Enjoy the Process!

"The basic law of children's creativity is that its value lies not in its results, not in the product of creation, but in the process itself."
-Vigotsky

Here at ACG we love to do creative art activities in which there is emphasis put  on the process of creating, not on the end result. This is known as process art!

Process art is child-led, choice-driven, open-ended, and celebrates the experience of discovery. The final product of process art will have no right or wrong answers and will be unique and original. 

There are many benefits of process art for children. Through process art, children are able to...

• express themselves creatively and imaginatively.
• gain confidence in themselves and their own ideas.
• learn about the possibilities and limitations of various materials.
• use problem-solving and critical thinking skills. 
• ask questions, discuss, and experiment.
• embrace experimentation and mistakes as part of the learning process.
• (and, of course) advance their fine and gross motor skills.

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Here are some tips for leading processed-focused art at home from the National Association for the Education of Young Children:

1. Approach art like open-ended play — for example, provide a variety of materials and see what happens as the child leads the art experience
2. Make art a joyful experience. Let children use more paint, more colors, and make more and more artwork
3. Provide plenty of time for children to carry out their plans and explorations
4. Let children come and go from their art at will
5. Notice and comment on what you see: Look at all the yellow dots you painted
6. Say YES to children’s ideas
7. Offer new and interesting materials
8. Play music in the background
9. Take art materials outside in the natural light
10. Display children’s books with artful illustrations, such as those by Eric Carle, Lois Ehlert, and Javaka Steptoe
11. Let the children choose whether their art goes home or stays in the classroom
12. Remember that it’s the children’s art, not yours

Check out below some of the super fun and creative art activities we did this month! 

Process Art with Painting

Finger painting 

"I'm all messy with blue paint!"

Dot to dot art

Mixed Media Process Art

Stamps

The kids naturally began to experiment with different ways to stamp their paper!

Tissue paper art

"I can try to rip it down the middle."
"I'm throwing the paper!"

Loose parts

Plastic bag mono prints 

Science Friday!

To integrate process art with a science concept, we created a pendulum to let gravity and momentum guide the process. 

Through experimentation, we discovered that the marker and paintbrush attached to a pendulum wasn't working as well as we hoped, so we made some adjustments! The next week we did the same thing, but with pouring paint instead. Check it out!

"Can I pour water on it to see what happens?" YES!

This magic leak-proof bag experiment showed us how the polymer chains of the bag work together to seal around the pencils and prevent the water from leaking out. How cool!

This experiment developed naturally over the course of the day :) First, the kids began crushing limestone rocks. Next they tried to lift the rock up using levers, with success! At the end of the day we poured vinegar onto the limestone to see what would happen. The limestone bubbled and dissolved -- just how rock does with acidic rain to form caves!

Outside Fun!

Easy Cheesy Kale Chips

These were a huge hit at our Winter Potluck back in 2018 and you can make them at home today! Enjoy :)

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
2. Take out the stems of the kale and tear into smaller pieces then wash and dry in salad spinner. Add kale to a large mixing bowl and drizzle with oil. Use hands to massage the kale to soften its texture and disperse the oil. Set aside.
3. Add 4 Tbsp nutritional yeast and 1/2 tsp salt to the kale and toss to distribute, working it into the grooves so it's thoroughly coated.
4. Divide kale between 2 large baking sheets (or more if increasing batch size) and spread into an even layer, making sure the pieces aren't overlapping to ensure crispiness. You may need to bake them in two batches depending on size of baking sheets.
5. Sprinkle the kale with 1-2 Tbsp nutritional yeast for extra flavor and bake for 15 minutes. Then remove from oven and toss/flip kale to ensure even baking.
6. Bake for 5-10 minutes more, or until chips are crispy and golden brown. Watch carefully to ensure they don't burn. Let cool slightly before enjoying.

See you next time!