Art work and free choice

Art work and free choice

by: KatyS24 - 11-01-11 21:51

I'm doing my EYP at the moment and I'm having trouble trying to get my colleagues to understand that the children still need to have free reign over their art work. For example, at Christmas, most staff wanted to cut out shapes such as snowmen, Christmas trees, etc. for the children to decorate but my manager and I had to try and explain that any art work must be the child's own idea and own work. Many staff think that the parents won't want things from their children that don't resemble anything festive, and often end up "helping" the child do things "correctly". If this makes any sense to anybody then I would appreciate some help with how I could possibly help change people's minds and help them understand my way of thinking! Thanks :)

by: Rose

For a micro teach session I did many years ago I gave all my fellow students paper wand cut out pieces to make a flower. As they randomly stuck their peices to the paper I went round moving pieces of their work so it resembled a flower. I moved the stem, leaves, petals until everyones looked the same. Feedback showed how furious they were with me for touching their work. You might like to do something similar. Theres a poem that goes with it, Red flower, green stem. http://www.busyizzie.co.uk/craft_ideas_children/helen_buckley_controlling_creativity.html

by: kaz (the first one!)

I can totally understand how your staff feel and also how important it is that children are allowed free reign. We try and compromise to a point. At Christmas time we had a lot of the activities that were pre-cut out, every child made one and they all looked the same! Very fluffy duck syndrome! BUT! This happens once a year and a lot of the usually less craft orientated children get a lot out of it, they need direction and something they can spend just a few minutes on. It's really the only time we 'produce' for parents.

The rest of the year is totally free and although it is mostly girls, my craft area is always busy and they are very inventive.

I taught a level 1 course a few years ago and I split my group of ladies in two, one group made truffles in the kitchen, were told exactly what to do and how. The second group were just left in the classroom to make up their own thing with the same ingredients- much more laughter and learning went on in the classroom than kitchen.

by: stormgirl

We have had discussions about what creativity means. The definition of it is: Ability to produce something new through imaginative skill, whether a new solution to a problem, a new method or device, or a new artistic object or form. The term generally refers to a richness of ideas and originality of thinking.

We also talk about the role of the adult, how we develop the above skills, whether we believe that doing things for children teaches them how to do it themselves. 

We have also looked at different successful artists & whether there was only one way of drawing something.

There will always people who need control of creative activities and want to do it all for them so it produces something perfect, but it is easier to agree on a policy once you have had the above discussion. Good luck!

by: Charlie

We generally have free creativity but sometimes provide printed designs or cut outs alongside blank paper.  A lot of the children choose the designs and we use them to talk about the pictures e.g. looking at the features of different animals.  we dont direct the children to decorate in a particular way and although we put out selectd resources for the design, we also have all our resources accessible to the children if they choose to use anything different. 

I think the balance works well for both staff and children especially as some staff are struggling to understand why and it lets them be crative as well which I think some miss when they think they are watching the children make a 'mess.'

by: Tallulah

Aggh - this suject is the bane of my life - everywhere I have worked the artwork/creativity is too interfered in with by adults - it's almost like it's done for the benefit of the parents!

by: Tallulah

sorry posted twice by accident

by: Tiggy

Don't forget Easter, when the EYFS states 'All nurseries shalt make eggbox daffodils'

Lot's of staff don't recognise the difference between "creating" and "following instructions". You can still suggest things but you have to accept the child's decisions.

by: Rose

"Don't forget Easter, when the EYFS states 'All nurseries shalt make eggbox daffodils'"

And Mothers Day when there's a hand print with a poem in a card.

If the staff are worried that the parents wont want the childrens work, ask them to scribe what the children say or do during the the activity, not individually just an overview of the whole thing. They might describe the textures, or the way the paint drips, or the smell of the dough, some might be very focused on swirlling their fingers on the painty paper...The staff can then link what the children have said and done to the EYFS showing the parents how much learning has taken place and the experiences. They can then use this to offer new opportunities.

I really hope you crack it. I think creaivity can cover so many aspects of the EYFS its a shame when its seen as a blob of glue and a feather.

by: me

Tiggy can you please link me to where it says that?

RE: RE: Art work and free choice - 13-01-11 20:46

by: stormgirl

I think Tiggy could be joking me :p

by: Annette

Our new pull-out series starting on 27 January is on 'Art in the early years'. It will focus on child-led activities rather than adult controlled.

by: KatyS24

Thanks for all the replies! Rose... I really like the idea of scribing what the children say and do to go with what they have made. Its all very well me carrying out good practice, but I just don't know what I can do to get other people to do the same and to make it easier for them. I think some people just don't like the idea of activities taking longer while we wait for children to do it the way they want!

by: Lolo

At Christmas my daughter made a candleholder to bring home, plus an xmas card.  Very nice but still open ended.

by: shan

i have just moved down to the foundation unit in the school i work in. Af first i found it difficult not to tell the children to do it like that and put it there etc.

But now i really enjoy watching them and getting involved creating master pieces from there ideas and creativity. They get the choice of materials they would like to use from the art bench which they have access to throughout the day. While they are in their creative flow we askmany questions why,what,where so we can scribe what they have made and way.

For example we have painted with frozen fish today ( which went well down as a ofsted lesson) and a child spent hours painting and then retold a story about how it was a picture of the bottom of the sea and described every part of the picture in detail. 

by: purepurple

How on earth do you paint with frozen fish and why on earth would you want to?

Surely food is for eating? I don't see anything 'creative' about killing a fish only for it to be used for painting.

What a bizzare idea.

by: kaz (the first one!)

We paint fish but I usually get one that is no longer fit for sale and would be thrown away. Our local Budgens has a fish counter and occaisionally has a red snapper (with lovely scales) that has not been sold so I get it at half price and freeze it till we need it. It's not a waste.

by: POP ON

I did this too.

I was teaching some level 3 students and one wrote an activity plan titled 'paint a fish' without a great deal of further information.

I tried to demonstrate how planning needed to be more detailed, and my painting a fish was probably more exciting than the cut out paper fish she intended.

Trouble was, it absolutely stank out the college because it was also out of eating date.

We had forty complaints. Great fun though.