I recently attended the California Head Start Conference, where extraordinary examples of children’s art were on display everywhere. I had never seen such a beautiful integration of children’s art into an event. Creative examples of painting, tissue paper art, bookmaking and 3-D collage lined each and every hallway. It was truly an impressive effort, and I hope it inspires you to capture some new ideas.
I especially loved the large paintings from Neighborhood House Association (NHA) that came from their annual Head Start Art Fest. They were painted collaboratively, by groups of young children. Each painting included photos of the children and artwork from a famous artist that the children had studied.
These large, collaborative paintings included documentation, highlighting learning outcomes from the Desired Results Developmental Profile (DRDP). The combination of oversized paintings, photos, and documentation was visually stunning and highly informative. Kudos to the staff at Neighborhood House Association Head Start, and all the other wonderful Head Start agencies that infused the conference with examples of the visual language of children.
The wonderful reds in this large flower painting moved me. I could easily see this hanging in any major art museum. The textures and color combinations were strikingly dramatic. It looked like it had been painted on a large (and expensive) canvas, but as I looked closer I saw it was done on plain white butcher paper.
To my surprise, the same butcher was wrapped around a large, corrugated box to create a frame! The box made it look like an expensive “gallery style” canvas with a 2” depth. What am amazing and affordable way to simulate gallery framing….who thought of that? I am excited to pass THAT one along, thank you!
Make & Take Art was also available for all the attendees at the conference entrance, and everyone was encouraged to engage.
Roxanne Kilbourne, Family Literacy Specialist, led a creative Craft Bag project using Alphabet Squares and Colorations® Washable Marker Stampers…a project that was relaxing, fun and functional.
Prany Kasem-Hendricks led Goop-Gak for people who like messy art. I made Goop-Gak years ago, but had forgotten how much fun it was, it’s so soft, smooth and incredibly elastic!
Prany’s recipe (print your own copy here) combines Colorations® Liquid Watercolor™ , white glue and liquid starch. Liquid Watercolor™ gives it the brilliant color. Someone took delight in swirling this pink goop around to get a big lump of Gak to go. I heard it lasts several weeks if you store it in plastic. I thought back to the many times Lenette Javier had invited me to NHA to do art workshops for her staff. Now it’s my turn to learn from them.
I hope you enjoyed these ideas from California’s Head Start Conference, and find ways to use them yourself at an upcoming school event.
Materials Used:
2000 Alphabet Pasting Pieces (2000PP)
Colorations® Washable Stamper Markers Bucket (STAMPBUCK)
Colorations® Liquid Watercolor™ Paints – set of 18 (LW18)
Colorations® Washable School Glue – gallon (LCWG)
Craft Bags with Handles (CBAGS)
* Brought to you by Discount School Supply®
Art & Creativity in Early Childhood Education 