Who wants to get messy?

• It’s important for children to explore materials and processesduring their preschool years. Watch this preschooler at play with paintand tools:

• The video simply demonstrates a great open-ended or process artexperience being enjoyed by a preschool child. Did you totally wish youhad your hands in the paint along with him? Or maybe you didn’t thinkit was so great. Perhaps it made you uncomfortable or upset to see suchmessy and explorative art.
• So let’s explore this kind of creative and developmentallyappropriate activity a little more. I want you to think about YOURfeelings, your reaction to what you saw. As you reflect, you mightthink also about your own childhood and your personal experiences withart as a child.
• What you feel and think is important and I respect that. And yet,it’s important to know and understand the values of developmentallyappropriate practice and process, open-ended art for young children.That’s what we’re going to focus on in this discussion.

1. Identify two ways that the art activity in the video was developmentally appropriate for a preschool aged child. You can revisit the NAEYC DAP core considerations (Links to an external site.) or use your text for supportive information.

2. Now, in 1-2 sentences, how would you define “process” or “open-ended” art? Does the activity in the video reflect your definition?

3. Share a few thoughts about how this activity made you feel.:-) There’s no right or wrong way to feel; all feelings are valid. Butsome of have more of a comfort level with mess. How you feel mightaffect the kinds of activities you choose to use with preschoolchildren.