How to Stage an Art Environment with Art Materials for Montessori Toddler Environment

Montessori Toddler Art Activities | Staging Environment

Montessori Toddler Art Activities

For the longest time, teachers of early childhood students have been told, “toddlers can’t learn art.” And based on that misinformation, as well as out-of-date art teaching practices, you might be thinking that’s true too. I’m here to tell you that’s not the case!  Toddlers CAN start to learn art!  It all comes down to how you teach them. After years of observing art, I’ve developed my very own teaching method that engages and excites young children; it introduces them to art in a way that makes sense to their little developing brains. I want to share some quick ideas on teaching art to toddlers.

Montessori Toddler Art Activities | Staging Environment

Process-Based

Montessori toddler art activities should be process-based only. Discovery and experimentation are key to process art activities for toddlers. Their learning and development of problem solving skills come from spending time making process art. Want to learn more about what Montessori toddler process-based art means? Visit Teaching Process-Based Art in the Montessori Classroom

Montessori Toddler Art Activities | Staging Environment

Montessori toddler art is tactile 

Art for toddlers is a very sensorial experience. Visual art learning can happen from direct sensory touching by hands. Tactile art making stimulates learning in different ways than visual or audio learning. For a developing child, tactile exploring can also lead to better fine-motor function and control. 

Art Develops Early Motor Movement

In recent years science researchers have established that early motor movement develops better cognitive academic performance in the later grades. Children that practice motor movement early even starting in infancy can directly effect cognitive development and their readiness for learning. 

montessori art curriculum
Birch Aquarium at Scripps Institution of Oceanography | aquarium.ucsd.edu

Toddler Safe Art Mediums

Start with safe non-toxic paints, homemade play dough, and safe doodling supplies like crayons and tempera paint sticks. Use only safe non-toxic art supplies for toddlers. Create spill proof environments children can play and spill if needed. I recommend outdoors or rooms with no carpets.

Start with 15 minute art activities toddlers can explore, move to 20 minute segments. Be sure tables are short and children can move around easily. Only introduce 1-to-2 movements, like making a brushstroke, or rolling out clay.  Use colorful story books to make connections to art elements. Start with teaching very basic art elements like colors, shape and line.

arts and craft book by Spramani Elaun

Spramani’s Books

Teach children visual arts

Curriculum For Children

Get step-by-step art curriculum to teach visual arts. Check out our 4 art curriculums:
Painting
Drawing
Color Theory
Clay Modeling

All rights reserved © 2024, Nature of Art®

No part of this blog may be used or be reproduced in any manner whatsoever including reproducing, publishing, performing, and making any adaptions of the work – including translation into another foreign language without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. Nature of Art® Publishing P.O. Box 443 Solana Beach, California 92075.

How-to PAINT PAPER like Eric Carle | Montessori Art

How-to PAINT PAPER like Eric Carle | Montessori Art

Paint paper like Eric Carle

Every summer, I host art camps in San Diego, and my students’ top favorite project to do with me is to paint papers! In this post, we will teach you how to paint paper and collage like artist and author Eric Carle. So I thought I would share this fun Montessori art activity you can introduce to your students.

I like to give my students unusual tools, bright paint colors, different colored papers, and crazy things to make interesting textures and patterns. This also prepares papers for future projects that can be cut and be collage into interesting shapes.

Teach the Elements

Painting papers is a great way to teach the Elements and Principles of Design. You can teach texture and patterns, a vital art standard topic children should learn in Montessori art lessons. The artist and author Eric Carle is famous for doing this fun and vibrant method in his book illustrations. Eric Carle is famous for PAINTED PAPERS and collaging them into beautiful creatures featured in all his books. 

Eric Carle, artist and children’s book author


Paint paper like Eric Carle
How-to PAINT PAPER like Eric Carle | Montessori Art

What is paint paper?

Painted paper is basically paint applied onto paper.  You can paint plain white paper or colored paper.  Paper painting can be created with different mediums like watercolor, gel paints, tempera, or acrylic paints (any paint). 

Children painting colors

What can you do with painted paper?

Like Eric Carle, the famous artist, paint the papers first, let them dry second, then third cut them up into new collage artworks. Eric Carle’s famous painting papers created The Very Hungry Caterpillar book with this unique painted technique.

Collaging with painted papers
ColColl
Montessori art painting supplies

What tools do you need to make painted papers?

  • Paint mediums
  • Paper
  • Paintbrushes
  • Interesting objects that make patterns and textures
  • Drying rack
  • Interesting tools
Painting supplies

Painted papers can be taught in a process-based manner

Process-based painting is more about the experience rather than following directions. When kids paint process-based, they are able to go in any direction they choose. They can explore any texture, use any color, and have any outcome happen, but have very cool painted paper; they can later cut turn into another art piece. Process-based art lessons and painted papers are a great way to start teaching Montessori art lessons.

Spramani Elaun

Check out my Kids Painting Book Here


Early Childhood Guide – Book

You’ll learn:

  • The importance of early Art Literacy
  • How to speak the ‘Artist Language’
  • The art subjects students need to know
  • The characteristics of child artists
  • Methods and approaches to teaching
  • How to create art activity environments
  • The best art materials for your classroom
  • How to plan level-appropriate activities

Buy Guide Now!

arts and craft book by Spramani Elaun

Spramani’s Books

Teach children visual arts

Curriculum For Children

Get step-by-step art curriculum to teach visual arts. Check out our 4 art curriculums:
Painting
Drawing
Color Theory
Clay Modeling

All rights reserved © 2024, Nature of Art®

No part of this blog may be used or be reproduced in any manner whatsoever including reproducing, publishing, performing, and making any adaptions of the work – including translation into another foreign language without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. Nature of Art® Publishing P.O. Box 443 Solana Beach, California 92075.