April 2025 Blog: Supporting the Creative Process
When I think about art experiences with young children, I see images of children having the opportunity to explore hands-on with a variety of materials at their disposal – chalk, paints, crayons, paper or pastels to name a few – touching and seeing what they can do with the materials before them. Some days it could be painting with kitchen tools, or tearing and cutting up random types of papers and gluing it onto something, or exploring the various types of markers to see the range of colors, testing to see what kind of marks it makes – thin, wavy, thick, zig-zag or curly lines.
I am describing the creative process many children use when art materials and mediums are available for children to explore their artistic expression. The creative process supports the idea of providing materials and allowing time for children to explore materials, focus on selecting which materials they will use, using materials to create, and stopping, when the child is satisfied with what they have produced. (Lila Lasky and Rose Mukerji-Bergeson, Art: Basic for Young Children, 1995.)
At Kohl Children’s Museum we use the term “process art”, as we develop art explorations in our studio that encourage no predetermined outcome or “product” created by a child.
Process Art invites children to be the leader in their creative expression; no two children’s art looks the same even though they may use the same materials. The actual art experience outside of brief introduction to materials is an open invitation to explore creativity and individuality. The choice for what comes next is that of the child. This may be time for a child to mix colors to see what happens or use a variety of non-traditional painting tools and see what kinds of marks it makes. Opportunities for children to explore, make choices and determine what their experience will be in creating art is the excitement and wonder as we nurture their creative process!
Process Art Tips from the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)
https://www.naeyc.org/resources/pubs/tyc/feb2014/process-art-experiences
Characteristics of process-focused art experiences
- There are no step-by-step instructions
- There is no sample for children to follow
- There is no right or wrong way to explore and create
- The art is focused on the experience and on exploration of techniques, tools, and materials
- The art is unique and original
- The experience is relaxing or calming
- The art is entirely the children’s own
- The art experience is a child’s choice
- Ideas are not readily available online
Process Art Explorations: Kohl Children’s Museum Home Zone
https://www.kohlchildrensmuseum.org/activities/funky-brushes-kitchen-painting/ https://www.kohlchildrensmuseum.org/activities/assemblage-art/
See you at the Museum!
-Erika Gray, Director of Education