The Value of Process Art Education in Early Childhood

Being able to “think outside the box” is a desirable skill. It comes from looking beyond the constraints of what’s usually done. The concept of encouraging “process arts,” especially from an early age, goes a long way toward developing broader thinking throughout life. It takes the focus away from the “product” and encourages self-expression that happens during creativity.

“Process arts are open-ended arts experiences where the process of creating and interacting with materials is the focus of the exploration versus ‘we’re all going to create something that looks and sounds like this,’” explains Natalie Monterastelli, Executive Director and Co-Owner of Bubbles Academy, an early childhood arts, enrichment and parent resource center in Highland Park and the Bucktown and Gold Coast neighborhoods of Chicago.

The school offers children from birth-6 process-based experiences in visual arts, movement, drama and music. The goal of “igniting wonder,” also the school’s mission, is integrated through all of their weekly classes and preschool program.

“I think children can gain a lot of confidence from creating something that has an end result that they can share or take home. But instead of following a step-by-step ‘this is exactly how we’re going to do it,’ (process arts) is a bit more of an experimentation where you might end up with a great product — but we’re not focused on that,” says Monterastelli. “We’re letting the child direct the process to their desired end result.”

Process Arts for Different Ages

Art exploration looks different depending on the age group. With younger children, it’s about playing with various materials.

“When we’re working with our youngest babies, just about everything is going to be put in their mouth and tasted. So, we might paint with smushed-up blueberries or ice cubes instead of tempera paint,” says Monterastelli. “That exploration is really much more about their sensory development and exposure than working on creative expression. That’s how art progresses developmentally.”

As children gain language skills and have the ability to express an idea, Monterastelli says art becomes more of a communication tool than simply a sensory experience.

That’s where the staff at Bubbles Academy can weave together different types of process arts expression into cohesive subject matter.

Monterastelli shares an example of learning about the lifecycles of plants by combining a science project about growing plants with music-making and dancing to express seeds growing into flowers, then creating pictures with flower petals and paint.

Explaining the “why” of process arts

During classes, many of which are conducted with caregivers present, instructors explain the reasoning behind what they are teaching.

“Every step along the way, you’ll be hearing little snippets from your instructor about why we chose this paintbrush over another or why we chose not to work with paintbrushes at all. Or, why we’re playing this song extra soft today,” says Monterastelli. “But our goal is that it all feels really seamless and fun.”

Instructors also give parents ideas for extending the fun at home. And that fun can get messy sometimes.

“We say don’t worry. Let them have their experience and leave the mess with us. Children can sense anxiety if we’re feeling worried about a mess or doing something the right way or staying clean. They pick up on that for sure,” says Monterastellli

“(Fear of making a mess) is one of the things that can get in the way of doing art at home, which is 100% understandable,” she says. “It can be overwhelming to think about having young children and paint and glitter in your house. But it’s not something that has to happen all day, every day.”

Ideas for doing process arts at home

Monterastellli suggests setting aside an area in the home where a little messiness can safely take place. She also offers these ideas:

1. Let children paint with water which is very process-driven since it’s satisfying and fun to do but will dry so there won’t be a finished product.
2. Experiment with dancing with scarves.
3. Make music with household items like metal pots — noisy, but fun.

Is there such a thing as too much creative freedom?

If a child has learned from the beginning that they can paint, dance, sing or act in a way of their own creation, it gives them the opportunity, as life becomes more rigid, to know they can still maintain some of their own creative flexibility, Monterastelli says.

“You can nurture creativity at any point in life, but when a child’s first exposure to things is ‘this is how you do it,’ it can sometimes be harder to be able to think outside the box later in life,” she says. “Sometimes creativity and open-endedness in the classroom can look a little louder, messier and chaotic at times. But it leads to confident and creative adults.”

Learn more about Bubbles Academy in Highland Park and the Bucktown & Gold Coast neighborhoods of Chicago. Visit bubblesacademy.com.