Process Art {Fingerpainting}

You might not know it

but when you let your kids fingerpaint

they are actually learning.

It's an artistic movement called

Process Art

Process art is basically allowing your child (or even yourself) to explore art, no holds barred

It's all about the process of 

finding out how the materials will move you 

and what you'll be inspired to create

I thought fingerpaint would be the perfect first post for this series

You only need two things:

fingerpaint

fingers

I set out paper at the beginning but by the time the girls were done

they were painting directly on the table

Process art is fun because you can sit back and let little hands do all the work

Though, that doesn't mean you should sit out

Take time to observe how your child thinks through the process

I took note of how C and A worked:

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C (who is four) did a lot of work with the tips of her fingers

A (who is two) mostly used her palms down flat

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A ended up with a warm palette

C finished with a cool blue ocean

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Both girls were completely engrossed through the whole process

there were very little words uttered

Even if you don't get a picture to hang on the fridge,

you're still benefitting through what your child is learning:

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Stimulated Senses: C immediately exclaimed, "It's squishy! It feels just like jelly!"

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Developing Hand-Eye Coordination: I noticed the girls were moving both hands in a symmetrical way, it would be fun to experiment with moving hands in different ways at the same time

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Color Mixing: When swirling around paints, new colors are bound to emerge

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Fine Motor Skills: Squishing paint between fingers will certainly strengthen hand muscles

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Therapeutic: Ruth Faison Shaw, who "re-discovered" fingerpaint and developed it into an art 

education medium, devoted her attention to the benefits of fingerpainting and how the process helps to free the soul

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Fun: No explanation needed for this one!

In the end, it's all about the experience 

and if you suddenly find yourself wanting to jump in on the fun

Go ahead, jump!

Who knows what you'll end up creating

Try some fingerpainting and come back to tell me  about your child's process!

Want to read more about process art? 

Check out these posts:

Art for Children~ Nuturestore

An Art Exploration ~ Teacher Tom

Art and Learning ~ Bernadette Rego