Process & Product

“It took me four years to paint like Raphael, but a lifetime to paint like a child.”
~ Pablo Picasso

Many art experiences in early childhood can be generally divided into process art (the journey of creation) and product art (following directions to achieve a predetermined result). Both offer distinct developmental advantages and are best utilized together to build a well-rounded skill set. At Children's Garden we love it all!

Benefits of Process Art

Process art is child-directed, open-ended, and focused on the physical act of creating without a specific end goal. 

• Builds Confidence: Because there is no "wrong" way to do process art, children feel a sense of ownership, which boosts their self-esteem.
• Encourages Critical Thinking: Young artists practice problem-solving and decision-making as they choose materials and experiment with cause and effect. 
• Fosters Self-Expression: It provides a safe outlet for children to process and communicate emotions they may not yet be able to express verbally. 
• Refines Motor Skills: Manipulating varied tools (brushes, scissors, clay, sponges, droppers) strengthens fine motor control. 

Watercolor with Droppers and Salt

"I wonder what will happen if we sprinkle salt on our watercolor?"

Spray Bottle Painting

We explored mixing and layering colors while learning how our proximity to the paper and the speed of the spray alters the size and intensity of the paint splatters.

Action Art!

Painting is even more fun with cars! 

We also used free-rolling marbles to paint with! This project combines sensory exploration and motor skill development while learning cause and effect in predicting how the marble will move and leave a mark on how the box is tilted.

Our clean-up from the messy activities is fun too!

Paper Mache' Sculpture

Organic Creations!

This started off as an exploration of squeeze paint and dot markers and evolved into a really cool print making process with a unique and colorful piece of artwork we can take home.

From Process to Product

Product art (or a teacher-directed craft) requires following step-by-step instructions and models to create a recognizable final piece and had many benefits:

• Teaches Following Directions: It helps children learn how to listen to multi-step instructions and sequence events.
• Develops Specific Techniques: Children learn foundational skills like folding, twisting, proper scissor grip, or how to combine specific materials. 
• Cultivates a Sense of Accomplishment: Completing a recognizable project (like a holiday gift or a seasonal decoration) gives children a tangible sense of pride. 
• Encourages Focus: It requires attention to detail and patience to see a project through to completion.

Spray Dye Dragonflies

Remember those cool spray bottle paintings we made? Turns out they make beautiful dragonfly wings!

Fun to make, even more fun to fly!

A Plaque of Our Own

We created name plaques for our rooms! A beautiful multi-step project that combines both process and product. We painted the letters of our names, then created backgrounds for them on pieces of wood. A keepsake that will last for years from our time at the Children's Garden!

 Step One: Paint the letters of your name! Maybe add a little glitter :)

We had each of their names laid out when they came in and asked every student to pick theirs out... helping with letter recognition and incorporating a literary element to the project.

Step Two: Painting the wood of the plaque

Step Three: Color a little decal for extra process fun

Step Four: Gluing the letters and shapes to the plaque!

Now each student has a meaningful keepsake to hang on their wall at the end of this project! 

Mother's Day Gifts!

We painted, decorated, and wrote messages on wooden leaves for the Mama's of our Garden Family.

We created cards full of stickers, drawings, and our hand prints for our mamas too! 

Yoga

They love yoga cards! A great way to get kids involved is to give them choice and autonomy. They have the excitement of pulling a card, and then get to try re-creating the pose they see. 

These cards are alphabet yoga!

Guess what letter we are?

Intuitive Pesto

We made some delicious homemade pesto with a handful of garden fresh basil and parsley and added roman cheese, garlic, olive oil, and salt and mixed it in the Nutri-Bullet. SO delicious served over lemon pasta!

​Nature Time

We found a big leopard slug! The kids were fascinated. Cultivating a relationship of respect and appreciation between the kids and small critters builds over the years into adults that love and take care of the environment around them.

While planting wildflower seeds we discovered a whole family of worms!

Sweet Friends

See You Next Time!