I’m a huge supporter of artistic freedom. In our home, we have hours of open-ended art when the boys create whatever they want and follow whatever artistic whim they feel at the moment. Occasionally, I organize a more structured art project like this one when I want to encourage a specific skill. Today, the goal was pre-writing development, specifically the tripod grasp necessary to hold a pencil and the coordination to follow a pre-determined form.
Elmer’s glue is a great way to create an almost invisible outline for your children to paint within. It creates a slightly raised bump that helps guide the paint brush within the intended area. To add an element of pre-reading, I added a {P for pumpkin} outlined in Elmer’s glue in the upper corner.
This Watercolor Project is also a fun way to enforce the spelling of the child’s name. Every kid loves working with their own name; it makes them feel special. John Robert always loves pointing out how long his name is.
Art is a fun medium to develop many educational skills. What do you use art to teach?
