CREATIVE & OPEN-ENDED ART

Personal Note: I was taught that totally creative projects are those where children are provided with the materials only and never given any other instructions of any kind.  Those are my favorites, but I was also taught that it's appropriate to provide projects that are creative and open-ended within the limits of a theme.

Easy Fingerpaint Recipe: Need fingerpaints?  Mix powdered dry tempera with a pasty solution of white soap and water, or add the tempera to a white lotion.

Instead of using a rectangular shaped box lid for Marble Painting, provide square, round, or even heart-shaped box lids as options.  What a  great coordination activity!

Murals: Having children work on a "Mural" is one of my favorite ways of encouraging creativity in the classroom.  Sometimes I provide materials and present a theme to the children.  Other times, for a totally creative "anything goes" mural, I've provided materials without presenting a theme.  These are usually the masterpieces!

Paste Versus Glue: Put craft sticks and small individual capped containers of paste in the art center for children to use during every day free-choice art.  Glue (especially in squeeze bottles) is more difficult for children to control and gets wasted, and have you ever had to stay after work to clean the clogged-up bottle tops?  Not fun!!  Even with paste, it's a good idea to show children "how" to take just the amount they need and how to put the lid back on the container so it won't dry out.  Glue is better for special projects though because it dries clear while paste doesn't.  I like to place a small blob of it on a piece of foil or waxed paper for each child.  Q-tips make good spreading tools too.  And hey, there's nothing to wash up afterwards!
Extension: As a science activity, let children investigate and compare paste and glue.  They can smell them, touch them and compare the feel, see which "runs" and which doesn't, etc.  They can then place both on paper and keep checking them to see which will dry first.  They can later compare the two dried versions.

Here's some great information sent to me from one of my website visitors on the subject of glue bottles:
"I just wanted to let you know about something we've found that works like a charm and still lets the children squeeze the glue bottle.  There is a new product called Tap-n-Glue.  It is a lid that was designed to prevent clogs and leaks and there is no opening and closing.  Only drops of glue come out at each squeeze."

From Suzanne K, New Jersey:
To lessen the amount of wasted glue, keep some in old, empty (and clean) icing containers.  Children use cheapie paintbrushes to retrieve glue when they need it, then recap when finished.

From Pam in Pahrump Nevada:
When I started working with 3 year olds, I found using glue so frustrating.  So, I bought a plastic shallow container with a lid.  I thinned down some glue with a little water and poured it into the container.  I then placed a sponge (cut to fit in the container) into the glue.  When you press down on the sponge the glue is sucked up to the top and to the item to be glued.

From Mur:
Hi Stormie!  I helped out at another preschool where the teacher used paint containers for the glue (the ones with snap on lids and a hole for the paint brush to fit into).  The children can use the brush to spread glue and then put it back in the container. They have an ample supply of glue and less chance of spills!  Clean up is easy too.

From Starr:
Hi, I love your website.  We taught our 3-5 year olds “REMEMBER WHEN IT COMES TO GLUE, A LITTLE DROP WILL DO!”  Of course, the 3 yr. olds need reminding, but it works.

From MJ, Texas:
Protecting Eyes: Instead of glitter for projects, which can scratch the eye of a young child if they rub their eyes, use colored plain table salt.
From Natalie McGovern, Stone Hill School, Cranston:
I had an experience where salt was blown into a child's eye and he needed surgery to get the salt removed.  So, please be aware that table salt can also be dangerous.
From Stormie: Although glitter, colored salt, cornmeal, sand, and so many other granular substances are fun to use, and provide wonderful sensory experiences, we need to always take precautions with any of them and watch for "rubbing of eyes."  I would also suggest using them in an area where there is no air or wind to blow them around.

From Beth V. in Margate, New Jersey:
My classroom is one of the most vibrant ones in our school, and for this I thank plastic table covers that I buy at the Dollar Store!!!  I use them in my monthly mural.  They are awesome and really don't take up as much space as you would think, and the kids really get into it.  In September I'm making a simple tree (out of brown and green table covers -- $2) then I'm letting the kids do the rest: They will be making apples to put in the tree (red, green, and yellow to go with this month's colors).  The best part about this project is that the children can do their apples as they want.

Edna, in Bogor, Indonesia suggests this book for teachers:
Preschool Art, by MaryAnn Kohl: Over 200 process-oriented art experiences for children ages 3-6.

From Kristen Kelly, Tulsa, Oklahoma
Food Color Painting: (requires some parent involvement for smaller children): Items needed: White Corning-Ware casserole dish (I've found this works best), watercolor paintbrush, cup of water, and food coloring.  Put a few drops of food coloring in the bottom of the casserole dish (it works best with only one or two colors).  Let each child "paint" with the paintbrush and the water, making their own creations on the white dish.  When the dish and water get yukky, rinse out and start again.  This is great for helping children learn colors and for teaching concepts like "blue and yellow make green."

From Lauren Mulready, Special Needs Preschool Teacher, Attleboro, MA
Puffy Fingerpaint: Mix equal parts of shaving creme and glue to create a very puffy fingerpaint.  Food coloring or paint may be added to give color.  Although it is very messy, the children love spreading it across the paper.  Make sure to give them plenty because too much spreading flattens out the mixture and you do not get the puffy effect.  It feels like marshmallow creme!!

From Ann Rand, Preschool Teacher in St. Louis, Missouri
I have found a great way to organize those small Art Center pieces of creative materials, like sequins, small pieces of ribbons, noodles, whole cloves, etc.  I have one of those sets of drawers that you can get at the hardware store that is meant to hold nuts, bolts, nails, screws, etc.  The small drawers are perfect for organizing creative materials and the children can pull out the whole drawer and take it to their table or just take out one or two items from the drawer.  My drawer set is the 15 drawer
size.  I don't fill them all at first but gradually add more and more until all the drawers are full.  This helps to keep interest in it.

From Julie Lord, Pre-School Teacher in Danville Georgia
Don't throw away old markers.  Take a pair of scissors and remove the colored felt part and drop it in a bottle of white glue.  It makes beautiful glue in 1-3 days.  The children love to "paint" with glue.  "Waste not want not," right?

From Christine, YMCA Preschool Program & Day Camp Director, Ontario Canada
Art Center Tips:
1. Have lots of film canisters?  Hot glue them onto sponges for handles.  Much easier for little hands to hang onto for "sponge" painting.
2. Use the lids of plastic margarine containers for holding glue.  Then you can either wash them or throw them out.
3. We find that young children have much better luck using paint brushes when applying glue to their creations.  I keep a container of soapy water nearby, I put the brushes in the water to soak when the activity is done.
Note from Stormie: I agree totally with Christine about glue being easier to work with for the children if they use brushes.  Several years ago, I found short little stubby brushes (approximately 3" tall with brushes about 1/2" wide) that were perfect for this.  After they wore out, I never found them again :-(    Does anyone out there know where we can get them?  E-mail me.
From Carmen, in San Diego, California:
I am a student of Child Development and believe as you, Stormie, that those short stubby brushes are perfect for little hands.  You might check at a Lakeshore Learning Center Store, or check their website at www.lakeshorelearning.com
From Christine Francis:
I ordered great little brushes called "Glue Brushes" from my Discount School Supply catalog.  They look like the metal end of a wooden paint brush (and maybe they are), but they are just short enough for kids to use them easily.  They need to be cleaned and dried after each use, most likely to prevent rusting.  I haven't had any problems with them, and boy, do the kids like to see them coming out for a project!  By the way, the Discount School Supply catalog has an incredible selection of art supplies. They also have a website (address is: www.discountschoolsupply.com).  Check it out, I think you'll be glad you did (and they have a great clearance section too).
From someone who signed their name as "L":
The phone number for Discount School Supply is: 1-800-627-2829.  They have so many wonderful products....... and just about every kind of brush you can imagine.

From Stephanie Saflin in Wichita, Kansas:
Dear Stormie, As I was reading on your website about using brushes for glue, it reminded me of what works for my preschoolers.  I use Q-tips for Tacky glue as it's very thick and hard for the children to squeeze from the bottle.  I pour some onto a small white paper plate, put a pile of Q-tips on the side and let the children glue away.  It also gives them practice in grasping small objects (the Q-tips).  Then the clean up is easy, I throw it all away!

From a website visitor who didn't leave a name:
We take long plastic children's paintbrushes and break them to make them shorter to suit other needs.

From Lou Ann:
At our preschool, we cut down the tops of those cardboard frozen orange juice cans for children to use as glue containers.

From Charlene in Connecticut:
If you only want to use a small amount of glue for a specific project, using milk bottle caps works great.  Provide Q-tips for "painting" glue onto areas that need it.  Also, thinning glue with a little water makes it easier to use and it doesn't "clot" up as quickly and goes farther.

From Cindy:
For water-color painting, I use jar lids (peanut butter, etc) as water containers.  They are small enough to fit on a work tray, and they are flat, so they don't spill as easily.

From Stacie D'Anna:
I like to use frozen dinner trays when I need flat pans of paint, glue, etc.

From Christine (aka Ms. C) in California:
Clear Storage Containers: I collect clear plastic containers (the ones like mini muffins or cupcakes come in at Wal-Mart).  I use them for storing sequins, squiggly eyes, buttons, small pom poms, colored rice, and well, you get the picture.  These containers are great and what I love most is that you don't have to guess what's inside each compartment -- you can see what's there and simply reach for what you want.  Also, they are stackable.

From Vanessa, Child Care Consultant, Canada:
Glue Containers: We use old film canisters.  They are small and you can put the lid on when you're done, so you don't have to throw out any glue.  You can get them free from photo shops.

From Michelle, in the Philippines:
Mini Glue Containers: I provide each of my students with a plastic dip container (the disposable but sturdy ones, with lids).  (I bought them at the grocery store.)  I printed the children's names on their containers so they could identify which is theirs and get their own every time we use glue in our activities.  They cover their containers and place them back on the shelves when they are finished with them.

From someone who didn't leave a name:
*Try Bottles: You can also use salon dye bottles to better manage glue, and small spray bottles to manage paint.
* If space is an issue, you can use those expanding accordian type wall hooks for smocks.
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