Learning Center Blog Hop Series: Art Center

I’m excited to be back this week for the Pre-K Partner’s Learning Centers Blog Hop Series!  This week we are highlighting one of my favorite centers the art studio.

Art in my classroom is a big part of the learning process, it’s a way for children to express themselves, but it is also a way to anchor children’s inquires of learning,  
in the areas of…

• Language and Literacy
• Math
• Science
• Social Studies
• Physical

Sometimes teachers of young children use “art” to refer too spontaneous, open ended and often messy exploration of color or texture with little or no teacher’s direction or involvement.
We like to see “art” to describe a lively process of engagement with a range of materials, an engagement that is sensual and reflective, creative and deliberate, and that deepens and extends children’s learning.

Our art studio was created with children in mind, by providing children with an area that they can be independent artist.   

We created three different zones in our art studio to allow children the opportunity to work with several art mediums all at the same time.

There is a zone that is just for children to paint.  Children can paint on the table top or they can choose to put up a table top easel.  The paint section of the art studios is set up in a way that children are able to access paint, watercolors, different types of painting tools and paint pallets or paint trays.
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Once children are finished with their painting project they then clean up their own painting tools. 
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​There is another zone that provides children with the opportunity to work with clay or wire sculptures.

​In the studio there is a large table that is large enough for children to be able to mix different types of art medium.
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• Tempura paints in a wide variety of colors. 
• Glitter paints
• Liquid Watercolors
• Watercolors
• Paint pallets
• Texture painting rollers
• Texture painting brushes
• Sponges
• Paint brushes in a wide variety of sizes
• Papers (easel paper, watercolor paper, construction paper, cardboard, egg cartons, apple crates and foam board.

• ​Packing Peanuts
• Feathers
  
• Pom Poms
  
• Bottle Caps
  
• Plastic Lids
  
• Buttons
  
• Foam Shapes
  
• Scrap Fabric
  
• Scrap Yarn

• Strap Ribbon
• Tile Squares
  
• Cotton
  
• Nature Items based on the season
  
• Any and every found item
  

• ​Paint Doobers
• Stamps
  
• Ink Pads
  
• Drawing Tools (markers, colored pencils, colored chalk, oil pastels, and crayons)
  
• Salad Spinner
  
• Glitter
  
• Paper Cutting Tools (Scissors, fancy scissors, hole punches, and shape hole punches)
  
• Glue bottles and glue sicks
  
• Paper plates
  
• Scrap Paper
  
• Paper Tubes

• Colored Masking Tape
• Corks
  
• Wood shapes
  
• Scrap Wood
  
• Colored and Natural craft sticks
  
• Wood Glue
  
• Cardboard
  
• Egg Cartons
  

When using art to build or expand children’s knowledge first you need to ask yourself a few simple questions.

• What is the goal?
• Will the children be able to make significant choices on their own?
• Are children taking the lead in this activity?
• Are there enough materials to encourage creative explorations?
• Is there enough time for thorough exploration of the subject matter? 

Now see what other ECE teachers are doing in their art centers.
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