Questions To Ask Your Child About Their Artwork

Questions to ask your child about their art work.

Our after school art program is starting next week and I've been thinking about the questions I ask my child when they show me their artwork. It got me thinking that maybe other people need help with this too!

When we are presented with a piece of art it is so tempting to say "Wow, I love it!" and not go any further. While this is a lovely response, it doesn't quite take into account the work that has gone into that creation nor the effort to bring it to being.

So I've come up with a list of ways to talk about your child's art with them to make them feel like you really value the amount of effort they have put in.

First up, let's just realise what it is that they have done in creating a piece of art.

1. They are communicating with the world using their own voice, style and choice of materials.

2. They have decided on the ideas, concepts, themes and techniques that they have chosen to use.

3. They took risks and problem solved all the way through.

4. Sometimes things didn't go as planned but they kept going with it and created something even better. They experimented and tried new things.

5. They developed a craft that they'd been working hard to master

6. They envisioned their art work and brought it to being from nothing.

7. They worked to their own timeline, knowing when to add more and when they were finished.

Here's some things we could say to them to keep encouraging them to do all of the above

1. Which tool or technique did you use? Why did you choose that?

2. What challenges did you come up against?

3. What did you envision? Is it exactly as you thought?

4. What did you learn about during the process?

5. Can you tell me more about what you have made? Why did you make it?

6. Which part of the process was your favourite?

7. Can you tell me about it?