Collage art projects are types of open-ended process art included in both the Experience Toddler and Experience Preschool curriculum. Process art supports the development of creativity.
Collages are a simple craft activity that involves gluing paper, recycled or natural items to paper.
Through creating collage art young children are encouraged to express themselves through their work and make choices without adult direction. There are many benefits to collage work including the fine motor skills toddlers and preschoolers practice, development of independence through practicing and repetition and making choices about their work.
READ: Why Are Art & Music So Important?
Practicing Fine Motor Skills
Young children need to practice their fine motor skills, which involves using small muscles that work with the brain and nervous system to control movements. Fine motor skills are necessary for everyday tasks, self-care and essential for handwriting. Children practice fine motor skills when they glue, stick, staple, cut or tear collage materials.
Exploring Independence
Collage art is an ideal time for young children to practice their independence while exploring art materials. When provided safe materials like paper, yarn, felt and leaves, children can do what they like with them. Children can squeeze glue, cut materials apart and arrange the pieces however decided on the paper. Adults don’t need to guide, direct or correct the child. Children have a natural desire to touch and explore objects to learn about their world. The open-ended concept of collage work allows children time to concentrate and persist when challenged. There’s no substitute for the pride and confidence developed when children “do it themselves”!
Making Choices
When gluing collage materials to a surface, children make choices about what items they want to use. This may be based on colors the child likes, unique materials he may not have been exposed to before or a texture he enjoys, like sand. Children can choose to add more or less to their projects.
Learning and Growing with Collage Art
Children practice skills across the domains when they create collage art. Some skills children are developing through collage art include:
- Social-Emotional
- Self-Awareness: making choices about what materials are pleasing to them
- Self-Regulation: learning to share materials or leave some for others, controlling the amount of glue they squeeze
- Attention & Persistence: continuing to work on the collage from start to finish, persisting when tasks are difficult like squeezing glue, or getting an object to stick or cutting through a material
- Social Relationships: sharing materials, working at the same table with others
- Physical Development
- Fine Motor: squeezing glue, picking up some small objects or thin pieces of paper
- Safety: following safety rules, knowing how to use scissors correctly
- Language & Literacy Development
- Communication: with friends or educator
- Writing: coloring or writing
- Mathematics & Reasoning
- Number Sense: counting of objects
- Spatial Awareness: turning and placing objects and making decisions about the placement of collage materials
- Shapes: using shapes to create a picture with collage materials
- Measurement: estimating and cutting or placing materials
- Logic & Reasoning: problem-solving and experimenting with supplies
- Science
- Natural & Earth Science: working with natural materials or actively collecting them for art
- Social Studies
- Culture & Community: cultural patterns, colors, fabrics may be used
- Culture & Community: cultural patterns, colors, fabrics may be used
Looking for more support on Creative Arts & Music? Register for our Creative Arts & Music training and earn CED hours.
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