We have open ended art materials and opportunities to use them every single day in my classroom.
Open ended art means that a variety of materials are provided and available for children to choose. They choose the materials they want to use, how they want to use them, and what they will make. All too often early childhood educators and parents do not value open ended art because it doesn’t always “look like” anything. They want to see an end product.
However, when children are given the opportunity to explore materials, even when they aren’t making something recognizable, they are learning how to use materials, and will later create more elaborate artwork.
Sometimes when children create artwork, the adults around them may not see the value in the creation until the child explains what they have created. I recall a 5-year-old boy several years back who glued black and brown beans all over a piece of white paper with several short black lines drawn among the beans. The black beans were on the left side of the paper and the brown beans on the right.
At the time, I thought he was only exploring materials. It was just a lot of beans on paper. He then brought the paper to me and told me it was the Civil War. (He had been watching documentaries on TV about the American Civil War, and he had recreated a battle scene.) The two color beans on each side of the paper were the Union and Confederate armies and the black lines represented gunfire. He was recreating what he had learned.
There’s a time and place for crafts, but be sure not to discount open ended art and its value to children. Children don’t need to always be told what to what make and how to make it. Children need to be allowed the freedom to be creative. Crafts are fun, but crafts do not come from the child’s creative mind.
Here are my 20 reasons for doing open ended art in Pre-K.
#1 “Green Thing” – paper, marker, wiggle eyes
#2 “Robot” – Paint sample chips, eyes made with a hole puncher
#3 “Spider” – Construction paper, crepe paper streamer, stapler
#4 “Stick Person” – Craft stick, tissue paper, crayon
#5 “People Puppets” – Mini paper bags, craft sticks, yarn, colored tape, marker
#6 “Boat” – Paper, colored tape, marker
#7 “Tent” – Cardboard, colored masking tape, oil pastels
#8 “Sponge Bob” – Paper, colored tape, marker
#9 “Traffic Light” – Paper, craft stick, colored tape, marker
#10 “Tree” – Paper, colored tape, marker
#11 “Two-headed person” – Paper plates, colored tape, craft sticks, paper, markers
#12 “Pigeon” – Craft sticks, paper, marker
#13 “Rabbit” – Paper, craft stick
#14 “Giraffe” – Paper, craft stick, craft foamies
#15 “Airplane” – Construction paper, tape
#16 “Masks” – Paper plates, marker, yarn
#17 “Dinosaur” – Paper from the scrap box , glue, staples
#18 “Deerstand” – Paper, colored tape, marker
#19 “Person” – White doilies, craft sticks, colored tape, marker
#20 “Love Spider” – craft sticks, colored tape, paper
In many of these examples, you can see that children have represented some part of their lives, whether it’s a TV show they watched, a book they read, or a real life experience.
I do some crafty things with the kids in my class, but not a lot, and even then, I try to let it be as much theirs as possible. They have the choice daily to go the art center and choose what they want to make. I have met teachers before who do not like open ended art, because in their words: it isn’t cute. I’ve also met many people who compliment crafts, but not the art a child created on their own. I’ve even been fussed at by parents who didn’t like to see the open ended art come home with their child.
I think it’s truly sad when people don’t value children’s creations. It’s sad when an adult-planned craft for kids is more valued than a child’s own creation. When adults feel that way, what do they really believe about children deep down?
What do you think? Agree or disagree, please share your thoughts in the comments below. (Just keep it polite, please.)
Open ended art is a very important part in a child development. It allows the child to be creative. So many times adults stifle a childs creativity. A young child is eager to show what they experuence and have learned. I display open art throughout my classroom. The children are always so proud of their creations.
Open-ended art is when you can really see children’s creativity shine through. These 20 projects are perfect examples! You just don’t get the same thing when you tell them what to make.
I so agree. I work in a F DK program and ive been implementing “reggio” for yrs. But this F DK program is new to my school and some teachers approach it with open arms while others not so much. It’s comes down to how you view the child. Do you view them as competent,capable,learners.who are curious about the world in which they
live. If we continue to not allow children
their right to explore, express their
thoughts ,their creativity, their emotions
then really what are we teaching?
,
allow for mistakes. Then really what are we creating?
I completely agree with letting children create their own art! All too often I see 18 of the exact same project with pre-cut and pre-thought crafts. How is their imagination and creation stimulated with such types of projects? Children enjoy working and experimenting with different materials in my class too. I rarely do “organized” craft projects. It sends them the message that they are valued and their work matters.
Hi!!! Love the idea!!! I’m going to add it to my weekly planning!!! I think the kids will love it!!!! You right, all the art projects are totally guided by me!!!! Great idea!!!
I do both in my class. We had learning centre time which children can choose their own activities included open ended art. I provide open ended art corner in the class.
However, during literacy or numeracy sometimes i asked the children to make something that i’ve organised but still with their own creativities. For example: i asked them to cut out letter s outline and then create their own snake with it.
I do not believe crafts containing copies or examples belong in preschools classrooms at all.. The message you send is: “This is what it must look like. Your own ideas are not good, rather do it like this.” Killing confidence, creativity, divergent thinking and opportunities to think critically, make own choices and solving own problems right there! They can develop the same “crafty” skills while exploring and representing their own ideas.
I definitely believe both directed art and open-ended art should be present in the classroom! While open-ended art allows the child to think and express creatively, directed art teaches skills. Some children thrive at the open-art table in my room, but some children NEVER go near it and would not get experience with paint/tape/glue creatively if I did not require it. Also, this is not a black and white situation. When the directed art it a collage, for example, the children’s choices are open ended within a ‘frame’, if you will. Our 3’s do a Square Collage, so everything they glue/stamp/sticker on will be a square, but mostly that exercise raises shape awareness and works on self-control with glue (dot, dot, not a lot). I believe there is value in that, too! Some children resist drawing because they know that what they’ve attempted doesn’t look right (which is probably an issue coming from the home). When we demonstrate how to make simple shapes, they then gain confidence to do it themselves.
I love having an art center in the classroom it gives the child a chance to explore, create & have so much fun. I also have teacher assistance projects as well the child has the best of both worlds.
Thank you for your insight! I am new to Kindergarten this year and am trying to learn about best practices. I like the idea of open ended art.
I love your thoughts about why you have open-ended art available to your Pre-schoolers and what open-ended vs. adult-chosen projects say about our beliefs about children and teaching them. The projects you highlighted are wonderful and provide great insight into each’s child’s life, as well as ways to connect future learning in more meaningful ways. Students are thrilled to have their own creations on display in class and they know they share responsibility for their learning and that their opinions are valued.
Amen! I hate what I call ” cookie cutter ” art! The creativity that comes from the free art is fabulous! The children are always so proud of their creations! That is always the most crowded center of the day. Thank you for encouraging this important form of art.
During our craft time I always show to my 3 year olds what I am doing whether it is a tree from the play dough or a bunny made of cotton balls. It is up to them to create their own tree or bunny. I believe art is born during the process of creation.
I absolutely agree with open-ended art activities it’s another way to get our students to express themselves and demonstrate their abilities. It can be a great way to assess a child’s progress throughout the year. We encourage our students to be creative thinkers and open-ended art will prove how creative children can be.
Preschoolers are really awesome little people! Love the creations. Thanks for the smile!
I TOTALLY AGREE with the value of open ended art! I have seen some amazing recreations of roller coasters that at first glance looked like scribble.
I’m starting to do an open ended art center this year! I was always told you had to have planned out crafts and I’ve never enjoyed them (and I don’t think the kids have either) so I finally changed my center.
But I need help..Can you tell me what you stick your art center with??
Here are photos of my art center and a list of what I have: https://www.prekinders.com/art-center/
I am envious of your variety of art materials. I wish I had the money to buy all of the things you have. Our easel is separate from the art center. We start out with only a couple of colors. Usually they just paint on manilla paper. In the beginning of the school year students often paint the whole page. I don’t care what they do, but we would prefer them not to paint over their names. Perhaps, we could write their names on the back.
You have many art supplies: just look around at home and in the yard.
Buttons, thread, yarn, toothpicks, fabric scraps, old jewelry, old magazines, cans, bottles, lids, whole grains and beans, etc.
In the yard, twigs, branches, sand, leaves, flowers, rocks, pebbles, pinecones, etc. depending upon your locale.
There are usually websites where teachers can get their other needs funded. Check for these to order the glue, paints, brushes, paper, paper plates, popsicle sticks, markers, crayons, etc.
I love the concept of all the crayons, markers, and pencils in separate cups. However, in my mind, I am seeing total chaos in the event of a child meltdown or even an accidental bump of the shelf. How do you prevent that?
The shelf is sturdy enough that bumping it doesn’t disturb the cups. I haven’t had a child deliberately knock them down. It’s usually me knocking the cups with a cot, but not very often. It just hasn’t been an issue. The cups are acrylic, not glass, so they kind of bounce if they hit the floor.
I saw this idea and tried it last year, thinking it would be impossible to keep organized. It wasn’t at all. I have the markers, crayons and paper separated by color and the kids are fantastic about putting everything away where they got it from. Plus I have one boy who only works in green and he loves that there is two entire containers of different green shades that he doesn’t have to search for.
I love to incorporate both “creative art” and crafts into my program. My crafts are generally gears to reinforce what we are focusing on as a theme or unit study for that day and creative art is where they spend time experimenting with different materials. My students know that when they are doing “creative art” they are allowed to do whatever they want. Could you show us what your art area looks like. I don’t think I would be able to have all the supplies that I saw used in your pictures out all the time. I don’t have the space.
This is my art center: https://www.prekinders.com/art-center/ This is actually a previous classroom, but my current class is pretty much the same, just different furniture. Materials can be rotated, so you don’t have to have everything at once.
Wow Karen I like your art centre this realy makes children enjoy being around the centre, and your site looks big enough with enough space for displaying each learning area.
Karen’s art centre inspired me. I change out some of the material each week, often based on the season or theme we’re working on. Some of the favorites that are out most of the time – googly eyes, doilies, pipe cleaners, sparkly gems, tape (mid-year), scissors, hole punch. I also found cool staple-free staplers (they just bend the paper) that I’m adding this year, because the kids like to staple, but the staplers would often jam or run out.
I also agree that it is very valuable to children to use their imagination to create their own art. Just wondering how you present this to children. Do you simply place a variety of materials on the table for kids? thanks for this awesome website! I look forward to reading it and using your fantastic ideas!
I don’t put anything on the table. It stays on the shelf all year, and they choose what they want. Here are photos and a list of what I have: https://www.prekinders.com/art-center/
I agree 100% about children using their imagination to be creative. My problem is, I don’t know how to get started. How do I get the children started? I save all kinds of stuff, but I’m not sure how to start them off. do I give them ideas of what to make, or do I just put it on the table and let them start?
I really enjoy your website, I work only with children 4 years and under. So your ideas and thoughts are much appreciated.
You really don’t have to do anything other than have the materials available. You can see my art center and what I have in it here: https://www.prekinders.com/art-center/
Even if you don’t have the space to have all of these things, just do as many as you can, and let them explore and create! It takes time. A lot of exploration comes before they create.
A lot of kids are used to pre-prepared crafts OR having restrictions placed on what they can use, so it can take them awhile to warm up to the art centre. But once they get going, watch out…I have kids that will stay there for an hour just making things.
Love this! We want children to be learning to think and create! We want thier brains to be lighting up with new knowledge…crafts just have the child copy the grown up- the creativity of open ended art lights the fire if imagination! Maybe we call it ‘smart art’ and try to explain this concept to the people who just want something ‘cute’ ? Thank you for such a great blog!
Perfect timing, we are preparing for our staff training and this is a perfect example to show staff and encourage staff to allow children to apply their creative intelligence by using open-end art.
Thanks for sharing,
What I like about the art above is that you can tell the kids are thinking about what they’re creating. Crafts have their place, but the brain is then more engaged in ‘doing’ it ‘correctly’ rather than connecting their life with their art.
I whole heartedly agree! Children are not really learning as much and expanding their mind if they are just copying an adults work. Let’s give them more credit! They have so much to offer!
Kuddos to you!!! I have been teaching 3-, 4-, and 5-yr-olds for 34 years and open-ended art is a must. It really gives you the opportunity to see just how clever your kiddos are!!!
Kudos to you for standing your ground and sticking to what you know is best practice in early childhood education. I couldn’t agree with you more. We need to become a louder voice and continue to educate society on how young kiddos learn best and in the most natural way possible… and that is by self-discovery and exploration!!
Thank you. I am sharing this with my fellow Preschool Special Education teachers. I label my students work and display it on “Our work” board in our school hallway. “Our work” is translated in each language represented in our classroom. My students are all on the autism spectrum. It is so wonderful to see and sometimes hear them admiring his/ her work when we walk to breakfast and/or lunch.
I love freestyle art! We do Picasso art alot in our room. The kids love it…and it shows me so much more into my kiddos!
Yea!! You are right on! Can I print this somehow to take to our staff training in a couple weeks? Love it!! Absolutely perfect examples! Thanks so much!
I prefer to balance open ended craft time with structured craft time, but you gave me some great ideas of things to make available for open ended time! You’ve definitely challenged me!
I love this!! Last year we did free art a lot. We just gave them paint and let the kids have at it. However, this is even better! I love the idea of just giving them materials and the opportunity to be creative. I am gonna show this to my coworkers at training this week!
I just loved the Open ended art story about the beans. I wish you had a picture of the masterpiece.
Thank you for all that you do for the children that pass through your door and for your supportive site that helps many other teachers. :=)
Yes, I wish I did have a picture of it.
Open ended craft is where a childs unique creativity comes out.It enhances their own imagination to explore into things.As an early Childhood Care teacher to less privelege Children,i always use this form of Art.Thank you for sharing this wonderful ideas.
I completely agree. This goes along with everything I learned in college. The sad thing is, I haven’t met a co-worker that agrees with me. At my campus prek – 1st, most teachers I’ve worked with, use crafts 🙁
It’s not the product, it’s the process!
I have a just-turned-two year old and have done open-ended painting and coloring often but also crafts. I plan to put together an art box tomorrow with a variety of materials for her to explore. Thanks! Reading your article this was an aha moment for me. I appreciate your sharing your expertise and experience as a teacher. I was a first grade teacher but am learning anew what is DAP for toddlers/preschoolers. We are living overseas as expats and will teach her at home, so I am bookmarking your site and reading all I can to inform my EC teaching philosophy.
After 3 years teaching preschool in my home .. I am making lots of changes this year .. ‘Evolving’ is a good thing … Thank you for your insights … I am excited to add a miscellaneous Arty box to my daily activities and see what creations I get for our art wall! ?
Amen sister!!! I couldn’t agree with you more!
Thank you for explaining so well why open-ended art is so important.
I am a control freak who is trying very hard not to be so controlling, and reading your thoughts on this has helped me tremendously!
I think that this year, me, my assistant, and my PreK children, will be a lot less stressed during art time, thanks to you!
i love to just put materials out and see what they create! Even when I want them to stick to a theme like make an animals for our zoo I just put out the materials and let them go! I get some wonderful creative creatures and art work from them! They I extend the activity and have them write a sentence about what they made! They love sharing these!
Thanks for your article on this!
I agree, but would go a step further in two aspects (they are related, but not exactly the same):
1. Value the process.
2. Disregard the end result, or at least give it a lot less importance, definitely less value than the process.
Society (me included) is so focused on results and end products that it’s even hard for me to put in words the correct encouragements that I am looking for… I heard it and also said it too rarely…
Let me elaborate:
1. Most of our lives we do things that are NOT the end product. In order to enjoy life – we (as a society) need to enjoy the process of creation, because that’s what we do most of the time. And we (and our children) will enjoy and be enthusiastic about working and trying again and again – even if we fail – if they know that we value it, if they have positive memories about being encouraged to just do things, to move, to try, to experiment. If they work and glue and color and then cut it to small pieces and throw it away – it is just as important if not more. The important thing is that they worked and developed skills: using glue, cutting with scissors, developed their decision making abilities, planning abilities, imagination and exploration. Not to mention concentration, overcoming frustrations that things are a bit difficult and not always work the way you want. When they develop skills – they can use them in a variety of ways and nobody can take those skills away from them.
How often do we comment on things like (during the process, not after):
“It’s so wonderful to see you work”.
or
“Great work exploring different ways of holding the scissors. Interesting, isn’t it? You’ll figure out the more comfortable way for you, I’m sure!”.
or maybe not even say anything, as they are concentrated and anything we say will get in the way. Just pass by, be there for them, put a warm relaxing hand on their back, give a kiss on the head so they feel valued and cared for during the process.
I include myself among the people who do not know what to comment. I see my daughter work. I feel a warm feeling inside. I don’t know exactly what it is. Proud and happy. And I’m curious as to what’s going on in her head. And I want to say an encouraging thing about what she’s doing and I can’t even find the words, because I don’t have the vocabulary for it. It sounds stupid, or not important or not natural.
And when we value the process more, we remove some (if not most) of the value of the end product. Which brings me to the second point:
2. Reduce the value of the end product. And in the early years – almost eliminate it. Even in your post, when you’re trying to say that open ended art works better – you “prove” it by showing beautiful and creative ‘results’. I wish that in our society, a ‘result’ is a motivated, happy, hard working child, who is happy to sit and work again, and try something new, and doesn’t need an audience or applause for the final product. How often do I feel (or hear others) complain about toddlers and preschoolers who sit for hours picking grass or doing other ‘meaningless’ ‘boring’ activity? Many times – they know better. They are practicing something, we are just not open enough to notice what it is. I would be happy to live in a world where a better ‘result’ would be considered to see a photo of the children working, trying, failing, throwing, and trying again, and not a photo of the children showing off and holding their ‘finished’ product in their hand. They are not stupid, they know that adults can draw better, have finer motor skills, are stronger. Why bother trying to carry my lunch box if mommy can lift it so much easier and walk faster to the door? Because life is stronger, the drive for life and creativity is stronger than anything, even though our society does everything it can to hinder that force of life. To just do, try, fail, try again. By asking the children what they did and looking puzzled – we are discouraging them. When we try to figure out the end product – they feel that everything they did doesn’t matter. We encourage perfectionism. And we create perfectionists. It’s good to strive to create nice things, but it’s not good to be afraid of trying, failing, trying again and creating, just because we know we won’t get it ‘right’.
And what about abstract thinkers? Some kids like to explore with abstract art. Why is it OK for Mondrian and not for our kids? What if the beans weren’t representing a battle field but a math exercise, of defining groups?
But how does our society work? We care about the end product. I’m including myself. It doesn’t matter if you had 10 temper tantrums in the process – it was all worth it! Was it really worth it? Is this child going to grow to learn how to collaborate with others while working on projects, compromising, negotiating? Or will she grow to be a temperamental lonely artist?
Some may argue that society is driven forward by those temperamental geniuses, but I think that humans are social creatures and, even though we need people of all kinds, we will achieve a better world (in mind, spirit, and even in the end ‘results’) if at least most of us will be process oriented and not target oriented.
We can hang the artwork, and be proud of it. But only because it reminds us of how hard we worked on it. Not because it is pretty or good, interesting, or full of imagination.
Again, thank you for this post. Inspiring and in the right direction, but I took it a bit further, to an extreme. Would be happy to hear your comments…
Miriam,
I’m just a mom who spends a lot of time researching and looking for new ideas/insights from people well-versed in arts. I find your perspective fascinating and it rings true to my view of my one-year old. I wish more people would comment here. But maybe this is too revolutionary for most to admit that they wish the world was more appreciative of us as persons who create, not persons who are “capable” to make a product that adheres to certain norms…
I was lucky enough to not be a part of directed art system as a child and my parents rarely took interest in what I did, so it was up to me to create and explore. Which I see now was a pretty good thing. I’m not an artist by far but I enjoy all types of creating (I tried my hand at quite a few). Will try to use your conclusions with my son when the time comes 🙂
Thanks Karen for this post. I totally agree with the open ended art center. I do this daily, but I have to admit, I also do organized art. For example; Dr. Seuss’ Birthday we made the Cat in the Hat, and when studying the human body, we made, well our bodies, and so on. We always have an open art center available daily where the children explore their ideas and senses as desired. Each week I would throw in some new craft materials to add to their imaginations and they love it. As for the organized art, it has it’s place. I’m not disagreeing with anyone, just adding a little food for thought. I also hate to admit it, but I love to see the delight on the parents faces which in turn, thrills their child when they receive praise for their organized and open ended art. I make a big deal for both types and everyone is happy. Thanks again Karen, I loved reading your post.
I do this also…for parties (Halloween, Christmas, Valentines, Easter) I usually have a couple of prepared crafts as well as the art centre. Because it’s not the norm, the kids see it as almost as a treat. Plus, sometimes they do like all creating something (wands, masks, puppets) – and some of the younger kids don’t have enough experience with art material to know where to start to create something like this on their own.
This was one of my problems and I did not see it! My students work looked very similar. One day. I had a visitor that asked me why didn’t I let my students have original work. I said their work is original, she said no, just let them explore with materials and see what they come up with. I did I it and I love it! It’s the best way to see how creative they are and how their work changes over time. They own it and feel very proud of it.
At our school we call our pre-planned crafts “parent pleasers”, but have been trying to introduce much more “process” art into our days. It’s all about the process!
When I took over my playschool 4 years ago I had no experience (being a high school teacher) other than what I saw my own sons do in their preschools. We attended 3 different preschools and they all did pre-prepared crafts. As a parent I thought they were cute, and when I first started teaching playschool I had it in my head that part of the kids “job” at playschool was to complete a craft. They were learning to follow instructions and had something to show parents at the end of the day. Problem was, like my own sons, many of the kids I teach don’t have any interest in crafts and it became a coaxing/arguing mess trying to get all the kids through the craft each day. At the other end of the spectrum, there were kids that wanted to do 5 copies of the craft and I had to send them away because I needed the time to get through everybody &/or I didn’t make enough supplies for the kids to do more than one. I realized very quickly that, as a teacher, this approach was not working for me but I plowed on because prepared crafts is what the playschool had always done. Thank goodness, I started mid-year, so the kids & I only had to suffer through that for 5 months. In my second year I started with an art centre. Talk about decreasing your stress level (mine and the kids). My only issue was in educating the parents about the value of open art. The last two years I feel like I’ve been defending myself to parents because without an art project coming home they have no proof that the kids did anything at school. This year I am being more pro-active. I have added information to our website and registration package that clearly indicates we are learn through play AND process art oriented. I’ve collected research and am doing a blurb in each months newsletter to reinforce this to parent as well. I’m hoping that now that I have a few years under my belt and feel confident that what I am doing is good for the kids, that the parents will also come around. Here’s hoping!
Love new ideas your always a great help I love that your projects don’t cost an arm and a leg…
I’m a firm believer in the capacity for abstract thought and these activities foster that notion.
To me, any and all art is interpretative for the reason that it’s our unique perspectives which give them value. Opening doors to creativity and originality through exercises like these, with plenty of affirmation given as encouragement, are crucial in bolstering self-confidence and motivation. Einstein said, “Imagination is more important than knowledge.” Few words ring truer in early childhood education. Keep building and thank you!
As early childhood professionals we are expected to promote what we know is most beneficial to young children and certainly open ended art qualifies here. Be confident that open ended art builds confidence in children.
I love open ended art for children. It’s about process not product. My daughter has created some really awesome and amazing things that just really blow me away when she has the opportunity for open ended art.
Have been a full advocate for this since I started many years ago. I am working with a very young woman who is from what I call the “Martha Stewart” school of classroom. I am older, I remain quiet and just ignore her as much as possible… it is not like she is not going to want to stop “decorating”- just shut my door, but it is depressing to work with so many young people who are part of the problem also.
“We (Children and I) Love Open Art!
The children’s motor skills expand and their eyes glow when they see the out come of their Magnificent Art!
Have you been to an Art Museum?
I agree that as an Early Childhood Teachers we should allow children to practice an Open Ended Art Activity in our classrooms. I believe that it is an important opportunity for children to develop different skills while learning through free play. They use their hands-eye coordination to manipulate different materials and follow their own directions.The children develop thinking skills by using their imagination to create anything they want with art materials. They enhance their language and social skills to express their thoughts and communicate cooperatively with their classmates. At the end, through problem solving, the children enjoy the challenge and sense of completion. They become happy to see themselves making something that is unique and meaningful to them.
Art Activity gives the children abilities to develop their strength in doing something while using their own ideas, reasoning and thinking skills. As an Early Childhood Teacher, I feel happy to show and share the individual child‘s art creation with their parents as a sample of child’s growth and learning. This will also help me to figure out what else to do, help or to improve the child’s learning abilities while satisfying his needs.
I always try to have a process art activity in the morning. Often children can do a craft in the afternoon if they like. I love this quote from Sydney Gurewitz Clemens: “art has the role in education of helping children become like themselves instead of more like everyone else.”
Thank you Karen for standing up for children. This is what I love most about your website. Everything you do is relevant, fun and exciting for children. Bravo!
I love love love open-ended art. I can’t always put interesting materials in the art center, but that doesn’t seem to matter to my students. They use plain white paper to make airplanes similar to what’s in your example, Spongebob, and pants. They learned how to make paper chains in art class, so sometimes they did that as well. I just make sure to have scissors, paper and crayons.
In our classroom I like to distinguish between the product and the process. Sometimes we do craft projects because it is a great way for little kids to learn how to follow directions. This is a product. It will be important for them to listen and attempt to produce something which resembles the example (or reference as we call it). Usually when we do this there is a specific goal I have in mind and I make sure to articulate it. Other times it is vital to allow little kids to luxiriate in creation. This would be the process. We put out different materials without expectation and allow the process to flow however it will. I have found that explaining this philosophy to every adult associated with our class helps them to understand the children’s art better.
Amen!! I feel exactly the same way about open-ended art in the classroom and have included my perspective in my open house letter. I love to see what kids will create on their own. We seem to lose so much of that wonderful imagination as we get older, so let’s appreciate it in our children!
Love your website, Karen! It helps me-as a teacher-feel free to be me!
I am definitely in favor of open-ended art. I am always amazed at what children make and can tell you about it. It tells me more about the child to see that instead of a cookie-cutter craft piece. Thank you for the reasons!!!
Love it! I want to implement more of the open ended art. Wondering how you organize your art center. Do you have the same art materials out at all times or rotate new ones in each day/ week?
Thanks so much! Your site is so helpful!!
There are more details about my art center here: https://www.prekinders.com/art-center/
I have most of it available all the time, but there are some things that get rotated. For example, doilies would be there for a limited time, due to cost, and paint chips are not there all the time simply because I don’t want to constantly swipe paint chips from hardware stores. 🙂
I use to be one of those teachers that wanted to control the art center and we only crafted. I used to think what the kiddos created was a reflect on me and if it wasn’t just so I wasn’t doing a good job as a teacher. Then I decided it was about the kiddos and not me.Once I let go of that attitude it was amazing how the climate in our room changed. Allowing the children to have ownership in their art creations and the materials they used was sheer joy for all of us!! They created art that was unique to who they are and what they have experienced. It was delightful!! Open ended art is a must for not only the kiddos , we as educators benefits from it too. We are able to have enriching conversations about their creations, it is less stress, mush less prep!! I could go on and on . . . . It is a win, win for us all!!
Hi! I totally agree that while crafts can be a great way to teach following directions and how to use different tools/materials, open-ended art projects are so full of creativity! I recently started a preschool art program at my library to give kids a chance to try out things like paint, clay, and markers that many of them either don’t have or aren’t allowed to use at home. Its been great to see the different ways kids interpret the materials we provide, and in all of the programs so far, I’ve had parents who joyfully create their own project alongside their child. It takes a lot of patience to remind parents that it truly is the process and the discovery that are important, and to let their child create whatever they want with the bare minimum assistance of the parent. I also try to encourage everyone to sign their work (since we’re all artists) and I think its great when kids will explain their work and then have parents write the explanation down–narrative skills and an adult modeling writing–literacy skills in practice! Emphasizing the literacy skills and fine motor work is sometimes the best angle to convince parents that art projects are important–if nothing else, they can understand “this will help your child get ready to go to school.” Thanks for the great photos and project inspiration! 🙂
I teach preschool and so do have open ended are opportunities but also have our instruction time based around process oriented rather than product oriented teaching. Our children are little and need supervision with paint and other messy things but they are essentially allowed to create whatever they want as they learn a new process. Then other things such as collage materials and ‘non messy’ paints are available for student choice art projects.
Loved it how cute when the child does their own creativity, and not the teacher. Thank you for sharing it with us. School is about to start and will add and implement in my lesson
I LOVE this blogpost! YES!!! Our children need open ended art experiences. Your examples are priceless. Young children are so creative. It is truly about the process and the ability to create freely. Thank you for reminding us all as we prepare to go back to school.
Karen, it is so important for the kids to just create from their heart and hands. I feel that they need to experience art. In my daycare I have the clear shoe rack hanging on the back of my kitchen door. There the kids can find various scissors, glue, paint, tape, paper punches, paint shirts. Each pocket has things the kids do not have to ask for and the items for the older kids are in higher pockets so I can even let the one year old access the bottom pockets. I also have a drawer that they can find crayons, markers , pencils, pompoms, eyes, scrap paper, stickers, macaroni, …you name it ,I have it. White and colored paper is always out for them to just express themselves and learn from each other. We do some projects together but they each do it their own way. Art is a total experience, using all senses! Why hold them back!!!
We may do some thing together, but their own way.
I think all art is important in the classroom, as well as hand skills such as weaving or sewing.
I’ve always left materials out for open-ended, creative projects that the children can choose how they would like to participate, I don’t guide them, however, not every child does this, at first.
I’ve noticed that as the year progresses and their skills increase by the guided art that we do in class, they feel more confident to create more, and problem solve as they engineer their art into structures and ideas that they imagine them to be.
As I teach drawing to my TK students I use stories to guide them; a straight line is the beanstalk, and circles that are gold, etc. As I teach them to cut and paste, I don’t expect the projects to look all the same, although I give the same directions, they each look unique depending on the child’s skill and personality. The goal it to teach through a story and give them the skills they need to create on their own, so they can make whatever they imagine.
I recently incorporated an” art box” in my art center to allow my preschoolers to explore and create on their own. The facility where I work has always been craft orientated, and children tend to become frustrated when it doesn’t look like the model. I personally feel doing a craft daily doesn’t allow children to be imaginative and express themselves independently. Throughout the summer, I added this box and was amazed with children asking, “what are we supposed to make?” I encourage them to make whatever their hearts desire. After a month of rotating various materials in and out of my art box I have seen the creativity grow. We discuss their creations and I make sure that quotes are added to each piece of art so parents can acknowledge their child’s hard work, and provides an opportunity for further discussions at home. Creativity is such an important process in a child’s development and critical thinking skills.
Yes, children who’ve always done crafts, don’t know how to make things on their own, and children who’ve always had color sheets don’t know how to draw. Good for you for introducing this to your students!
I agree with you! A child’s personal value of their creative art, depends upon the views and response of adults. A child’s creative art should be free as is!
I love open-ended art because it allows you to see the creativity in each child. When it is dated and posted and compared later you can also see how their creativity has grown. Moreover, it gives them an opportunity to think for themselves and to tell you about their creation.
Coming from an art therapist-this is absolutely that way children (and adults) should be making art! The key is asking the artist about their art, it’s meaning, and their intention. Let them make what they want and let them assign meaning and subject matter, even if it’s not cute or representational. It’s theirs!
i am on the same page as you. I occasionally do crafts but try to keep them open ended in some way. I love my art center. It gives children the ability to solve problems, think, and gain confidence. When I taught elementary art in the public school, I found many children afraid to experiment with the materials. We need to bring back creative art in the schools. We need to keep art alive in our culture.
As far as getting the parents to “buy in” to the idea of open ended art, parent night is a great opportunity to talk about it and experience it first hand. Most adults have forgotten what it is like to be a kid, and if you set a bunch of adults around a table with a bunch of materials, it is fun and exhilarating to see what they create. Watch the concentration and listen to the conversations…maybe even video it to discuss afterwards!! Show them this is how the kids feel when they create art!
I am starting a new job Monday with preschoolers. I have worked with middle and high schools for the last 10 years. I wanted to try something smaller in a classroom. Your Open Ended Art is what I needed to hear. I love the idea of the children making their own project. It makes their minds more creative and I like the idea of seeing what they come up with. I have been writing lesson plans for 2 weeks and when it came to art, I was running out of things to write down for them to do with art but I think this is the best. Thank you for helping me out. I wanted this challenge working with a much younger children t and I think it will help the children and me .
I totally agree!! While there can be a place for crafts, I don’t place a lot of emphasis on it and I try to make them as open-ended as I can. The artwork that the kids enjoy the most is the open-ended kind. We have all kinds of materials available and the kids can create whatever they want any way they choose. It’s amazing some of the things they come up with!
Great article! Thank you for sharing your thoughts and art samples!
I love your idea of open ended craft. I would request you on ideas on how to get the kids started on it. What would be the initial instruction you would give them to start their exploration.
Thank you
I have always had both “project” based art and student directed. Our favorite line “You are the artist!” We may use a project to teach how to use art materials so that the kids can later create their own masterpieces.
Hear hear, very happy to read this.
Ugh, now I feel guilty about the Pete the Cat characters we made in Kindergarten this week. Thank you for sharing the inspired work of your students. I’ll have to squeeze in another center.
No need to feel guilty! I do not wish to make anyone feel bad for doing crafts. They have their place, and they can be fun. I just hope that teachers who only do crafts will read this, and feel inspired to include open ended art as well.
It was my first year teaching Pre-K last year and I was amazed to see how my class loved creating their own art. I realized how proud they were of their creations and this became part of our lessons!! 🙂
Yes!! My kiddos love to use things and I love their imagination! Grandparents Day is coming and they get to create a “surprise” for their grandparents. I can’t wait to see what they come up with.
I do later on in the year use Mat Man song to model making a person and to help those kiddos that need more direction. But for now I “LET IT GO!!” Haha
Hi Karen,
What an excellent article on open-ended art with such beautiful examples!!
I am a stay at home mom who has a 5 year old who completely loves creating open-ended art. With just a paper, scissors, marker and glue/tape, he can spend hours creating art and things. Initially I didn’t get it well, but now his creations make me speechless. Yesterday he came up with a movie theater on his own. Thanks for reinforcing my confidence on my son’s creative talent.
I agree totally about Open Ended Art. Every Thursday I have a group of children who do their own creations. I supply the resources. Sometimes I tell them to make a craft according to out topic. Sometimes a character in a story we read. I display outside the class for all the parents to see with the child’s name. Every one in the class get a turn. They enjoy it. They know how to explain how they did it as well as what it is.
As a speech-language pathologist who has worked with many preschoolers, including within 2 preschools, I find value (from a speech/language perspective) for both structured and open-ended crafts to facilitate language skills. Structured tasks allow the children to learn to follow mult. step directions and ask questions to increase understanding of what they need to do, in addition most of my structured crafts went along with a book that we were reading thus expanding on literacy skills and vocabulary. The open-ended crafts allow for the teacher to say things like, “Tell me about your project.” This gives the children the opportunity to expand phrases/sentences and explain things. As they explain the teacher/parent can ask for more detail helping the child understand what kinds and amounts of information are appropriate to share.