The Value of Art

A few months ago, my co-workers and I were offered the opportunity to take a class that dealt with art experiences in early childhood. I was bummed, because the Husband was out of town, and I was unable to find a sitter for the munchkins so I couldn't go.

Fast forward a couple weeks after the class, and I was talking to one of my awesome co-workers, and mentioned that I wished that I had been able to attend the class.  The response I got literally made my jaw drop- "You wouldn't have liked it; the instructor told us that art experiences have no value for infants."

Cue the sad face.  :(  No value for infants? Really?  I work hard to bring art experiences into the room with the infants I work with, and have noticed a whole list of ways that art benefits the children.

For example....

Finger painting.  Can we say sensory play?  It's cool, squishy, jelly-like, and comes in bright colors.  You can let them explore with color mixing, even if they aren't able to grasp the concept.  Babies are hard wired for cause and effect, so this is a great way to let them explore that concept-  If I squeeze my hand shut, the paint squishes between my fingers.  If I spread my hand out and swipe it across the paper, it leaves a smear of paint behind.  I can use one finger, or all my fingers, or my whole hand.  Capturing finger painting can show an infant provider progress in fine motor control, as you can "read" the smears left  behind.  Are they using their fingertips to paint?  How much of the paper are they covering in their work?  These are things that children need to practice, and what better or more fun way to do it!

Brush painting with tempera or water color.  Here comes that fine motor control again, with holding the brush in a fist.  Add in those cool cups with the funnel in the top to keep the paint from spilling, and you have some hand-eye coordination as well, for when they dip the brush back into the paint.  I've had just-turned-one year olds who were able to grasp dipping the brush through that little funnel to get more paint to put on their paper.  And if you paint with an easel, you get some large motor skill work, with the arm movements and some standing.  :)

Coloring with crayons or colored pencils.  More fine motor skills, as well as some sensory experience.  The feeling of the paper around a crayon, or even the wax of an unwrapped crayon can be a novel experience for a child.  And that cause and effect is great for them, when they move their hand/arm and make lines on the paper.  If you provide these colored pencils (we should get some, the kids would love it!), it adds another dimension of sensory exploration.

Eco-Tree Colored Pencils

Stamping... With actual stamps, this provides fine and gross motor skill practice.  They get to hold the stamp, and move their arm.  They get to see cause and effect of inking the stamp on the ink pad, then seeing the ink run out when they stamp on the paper.  And, really, what kid doesn't get a kick out of art that lets them make noise by hitting the table?  :)  Paint or ink daubers are great here too, just for some variation.

Contact paper collages.  That sticky paper has some great uses.  Letting the babes stick bits of tissue or other small pieces of paper (or leaves, flower petals, bits of fabric, snips of yarn, whatever!) to it promotes some great fine motor control.  

Now, with all of this, are they going to get the same things out of doing art that a toddler or preschooler is going to?  No.  Does that mean that we should not do art with infants?  NO!  There is so much going on for them, we should be giving them art opportunities as often as we can.  

And really, the parents just love when you give them something their little angel has created.  Just for them, of course.  :)