For our Halloween playdate, I created a process art space for the little ones to go wild (without the clean-up!). I threw in a variety of materials like markers, coloring pencils, different size crayons, stamps, washi tape, stickers, paper, gluesticks, etc.
There was no "end product" but oh what a joy it was to watch them create!
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WHAT IS PROCESS ART? :
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Process art is the open-ended "creative" process of making whereas product art is about the "masterpiece" at the end.
While different situations might call for different types of support and learning, your child gains a tremendous amount of skills through process art including:
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fine motor skills | gross motor skills | coordination | sensory exploration | literacy | math | science | language | art history | creativity | art techniques | risk-taking | spatial reasoning | self-expression
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While learning to listen and follow is an inherent skill to master, research has shown that toddlers learn and develop emotionally, socially, and cognitively far more through process art than product art.
A good way to tell if the craft is process-driven or product-driven - does it look perfect or are you not really able to tell what it is? If you have a little toddler and absolutely can't decipher what they just "made", you're on the right track!
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A great tip? Don't ask them what it is as it might be very obvious to them. Instead, ask them to tell you about their work. Lots of open-ended questions, exploring, and basically allowing them the space to lead, create, and have fun fun fun!
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Want to learn more about the developmental reasoning behind the stations at the Halloween playdate? I'll be posting more this week so remember to follow and click "all posts" under the notification setting for this page!
