I've had some feedback recently...
It said; "my child would like to do this all of the time, forever".
*heart MELT* 🥰
But also, SAME!!
If I could live in this little world of creativity that we create at after school club, I totally would!
Why do they like it so much?
Kids are encouraged to play with ALL of the art materials to see which suits them best. Because that is what artists do!
Artists play around with materials and mediums until they find the one that is for them. Why shouldn't kids get chance to do that to?
This means lots, and I mean LOTS of thinking and testing and trying and doing and making. Which for kids, happens most successfully when presented as playing.
So they play. For the whole session. Until what they are playing with becomes something they'd like to keep, or give to a friend or show to their parents. Then it's art work, to be proud of, the product of the playing.
In my opinion, without the playtime, the thinking and doing and undoing and trying again and testing out a new way and realising that doesn't work and going back and trying again, they would never have made that artwork.
So we let them play.
At after school club we learn lots of different things about ourselves, each other and how to be an artist. We use clay, beads, paint, thread, make art journals, create mini worlds, draw with pens, pencils, sharpies, posca pens, create art works from our imaginations and no two pieces ever look the same. Unless it's on purpose because we're collaborating.
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