Create Your Own Art At Home

Some spaces have room to hang pictures and cover walls in artwork while other spaces are limited. By using different types of display tools you can maximize space and change out artwork with ease.

Easels: By placing paintings on small easels, you can display artwork on top of cloakroom cubbies, on top of bookshelves, and on ledges in your space. They can be easily painted and switched around while also providing an opportunity for children to design their own easel with their name or favourite colours.

Decorative Borders: Supply stores such as Staples, Walmart, Dollarama, and other such facilities sell cheap decorative borders that you can use to create a special place for art to be displayed. You don't need to have a bulletin board to pin it up. Just use some painters tape and you can easily change artwork in your space.

Bookshelves: If you have an extra bookshelf or find one at a garage sale, you can easily paint is and place it in a special space for children to display their work. Each child can have their own shelf, and they can become a part of the process by helping you display their creations for all to see.

When figuring out where to place artwork, make sure that you consider different possibilities and amount of clutter that could create distraction or too much clutter.

Consider putting the artwork on display as a focus point in your dayhome entry way. Opening the door in the morning and seeing children's artwork is a wonderful way to make visitors, families, and other guests feel welcome and warm in your home. It can be inviting and create some opportunities for conversation starters right at the entrance of the home.

Another location where artwork can be displayed is on a feature wall inside the playing spaces. You don't want to overcrowd your walls by having artwork in every open space, but by placing the artwork on a feature wall, you allow your guests to let their eyes focus on a particular space in the room.

If you place artwork in the cubby space or coatroom, make sure that it can be seen without being covered by clothing, information for parents, and other mandatory information that needs to be posted. The artwork should be placed somewhere where it can be a focus.

Display your artwork in multiple places. Consider placing new artwork in the entry to your home, older pieces in spaces such as washrooms, or coatrooms, and other artwork on a feature wall in the play space. By placing artwork in multiple places, this will show those entering your home that you value the work of the children in your care, and that you value the work you are a part of.

Sometimes the artwork of the children in your care will have beautiful pieces to display. Just because the children you care for can provide art pieces doesn't mean that others cannot contribute to the art in your home. Consider placing artwork from your own family members, family members of the children in your care, local artists, and or art that can be found in other media. Each piece of art that gets displayed offers an opportunity for inspiration, so don't limit yourself to the work of the children. Showing families your own artwork can also offer a relationship moment where you can share your image of the child with the families that you work with.

This question comes up in conversation often. The reason to display art is not always to show a theme that you have been working on with children. Sometimes it can be a free-for-all opportunity for children to tell their stories through images.

If you decide to create images based on a theme, explain the theme in some form or writing that can go with the art display. A small paragraph about the Aurora Borealis can offer some interesting facts, and provide the opportunity to tell others how the theme became a focus point of the work with your children. Include provocations and children's words that can enhance the work rather than simply saying you created red hearts for Valentine's Day.

Here are some themes that can help with guiding your work but are not concretely defined:

• Snow

• Night Sky

• Summer Fun

• Work with a particular material

• Family Celebration

If you go with more natural artwork that is not based on a theme, make sure to include a brief description from the child/artist. Writing the explanation on a recipe card, or typing it on the computer and cutting the description to a small accompaniment will allow children's voices to be included in the work that is highlighted.

Some educators choose themes in the beginning of this work to get their feet wet. That is okay. There is nothing wrong with having children work on a specific work. Over time we encourage you to expand and explore by removing certain criteria, such as a holiday or particular item, and let children feel free to express themselves in artform.

After artwork has been displayed for a certain amount of time, you may consider taking it down and replacing it with newer art work. Children should have the opportunity to take these pieces home or give them away to someone they choose. However as an educator, here are a few things that you can do to keep the artwork alive in your space.

Create an album for each child. Take a photo of their artwork and their description and place it into a small photo album. You can choose to have each child have their own album, or you can have a bigger album that showcases all of the children in your care, present or past.

These albums can become wonderful memories for you and your families to reflect on, and may provide new children with some inspiration on wonderful creations that are yet to be made.

Here are another couple of ideas that you can take your artwork and make its impact last.

Create cards for your community. Create cards from copies of the artwork that the children can send to local businesses and community helpers such as a local fire station, garbage truck operators, local politicians, neighbors, and many more.

Create a virtual art show. Creating a free Google Site, such as this one, will allow you to upload the images of the artwork, descriptions, and share it with the world. You can identify the first name of the child, their age, and the title of their work (Justin, 4, View From My Car Seat, as an example). This way your families can share the artwork with their families and friends.

Create an art fundraiser. You can choose to have a small auction or print for purchase art fundraiser for a particular charity or organization. One example could be selling prints of artwork and the proceeds go to a local food bank, library book drive, local shelter, children's medical facility, etc. This opportunity still allows the child to take their artwork home with them, but if it can be replicated by photocopy or photo, you can sell these copies and raise a small amount of money to support an initiative that might have an impact with one of your families.

Check with local organizations and businesses to see if they would be willing to display your work for a short time. Your local store, dental office, medical facility, library, and other public spaces might be willing to offer you some space to display a few items, or allow for a small album or table book to be left for their own clients to enjoy. Again, make sure to include the information (First Name, Age, Title, Description) so that the artwork can be appreciated without just sitting on a wall or a window. This can also lead to community partnerships and relationship building. You might build a relationship with the local dentist and then have that dentist come into the space to help your children learn about dental care. A medical office might have a nurse come over to show children about what happens when someone has to go for an operation. These opportunities can help children become curious about potential careers, and may help relieve some anxiety that the children may face about certain things.