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By
Catherine M. Pruissen
Aside
from unleasing the hidden Rembrants, the art centre
benefits children in many ways.
- It
utilizes the muscles in the hands (small motor skills),
which helps ready them for the tasks of writing
and manipulating small objects like buttons and
zippers.
- It
works on a child's creativity and imagination skills
and teaches them to see the beauty in life, art,
and in themselves.
SETTING
UP AN ART CENTRE
Before you go out to set up an awesome art centre,
there are two items you should avoid: colouring books
- which are frustrating to younger children who have
trouble keeping within the lines and do little to
draw on a child's creativity and imagination, and
markers, paints or glues that are not marked as non-toxic.
Always
check the labels of the products you buy as many art
supplies on the market contain toxins that can be
absorbed into the skin or inhaled into the lungs.
So
what makes a great art centre? The following items:
-
paint smocks
- aprons
or old T-shirts
- tempra
paints and paint brushes of assorted sizes
- a
paint easle
- pie
tins or empty baby food jars for mixing paints
- safety
scissors
- hole
puncher
- tracing
molds
- glue
sticks or water-based white glue
- scotch
tape
- stapler
- crayons
- water-based
markers
- coloured
pencils
- contstruction
paper, white paper, crepe paper, brown wrapping
paper, paper bags
- playdough
- chalk
board, chalk, brushes
- yarn,
string beads, popsicle sticks, tongue depressors
sponges corkboard and pins for displaying art.
PRAISING
THE CHILD'S WORK
It
is important to keep in mind that art is in they eye
of the beholder. You should always respect a child's
art for what it is, for the valiant effort each child
put forth in producing the piece. When a child presents
you with a finished work, ask him/her to tell you
about it. Comment on the colour, the use of different
materials. Avoid asking the child what the picture
is. The child's commentary will suffice. It is important
not to compare one child's artwork to that of another
child's, or to give suggestions on how to make the
piece better.
What matters is that the child is satisfied with the
results.
For
more information on setting up play centres in your
home or daycare centre, consult the wonderful book,
Start and Run a
Profitable Home Day Care, and check out these
other related articles:
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©
Catherine M. Pruissen
Catherine M. Pruissen is the CEO of About Child Care
Consumer Services and developer of child care online.
She has published numerous child care related literature,
including Start and
Run a Profitable Home Day Care, The
Daycare Alternative, How to Find Good Child Care,
Caregiver Aids: Business
Forms for Caregivers and Parents, Income
Tax & Record Keeping for Child Care Providers,
and a host of workshops and workbooks. She was the editor
and publisher of the bi-monthly newsletter, Parent Care,
Your Child Care News-line. Catherine was also the coordinator
and workshop facilitator for The Child Care Information
Centre in Calgary, Alberta, and ran a successful dayhome
for eight years. |
