Blog and Teacher's Charter

Exploring Creative Expression through Art  

Importance of Art in Early Childhood Education 

Eckhoff and Urbach (2008) state that art is a wonderful platform for young children to explore and communicate their thoughts, feelings, and imaginations. As young children make connections with others and the world around them, it is important to provide the right tools and resources for young children to express and understand their emotions. In early childhood education, fostering children’s creativity through art activities helps to promote the growth of all developmental domains, and provides support for children to express their uniqueness and interest in a fun and engaging way.  

Activity Description: "Using Colors to Express Emotions" Art Project 

Age Group: 4-5 years old 

Objectives: (Incorporating Bloom’s Taxonomy) 

1. Remembering: Children will recall different emotions and the colors associated with them. 

2. Understanding: Children will explain why they chose certain colors to represent their emotions. 

3. Applying: Children will use paint and various tools to create art that expresses their emotions. 

4. Analyzing: Children will compare their artwork with others and discuss the different emotions and colors used. 

5. Evaluating: Children will reflect on their artwork and describe how well it represents their feelings. 

6. Creating: Children will design and produce a unique piece of art that expresses their emotions. 

Materials Needed:  

• Large sheets of white paper 

• Various charts displaying different emotions 

• Washable paint in various colors 

• Paintbrushes, sponges, and other painting tools 

• Aprons or old shirts to protect clothing 

• YouTube video 

• Projector 

• Speaker 

• Laptop 

Activity Steps 

1. Introduction and Discussion (5 minutes): Begin the activity by discussing emotions with the children by asking them to describe different feelings such as excited, angry, and happy. Ask the children what colors they think those emotions represent, for instance, angry might be red 

2. Music and Movement Warm-Up (5 minutes): Play a YouTube video about colour and emotions (See video below). Encourage the children to move and dance around the classroom, this will help them connect emotions with physical expressions and prepare them for the art activity. 

3. Painting Activity (20 minutes): Provide each child with a large sheet of paper and a set of paints and allow them to choose a color that represents how they presently feel and use it to create their art piece. Give the children different painting tools to use and encourage them to explore textures and techniques.  

4. Group Reflection and Sharing (5 minutes): At the end of the painting activity, instruct the children to gather in a circle to share their artwork and encourage each child to describe their painting and the emotions they tried to express. 

Essential Developmental Domains Supported 

Physical Development- Using painting tools develop hand-eye coordination and control hand movements which aids in improving fine motor skills and the movement warm-up activity supports gross motor development through dancing and moving around. 

Cognitive Development- Associating emotions with colors enhances children's understanding of color concepts and provides opportunities for problem-solving and creativity. 

Emotional Development- Children learn to identify and express their emotions in a healthy and constructive way, reflecting on their feelings and sharing with others helps build emotional intelligence and self-awareness. 

Social Development - Discussing their artwork and emotions enhances verbal communication skills 

Catering to Young Children's Interests 

The activity allows for hands-on interaction and allows children to use their curiosity to explore different colours, tools, and techniques which helps to keep them engaged and interested. Additionally, children can create their artwork without any instructions, this encourages originality and allows children to use their emotions and experience to create a project that is unique and special to them. 

Adaptations for Diverse Abilities and Needs 

•  Provide easier-to-hold painting tools or encourage finger painting if children are more comfortable using their hands.

• Provide noise-canceling headphones if the music is overwhelming. 

• Provide sheets of coloring papers with different emotions that children can pick and colour. 

• Allow children who need guidance to work with a friend or provide one-on-one assistance to guide them through the activity. 

Teacher's Charter

As an early childhood practitioner, I pledge to uphold the following principles and commitments: 

1. Promote Equitable Education, Inclusion, and Diversity- I will ensure all students are given equal opportunities to learn and express themselves and that every child feels loved, respected, and included, regardless of their abilities or background. 

2. Encourage Lifelong Learning- I pledge to encourage a love for learning in a nurturing and stimulating environment that fosters independent thinking, problem-solving and critical thinking skills. 

3. Support the Holistic Development of Students- I will develop and utilize Individualized Education Plans (IEP) that cater to children’s needs, interests, educational and developmental stages. 

4. I will collaborate and encourage open communication with parents to support children's learning and development. 

5. I pledge to commit to ongoing learning and professional growth to stay current with best practices and research in early childhood education.