Visual

Learning to create and appreciate visual art through simple creative activities are some of the most important building blocks of a young child’s
Art
development. Visual art is as natural to young children’s lives as language and play. The arts build skills such as problem solving and critical thinking;
they foster opportunities for the development of language/communication, mathematics and the development of social and interpersonal skills.
Preschool children are naturally creative and have a natural fascination with the process of creating visual art. Making marks, squishing clay and using a
brush to apply color are activities that attract most young children. In groups where children speak multiple languages and may not share common
words, visual art can create connections and a way of communicating. Art can become a way for people to connect across cultures to their common
humanity; and appreciation for it may begin in preschool.
To help support visual art at home try some of the following strategies:
• Draw, paint and sculpt with your child at home.

• Encourage your child to talk about what they have drawn.

• Put their work on display. This shows you value their hard work and creativity.
• Provide creative materials such as washable paints, markers, crayons, paintbrushes, construction paper, glue, colored tissue paper, empty boxes,
paper towel tubes, sponges, empty bottles, chalk, paper plates, scrap paper, collage materials, etc.
• Create a mural by spraying paint on watercolors color onto a thin cloth canvas.

• Providing paint stamping activities to form an interest in color and mixing.

• Create opportunities for children to work with clay, dough or wet sand.

• Notice and talk about works of art seen in the environment or at home when spending time with your child

• Notice and talk about shapes and colors in works of art and in the environment. For example, take a walk and see how many different shapes of
leaves you can find.
• Bring your child to an art museum or areas in the community with public displays of art, such as murals or mosaics and sculptures
in parks.
• Be open-minded and encouraging about works of art that are sent home from the preschool setting.
• Show your child art as an expression of culture. Tangible objects make the abstract idea of tradition real for preschoolers. Point
out the different styles of textiles, pottery, or painting used in traditions from different parts of the world and teach them to be
respectful and open to art that is created by different cultures.
• “Pictures can interpret stories, convey meaning, communicate ideas, and express emotion without the use of words,” and the best way to support
this type of expression is to add wordless picture books to your book collection.
“Excerpt taken from California Department of Education, Preschool Learning Foundations”