The juxtaposition of art materials on playground equipment makes for rich memorable experiences that prompt children to see things from our everyday experiences in a new light. We took our pumpkins, Colorations Tempera Paint, Butcher Paper and Slides to create this STEAM invitation to explore action art. With taped butcher paper on to the slides we placed puddles of paint on the top of the slide, and invited the children to experiment pushing the pumpkins down the slide.
STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math) invitations such as this are a great way to expose a child to both action art and science all together. Scientists, mathematicians, engineers and artists all use the same critical thinking skills to find new and innovative solutions. Through the process of experimenting and exploring with pushing the pumpkins down the slide to paint the children are given opportunities that instills innovation, creativity, curiosity, and imagination, which provides for a stronger cognitive foundation that will support them to adulthood in all aspects of their life.
Engaging children with a combination of art, science, and gross motor action is a dynamic way to teach and expose them to a style of painting where there are no mistakes or boundaries. When children use out of the norm tools to paint they become more thoughtful and creative about the techniques they use as they experiment. Every time we provide children with the opportunity to create art all on their own, we are reminded of how engaging and important process art is. Exploring art, color, gravity, movement, and different techniques of creating, will only enhance and open a child‘s way of thinking creatively while helping them cover so many domains of learning.
“Action Art projects result in products to be enjoyed and admired, but it is the process of exploration and experimenting that stimulates the child’s learning from discovering and creating…” from Action Art.
