Why does your child make so much art in daycare - and what can you do with it? Now that your child is in preschool, does your family now have stacks of drawings, piles of paintings, and a closet with clay sculptures? Take a look at the top reasons why children make so much art in daycare and learn some simple tips for sorting, storing, or displaying their crafty haul.
Why Do Preschoolers Create So Much Art?While there's no set amount of art preschoolers make in daycare, most children come home with plenty of paper, paint, crayon, and clay crafts. Do you enjoy the artsy adventures your child explores during their school day and like the pile of products you have at home? But are you not entirely sure why your child makes art almost every day or how this type of early childhood activity can help them to develop?
Preschools don't use art for one universal reason. Instead, each school or educator has their own specific rationale for incorporating art into the school day. These may include:
- Fine motor skill building.
Fine motor skills include finger and hand strength and coordination abilities. Your child will need these skills to dress themselves, feed themselves, and write. Art activities, such as drawing with a crayon or holding a paintbrush, can help preschoolers to develop this skill set.
- Creativity development.
Art is a creative activity that can help them to think out of the box, problem solve, and think critically.
- Extensions of other lessons.
Preschool art lessons aren't always used as stand-alone explorations. The Pre-K teacher may extend other curriculum areas into their art lessons. This could include drawing pictures of a science experiment, painting globes for a social studies activity, or bookmaking as an early literacy add-on.
To learn more about why your child makes art and how it's used in the pre-k classroom, talk to their teacher. The early childhood educator can help you to learn more about the specific activities and how they tie to child development.
What Can You Do With This Art?Now that you know more about why your child makes so much art in daycare and how the art helps them to learn, develop, and grow, figure out what to do with the finished products they bring home. If you have a hefty stockpile of kid-created art at home:
- Photograph it.
Take pictures of your child's art projects and save them digitally. This takes up no physical space and can help you to save these precious pieces forever.
- Sort it.
After you photograph the art, decide whether you want to display it, store it, or get rid of it. While throwing away some of your child's art isn't easy, you probably don't have the space to store everything. Let your child help you to choose which items to keep and which ones to discard.
- Recycle it.
You don't have to throw away art that you can't store. Recycle paper or upcycle old drawings and paintings into scraps for collages and other at-home art activities.
- Store it.
Create file folders for each of your child's school years. Store paintings, drawings, and collages chronologically in a portfolio that spans Pre-K through high school. Store three-dimensional artwork (such as clay sculptures) in heavy-duty cardboard boxes or plastic bins with lids.
- Display it.
Frame some of your child's favorite pieces and display them on your walls. Create your own home gallery that's filled with colorful abstract art.
If you don't want to frame and hang the art, display it creatively using a clothesline and clips, a curtain rod, slim shelving units, magnetic hangers, or your own imaginative idea.
Are you looking for a new daycare? Contact
Riviera Daycare & Preschool
for more information.
