Early Childhood Art Education

Yes, even babies and toddlers can learn art—and you can teach it! This idea is often overlooked, but even the youngest children can begin their art journey early. Creating intentional art experiences for young children is easier than you might think. In this blog I want to share what early childhood art education looks like and where to get started.

For infants and toddlers, art is less about creating finished pieces and more about introducing them to the world of visual arts. The goal isn’t for them to produce art but to explore and experiment with materials, movements, and sensory experiences. At this stage, the focus is on exposing children to the basic elements of art—like colors, shapes, lines, and textures—through playful, hands-on activities. (Adapted from Infant & Toddler Art Guide, By Spramani Elaun.)

Why Teaching Art Is Important

Understanding why visual arts are so important in early childhood development is key to appreciating its value. Engaging in art activities offers incredible benefits for a child’s growing brain and overall development.

Starting art programs at a young age helps build cognitive networks that support physical coordination and muscle control. Art-making activities improve hand dexterity, integrate sensory inputs, and develop motor skills, all of which are crucial for neurological and sensorimotor development.

If you’d like to dive deeper into this topic, I highly recommend reading The Way Children Make Art – The Science Art Method. Here’s a quick overview of the cognitive areas that visual arts support:

• Sensory Development: Exploring textures, colors, and materials.
• Tactile Skills: Hands-on interaction with art tools and materials.
• Motor Skills: Developing from gross (big movements) to fine motor control (small, precise movements).
• Semi-Motor Movement: Coordinating hand-eye movements.
• Implicit Memory: Building memory through repeated actions and experiences.
• Spatial Awareness: Understanding space, shapes, and how objects relate to each other.

What Is Art Education?

Art education for young children is all about exploration and discovery. It involves working with a variety of materials, such as paint, clay, crayons, and even recycled items. These experiences allow children to engage in a process-focused way, where the emphasis is on the joy of creating rather than achieving perfection.

Through these activities, children begin to learn the basic elements of art—like lines, colors, shapes, and textures. This foundation not only nurtures creativity but also builds confidence and curiosity.

Art Education Starts With the Elements

Teaching art in early childhood is important, but so is teaching the language of art! This language is known as the Elements and Principles of Design. Artists use these terms to describe what they see in art and how they create it.

If you’d like to learn more about visual arts and the Elements and Principles, check out my book Defining Visual Arts. Teaching this to young children might seem tricky at first, but I promise there’s an easy way to introduce art language in your classroom!

Art Activities for Young Children

When it comes to art activities for young children, start simple and build from there. Begin with drawing using crayons and practicing making basic lines. Then, move on to painting lines with a paintbrush and exploring different types of paint.

Next, try making shapes with paint using rollers and shape stamps. Once children are comfortable with these activities, you can introduce clay and practice modeling forms, which is another important art element to teach.

You can also incorporate storybooks into your art activities! Storybooks are a wonderful way to inspire creativity and connect art with storytelling. To learn how to combine storybooks with art, check out this theme art and storybooks video training. For more guidance on what art programming should look like for young children, read the Early Childhood Art Guide here.

When introducing art to young children, it’s best to start with simple activities like drawing with crayons, painting lines, and exploring shapes using rollers and stamps. As they grow more comfortable, you can introduce clay for modeling and even incorporate storybooks to inspire creativity and connect art with storytelling.

If you’re looking for a starting point to learn how to teach children visual arts, my book, Early Childhood Art Guide, is the perfect resource. It’s packed with practical ideas, step-by-step guidance, and plenty of pictures to help you create engaging and meaningful art experiences for young learners. Whether you’re a parent or teacher, this guide will give you the tools and inspiration you need to nurture creativity and confidence in children.ere are many other terms I’d encourage you to use too.

Click here!

Download my Beginner Elements and Principle of Design Cheat Sheet for a list of art language terms. I’ve included definitions for each term as well, so you’ll feel more confident using them, knowing you’re using them correctly. In truth, these art language terms can be used in all Montessori classrooms, no matter how old your students are!

To download the Art Language cheat sheet, click here.

A Short Cut Just for You – Early Childhood Art Guide

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