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Kids Love Art

Kids Love Art

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Kids usually start to express themselves creatively with their food. Smearing yoghurt around the high chair tray can occupy them for quite a while until mum or dad decides enough is enough. But they do seem to work out that they can create shapes, textures and patterns with their hands, and by any definition, they are starting to discover art.

Paint is perhaps the first thing parents make available and most parents will start with art materials that won't wreck their no-claims bonus on the contents insurance. So to begin with, it's usually some form of pencil, washable pen or crayon. The moment children see the first line they have drawn, they're hooked. They will probably find the larger pens and crayons easier to draw with at first, but in a surprisingly short time most kids will have progressed onto pencils, ready for some more detailed pieces of artwork.

After getting to grips with crayons and having worked out what they can do to a piece of paper, paints can start to be introduced. Leave any child for a few minutes with a paint-covered brush and you'll almost certainly return to find a little extra interior decoration has been carried out, so it can't be overstressed how important it is to introduce them to painting at someone else's house. If this is impossible, , slowly moving to more civilised rooms as they start to appreciate the creative damage they can inflict with such a small implement.

Art shops sell plenty of painting sets designed specifically for kids, and we can probably all remember those we had when we were young. Watercolours are the best choice for a number of reasons, mainly the cost and the ease of cleaning brushes and tabletops. Buy them spray cans at your peril. A typical kids' watercolour set will include the paints themselves, a sturdy container that often includes a mixing palette or area. A groove to hold brushes means the whole set can be self-contained and kept tidy. All you'll need is a cup of water and some paper and the only thing holding them back is their wild imagination.

Once they feel they can take their two-dimensional inspiration no further, the urge to model will overcome them. This is the start of another round of decision-making for parents. Play clay or modelling clay is the best place to start, and it's such a joy to see all the different beautiful colours turn into dull, nameless hues after an hour or two of kneading, slicing, rolling and flattening. Next, more modern clays and real clay modelling can be tried out. Although they are probably not for toddllers or pre-school kids, the results are permanent and can be very rewarding for children.

There's a whole world of fantastic art supplies available for kids, who will relish the opportunity to show some creativity. If they have an aptitude and a love for creativity it may just stick with them for life.