Supporting Creative Expression through Process Art

Creative activities can be a joyful experience for young children. The child can focus on creating, examining materials, and developing skills. Young children benefit from creative opportunities that allow unstructured time for exploration and self-expression. This approach encourages creativity, fine-motor development, planning, critical thinking, problem-solving, communication, imagination, emotional expression, and relaxation.

Often, the best way to encourage children to engage in process-focused art is for adults to offer a variety of materials and see what happens. Examples may include painting, sensory art activities, construction, design, clay, weaving, beads, stamps, collage, or drawing. Allow the child to come and go from their art, providing plenty of time for children to explore. For supplies, consider nature objects, recycled materials, loose parts, glue, scissors, paper, markers, paints, homemade dough, cloth, string, and other interesting materials.

Even as your young artist directs their own experience, adults can contribute by asking open-ended questions based on what they see the child doing. Open-ended questions are inquiries that do not have a simple “yes” or “no” response. Instead, they prompt children to think about their process, try to explain in their own words, and consider encouraging next steps they can to try out.

Can you think of another way?

What might you try instead?

What can you tell me about…?

What does it remind you of?

What does this make you think of?

What would happen if…?

What do you think would happen if…?

How did you think of that?

What can you tell me about the things you have?

What are you going to do with that?

Can you show me what you could do with it…?

Is there anything else you could use?

Process art is different from project art, which is adult-led, has guidelines and instructions, and usually only one outcome or final product in mind. Process art emphasizes expression, experimentation, and exploration. By providing a variety of materials and lots of time, the child can focus on their experience and create whatever they want, which is valuable for increasing confidence and autonomy.  

Need some fun ideas for process art with young children? Check out what children’s librarian Jaime at LearnPlayRead offers on her website. Merri Cherry also has 50 activities for kids that you might get some inspiration from. One of my favorite activities is Play-Doh in a variety of colors. Need a recipe for a no-cook version? Check out Laura Tuck’s recipe on the Inspire My Play website.

If you are feeling left out, remember that process art is not just for littles! Try out some fun exploration with materials yourself!

“You are an explorer. You understand that every time you go into the studio, you are after something that does not yet exist.”
― Anna Deavere Smith, Letters to a Young Artist

Aoife Rose Magee, PhD, earned a doctoral degree in Special Education from the University of Oregon Early Intervention Program. Her personal and professional interests have been largely focused on the social-emotional development of young children and how positive parenting and teaching practices may contribute to healthy development, promote resiliency, and mediate risk factors. Aoife is professional development specialist for students and practitioners in the areas of Early Childhood Education, Early Intervention/Early Childhood Special Education and Parenting Education.  Aoife serves as a Master Trainer for the Oregon Registry and frequently provides community based and private workshops for early childhood educators, parenting educators, and other professionals. For more than thirty years, she worked directly with families as a parenting educator, and she is a former Oregon Parenting Education Collaborative Hub Coordinator for the Parenting Success Network. She currently teaches as a full-time faculty in the Early Childhood Education Program at Lane Community College. She is also the mother of a fantastic young adult son and enjoys nature and creative pursuits in her spare time.