean out later. 30 Setting Up the Preschool Classroom In the art area, children may create things they need to carry out their plans in other areas, for example a pretend cape. artwork they’d like to share, including pieces created by the children’s parents. Include art made by local artists. Talk about the pieces you choose to display and the materials and process the artist used. Do not be concerned that children will “copy” the artwork they see on display. Observing the work of others will instead inspire more creativity as they explore the materials and techniques on their own. Place materials that reflect the arts and crafts typical of the local community in your art area, for example, items for weaving or making pottery as well as items such as beads, feathers, or seashells. Considerations in Setting Up the Art Area When arranging the learning environment, position the art area near the classroom’s water source to allow children to use water for mixing paints and cleaning up messy projects. Hard, smooth flooring, such as vinyl or tile, is desirable to make cleaning up spills and messes easier. While this is ideal, classrooms that have carpeting throughout can make adaptations by placing drop cloths, plastic shower curtains, or plastic office chair mats over the carpet. If you do this, be sure to secure these coverings to the floor to avoid tripping, especially if you have children or adults with physical handicaps or visual impairments in your room. When the art area is stocked with interesting and open-ended materials, it will be a popular place for children to carry out their plans. Be sure to create a large enough space in order to accommodate many children working at one time. Include a large table (which can also be used for snack-, meal- and small-group times), easels, and spaces for drying and displaying artwork. Low drying racks and bulletin boards allow children to put away or hang up their own art projects, rather than depend on adults for assistance. It’s also important to designate a safe place to keep projects that are still “works in progress” so that children can return to their creations the next day and continue their work. Make several “work-inprogress” signs for children to attach to their The Art Area 31 For easy cleanup, this art area is set up near the sink, with the main work table and easel nearby, as well as a rack with waterproof aprons. Along the wall are self-service paint jugs and a table for drying artwork. In the foreground is a shelf with coloring and molding materials. work. For example, fold a piece of heavy cardboard into a tent shape, draw a picture of a hand with a line through it (to signify “do not touch”), and write the words “work in progress.” Paint is such an important material in the art area, it deserves a little discussion. We find the best and most cost-effective strategy for paint is to buy it in gallon pump dispensers in a minimum number of colors: black, white, and primary colors (red, blue, yellow). Children can mix their own colors. This not only eliminates the need for continual monitoring and reordering, but gives children a great learning experience. We encourage children to pump paint themselves, right out of the gallon containers into plastic cups, and to rinse out and put away the cups and paintbrushes after each use. No longer will teachers be stuck cleaning out paint cups, or making sure paintbrushes are Hands off! Children use work-in-progress signs to identify artwork or block constructions that they plan to finish at a later time. 34 Setting Up the Preschool Classroom Equipment and Materials for the Art Area Art Area Equipment Essential art area equipment Additional art area equipment Double easel Shelving unit, as space allows Wall hooks or peg tree, to hang paint smocks; can be shared with sand and water area Double easel, as space allows Drying rack Sectioned shelving unit (at least 24" high and 36" wide) Shelving unit (at least 24" high and 36" wide) Table (large enough to accommodate a small group of 6–10 children plus 1 adult) Chairs (1 chair per child plus an extra for adult) Art Area Materials For consumable materials, such as paint, easel paper, construction paper, tape, and glue, the quantities below are suggestions and may need to be adjusted, based on the interest and use of the materials at various times throughout your program year. Monitor your stock and replenish as needed. For natural and found consumable materials, such as feathers, leaves, stickers, buttons, and bottle caps, no estimated quantity has been given in the list below: don’t forget to keep an eye on these materials too, restocking them periodically so there is always an ample supply. Essential materials for mixing and painting Liquid tempera paint: black, white and the primary colors: red, yellow, and blue (1 gallon of each in pump dispensers) Liquid starch, can be mixed with tempera paint to make finger paint or used as glue with tissue paper Paint cups (plastic): 5 cups for each side of a double easel, plus additional cups — at least 2 per child — for group activities Paintbrushes, long handled easel brushes (several per easel) Paintbrushes, chubby brushes (at least 2 per child and adult for group activities) Washable watercolor paint sets (1 per child and adult for group activities) Vinyl smocks, may be shared with sand and water area (1 per child and adult for group activities) Newsprint, for easel (2 packages, each 500 sheets — 18" × 24") Finger-paint paper (2 packages, each 100 sheets — 16" × 22") 35 The Art Area Additional materials for mixing and painting Soap flakes Nontoxic liquid dish soap Sponges, for sponge painting (at least 3 per child and adult for group activities) Shaving cream (approximately 5 cans) Foam paint rollers with textures or designs (2 per child and adult for group activities) Glitter shakers (use empty spice shakers; 1 per child and adult for group activities) Glitter, various colors Plastic spoons Spices and seasonings: cinnamon, nutmeg, paprika, oregano, parsley flakes, coffee, etc. Coffee stirrers Coffee filters (1 box) Plastic squeeze bottles or tubes (at least 2 per child and adult for group activities) Eye droppers (at least 2 per child and adult for group activities) Styrofoam trays, paint trays, bowls, pie tins, muffin tins, or empty plastic containers Toothbrushes (at least 2 per child and adult for group activities) “Messy” trays (1 per child and adult for group activities) Bubble wrap (1 roll) Food coloring, various colors Paint palettes (1 per child and adult for group activities) Foam paint rollers (2 per child and adult for group activities) Fly swatters (1 per child and adult for group activities) These shelves hold Stryofoam bits, small cardboard and foam cylinders, soft plastic pieces, pine cones, brightly colored pipe cleaners, ABC stamps, small wood scraps, and other materials for making pictures, collages, and models. Cotton swabs (1 box) Spray bottles (1 per child and adult for group activities) Essential materials for holding things together and taking them apart Scissors (1 per child and adult for group activities) Masking tape (1 roll per child and adult for group activities) Staplers (1 per child and adult for group activities) Glue bottles (4 oz. size, 1 per child and adult for group activities) Tape dispensers (1 per child and adult for group activities) Staples (5 refill boxes) Glue, for refilling bottles (2 gallons) Transparent tape, for dispensers (1 roll per child and adult for group activities) Paper punches (1 per child and adult for group activities) String Yarn Additional materials for holding things together and taking them apart Scissor holder Shoelaces Craft punches (at least 2 per child and adult for group activities) Blunt needles with big eyes; yarn needles (1 per child and adult for group activities) Crinkle-cut or craft scissors (1 per child and adult for group activities) Paperclips, jumbo (5 boxes) Ribbon Rubber bands (5 boxes) Twist ties Glue sticks (1 per child and adult for group activities) Colored masking tape or craft tape, various colors (1 roll per child and adult)