As parents, we always look for new and creative ways to provide our children with a well-rounded education. One approach that has gained popularity over the years is the Montessori teaching method.
This approach emphasizes a child-centered approach, where children learn at their own pace and in their way.
Below, we will share starting tips and different art activities you can introduce to your child, but first, let’s see what Maria Montessori said about art.
What Did Maria Montessori Say About Art?
Maria Montessori recognized the importance of art in a child’s development and believed it was an essential part of the Montessori method. She believed art activities helped children develop their creativity, imagination, and fine motor skills.
She believed that art activities should be child-led, allowing children to explore different materials and techniques at their own pace.
She also emphasized the importance of providing young children with a rich and varied environment fostering artistic development.
Montessori expressed in her book, “The Absorbent Mind,” that children have a distinctive connection with their surroundings compared to adults.
Children don’t just memorize what they see; it becomes ingrained within them. Everything that they witness with their eyes and hear with their ears becomes a part of their being. They internalize and embody the world around them.
She also believed that art activities could help children develop their emotional intelligence. Through art, children can express their emotions and learn to communicate their feelings to others.
She believed that art activities should be child-led and could help children develop their creativity, imagination, fine motor skills, and emotional intelligence.
Montessori Art: 5 Starting Tips
The Montessori teaching method emphasizes a child-centered approach to learning, meaning that children learn at their own pace and in their way.
Incorporating the principles of art into your Montessori classroom at home can be a fun and engaging way to promote your child’s cognitive and emotional development.
Here’s a list of helpful tips on how to do this:
1. Provide Various Art Materials
Children love experimenting with different art materials, such as paints, crayons, markers, and clay. Provide them with various art materials and let them explore and experiment with them.
2. Encourage Exploration and Self-Expression
Art is a form of self-expression, and it’s important to encourage your child to express themselves through their artwork. Allow them to explore different themes, colors, and styles, and provide them with the freedom to create what they want.
3. Teach Art Appreciation
Teaching your child to appreciate art can be a fun and engaging way to promote cognitive development.
You can introduce them to different artists and art styles and encourage them to talk about what they like or don’t like about a particular piece of art.
4. Incorporate Art Into Other Subjects
You can incorporate art into other subjects, such as science, math, and literature.
For example, you can encourage your child to draw or paint a picture of an animal they learned about in science class.
5. Display and Celebrate Your Child’s Artwork
Displaying your child’s artwork in your home can be a great way to celebrate their creativity and hard work.
You can create a special area in your home where you can display their artwork or create a portfolio where they can keep their favorite pieces. Incorporating the principles of art into your Montessori classroom at home can be a fun and engaging way to promote their cognitive and emotional development.
Montessori Art: 6 Different Art Activities
Montessori art activities can promote children’s creativity, self-expression, and fine motor skills. Here’s a list of different art activities you can incorporate into your Montessori classroom at home:
1. Painting
Painting is a classic art activity that children love.
You can give your child different paints, such as watercolors, tempera, or acrylics, and encourage them to explore different painting techniques, such as brush strokes, finger painting, or using a sponge.
Painting activity idea – Nature Paintbrushes:
Go on a little scavenger hunt with your child to collect items like twigs, leaves, grass, or even flowers. These will become your unique, homemade paintbrushes. When you’re ready to start painting, simply attach the collected items to the end of a clothespin or a short stick using a rubber band. Dip your nature paintbrushes in washable, non-toxic paint, and let your child create beautiful, one-of-a-kind masterpieces. This activity is not only great for encouraging creativity, but it also helps your little one connect with nature and learn about different textures.
Painting activity idea – Marble Painting:
You’ll need a shallow box or tray (a large tuppawear container or lid works great), marbles or small balls, washable, non-toxic paint and paper. Place a sheet of paper at the bottom of the box. Then, have your child choose a few paint colors and pour a small amount of each color into separate containers or bottle caps. Next, drop a marble into one of the paint containers, making sure it’s well-coated in paint. Then remove the marble and pop it into the tray (on the sheet of paper) and have your child roll the marble around to create marks. Repeat with the other colors!
2. Drawing
Drawing is another great art activity that children enjoy. You can provide your kid with various drawing materials, such as pencils, crayons, or markers, and encourage them to draw anything that comes to their imagination.
Drawing activity idea – Tracing and Pre-Writing Shapes:
Get your hands on some big, simple shapes like circles, squares, and triangles. Print them on cardstock or laminate them, and give your child a crayon or washable marker to trace around them. This is a fantastic way for them to practice their fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination. As they get better, you can even start introducing letters and numbers to trace too!
Drawing activity idea – Texture Drawing:
This one’s all about exploring with our senses. Grab different textured materials like sandpaper, bubble wrap, or corrugated cardboard and secure them onto a flat surface. Tape a piece of paper over the top, and let your little artist draw away while feeling the textures underneath. It’s a great way to let them experiment with different drawing techniques and have a sensory adventure.
3. Collage
A collage is an art activity that involves cutting and gluing different materials onto a surface. You can give your child different materials, such as magazines, tissue paper, or construction paper, and let them create their collage.
Collage activity idea – Nature Collage:
Time to head back outdoors for another fun and eco-friendly activity! Go on a nature walk with your child and collect various items like leaves, twigs, flower petals, and small rocks. Once you’ve gathered enough treasures, grab a large piece of paper or cardboard and some non-toxic glue. Help your child arrange their nature finds into a beautiful collage by gluing the items onto the paper. This activity not only nurtures their creativity but also teaches them about the natural world and different textures.
Collage activity idea – Colorful Torn Paper Collage:
For this idea you’ll need a variety of colored paper, magazines, or any other paper you have lying around. Instead of using scissors, encourage your little one to tear the paper into different shapes and sizes. Tearing paper is a great way to develop fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination. Once you have a good collection of torn paper pieces, let your child arrange and glue them onto a large piece of paper or cardstock to create their very own abstract masterpiece. This activity allows them to explore colors, shapes and patterns.
4. Sculpting
Sculpting is an art activity that involves molding and shaping materials into a three-dimensional object.
You can provide your child with different sculpting materials such as clay, play-doh, or modeling clay and encourage them to sculpt their creation.
Sculpting activity idea – Play Dough Fun:
Whip up a batch of homemade play dough using simple ingredients like flour, salt, water, and food coloring. If you want to add an extra sensory experience, you can even mix in a few drops of essential oils for a lovely scent. Once your play dough is ready, give your child a variety of tools like cookie cutters, rolling pins, and plastic knives to create shapes, animals, or even their favorite characters. This activity encourages imaginative play and helps develop hand strength and dexterity.
Sculpting activity idea – Pipe Cleaner Sculptures:
Grab a variety of colorful pipe cleaners and some optional add-ons like beads, buttons or small pom-poms. Ask your child to twist, bend and shape the pipe cleaners into various forms. They can create animals, plants, abstract shapes, or anything their imagination dreams up. If you’re using beads or other add-ons, your child can thread them onto the pipe cleaners to add extra color and texture to their sculptures.
5. Printmaking
Printmaking is an art activity that involves printing an object or design on a surface. You can give your child different printing materials, such as stamps, foam, or potatoes, and encourage them to make their prints.
Printmaking activity idea – Vegetable and Fruit Stamps:
Gather some fruit and vegetables with interesting shapes or textures, such as apples, oranges, potatoes or even corn on the cob. Cut the fruits and vegetables in half to reveal their unique patterns. Next, prepare a few colors of washable, non-toxic paint in shallow containers or plates. Have your child dip the cut side of the fruit or vegetable into the paint and then press it onto a piece of paper or cardstock to create a fun and colorful print. This activity teaches children about patterns, shapes, and textures while encouraging them to see ordinary objects in a new, creative way.
Printmaking activity idea – Bubble Wrap Prints:
For this activity, you’ll need a piece of bubble wrap, washable, non-toxic paint, a paintbrush, and paper. Start by cutting the bubble wrap into different shapes or sizes, or you can keep it as one large piece. Have your child paint the bubble side of the bubble wrap with their chosen paint colors. Once the paint is applied, carefully press the painted bubble wrap onto the paper, creating a unique and textured print. You can repeat this process with different paint colors and bubble wrap shapes to create a layered and eye-catching artwork. This activity encourages sensory exploration and introduces your child to the concept of printmaking.
6. Photography
Photography is an art activity that involves taking pictures of objects or scenes that are visually appealing. You can give your child a camera or a phone and encourage them to take pictures of interesting things.
Photography activity idea – Photo Scavenger Hunt:
Create a list of simple themes or objects that can be found around your home or neighborhood, such as a red door, a smiling face, a flower, or a favorite toy. Give your child a kid-friendly camera or a smartphone with a camera function and set off on a scavenger hunt to capture photos of the items on the list. This activity encourages observation skills, fosters creativity, and helps your child practice composition and framing.
Photography activity idea – Storytelling Through Photos:
Help your child develop their storytelling skills by encouraging them to create a visual narrative using photographs. Start by brainstorming a simple story idea together, and then break it down into scenes or key moments. Your child can either stage the scenes using toys, household items, or people, or they can capture candid moments that relate to their story. Assist them in taking photos that represent each scene, and then help them arrange the photos in order to tell their story. This activity promotes creative thinking, problem-solving, and communication skills.
The Bottom Line
In conclusion, by incorporating the principles of art into your Montessori classroom at home, you can provide your child with a well-rounded education that encompasses both academics and creativity.
Through hands-on experiences with various art materials, your child can develop fine motor skills, express emotions, and explore imagination.
By encouraging their creativity and providing a supportive environment, you can help them develop a love for art that will last a lifetime!
