Kids' Process Art: Explore Mixed-Media and Materials

Process art allows your child to explore, experiment and make her own discoveries. It helps your little artist to get hands-on, build critical-thinking skills and flex her creative muscle.  If you’re looking for a project in which your child will make “something” specific, stop reading now. Yes, I know it’s probably not smart to tell my readers to actually stop reading, but this is pure process and abstract experimentation. If you’re in desperate need of a Mother’s Day craft, piece of animal art or a crafty letter-learning project I have plenty. They just aren’t this one.

 

I used to teach art classes in the Children’s Studio of my local museum. I had this thing that I did whenever I could justify it (we had themes to stick to, so sometimes it really didn’t make sense). I made a buffet style line-up of various art materials. I included everything that I could think of (or at least that was age-appropriate) and let the kids go. No rules (other than don’t eat it and don’t throw it at someone else). They got the chance to explore a variety of processes while making an abstract mixed-media masterpiece.

So, I set up a buffet on my dining room table. I used a large piece of foam core board under the paint and glue, but I highly recommend lining the table with cardboard or flattened garbage bags.

I added an array of different art materials.

 

 

I cut the front off of a cereal box. Cardboard is heavy enough to support the weight of several different materials at once. Construction paper is not.

Then I let my son take over. In all honesty he’s way past the preschool years, but he actually wanted to make a messy abstract artwork (and he never wants to make art anymore). So, I couldn’t say no.

He finger painted with clay. Kids can press it onto the cardboard and it will stick. They can also mix and blend the colors.

 

He painted.

 

He squeezed out clear drying school glue and then sprinkled on craft sand.

 

He sprinkled on glitter. Now it’s everywhere – on the table, the floor and somehow, my hair.

 

He added Model Magic (coloring it first with markers).

 

He glued crumpled tissue paper on. It adds texture!

 

Nope, it doesn’t look like “something”, but it sure was fun to make.

 

You can pick other materials to use, adding as many as your child wants to try. Think out of the box and consider other “non-art” items such as flowers. The kiddos can glue them on, use them with paint to print or rub the color off onto the paper.

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