Creative projects are an easy go to when working with young children, but I encourage you to keep in mind the process needs to be at least as important for learning as the goal of a finished product.
I happen to be more interested in the process than the product, but I also understand that children like to have something to take home. That something doesn’t need to be finished to the level that adults often are looking for. To help keep adult expectations aligned with where children and your lessons are at you do need to explain to families how the process vs product works within your program. I love to have a variety of supplies on hand so creative activities start with a purpose/direction and the children take it from there. I also love when I’m asked if they can do a creative activity of their own making. I hardly ever have a model for them to see or copy. I really want their creative works to reflect them, their interests and their desires. That isn’t always easy as we all know how young children haven’t developed that sense of “enough, it’s time to stop”.
Here are some images of creative activities around snowmen my program has seen made over the years. I love looking back seeing how each group was definitely reflected in the resulting pieces, even when everything else was the same.
Creative Arts
“Creative expression allows a young child to engage in the world of their own imagination. It offers them an opportunity to express themselves in ways that are unique to them and to form an appreciation for the unique expressions of others. Fostering creativity in young children allows them to explore, examine and reflect upon their own individual form of creative expression. It also provides an opportunity for the Early Educator to gather information and insight into a child’s ideas, feelings, interests and individual learning styles and preferences.
Providing experiences such as music, movement, dance, dramatic play, and experimentation with a variety of art media, allows a child to explore the different dimensions of the creative arts.”
Visual Arts:
- Uses a variety of art- making tools
- Shares art materials and begins to work with peers on a group artwork
- Chooses artwork to display and keep based on personal preferences
- Explores a variety of developmentally appropriate materials and media to create 2 and 3 dimensional artwork
- Begins to use art materials safely and appropriately
- Observes and discusses artwork created by both adults and children
Movement and Dance:
- Demonstrates awareness of body in space and moves with developing control
Dramatic Expression:
- Begins to use objects for other than their intended purpose during play
- Begins to identify real and make- believe
- Explores new and familiar situations through dramatic play
Snowmen Felt body hand puppets (video): I sewed the white felt bodies. I sized by tracing the hands of the children and shaped to have 2 arms and a neck area. We scooped out some of a smooth foam ball so we could hot glue to the neck area. Decorating happened with pipe cleaners, markers, scrap fabric, buttons, and cardboard hats I purchased from an art supply store, but could have been fabric in a stocking cap style. For this puppet loving group these puppets were fun to use with snowman songs.
Creative doesn’t just mean the expected art material and mediums.
Snowmen lessons are a perfect time to get creative with more non-traditional art mediums like snow, food coloring turned watercolor spray paint and natural items……
And snowmen can include snow creatures……..
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