Art

Art plays a vital role in early childhood education by encouraging imagination, exploration, and self-expression. Painting, drawing and collaging are some of the activities which will teach children how to share ideas, test the media and make independent choices. These experiences promote fine motor development, sensory integration, and emotional regulation. Art also supports cognitive skills like problem-solving, classification, memory, and symbolic thinking. Importantly, visual art fosters a sense of identity, agency, and confidence as children create work that reflects their experiences and perspectives. Integrating art into the early childhood curriculum nurtures curiosity, creativity, social-emotional growth, and a lifelong love of learning (Australian Government Department of Education [AGDE], 2022) . 

Child using tablet for drawing

0–2 Years

• Finger Painting Sensory Experience
  Infants explore primary colors using fingers and hands. This promotes sensory development, fine motor skills, and the joy of cause-and-effect discovery (ORIT. HOD-SHEMER, 2024) . 

• Texture Rubbing with Crayons
  Babies are guided to rub crayons over textured objects (leaves, sandpaper), supporting early mark-making and tactile awareness. 

2–3 Years

• Collage with Soft and Natural Materials
  Toddlers are offered safe materials like felt, cotton, bark, and leaves to glue onto paper, encouraging sensory exploration and creativity (Teaching Strategies , 2010). 

• Sponge Painting with Shapes
  Using sponges cut into circles, stars, and triangles, children dip and stamp in paint to explore colour and form. 

3–5 Years 

• Clay Play-Creative Creatures
  Children are provided with soft, non-toxic clay or playdough and invited to roll, squeeze, and shape it into animals, people, or imaginary creatures. They can use simple tools, sticks, or textured stamps to add details. Educators encourage children to describe what they are making, share ideas with peers, and tell a short story about their creation. This supports fine motor development, symbolic thinking, language use, and imaginative play.

• Group Nature-Themed Mural
  Children collaborate to create a large mural using paints and natural elements, promoting teamwork and environmental awareness. 

6–8 Years

• Digital Character Design
  Children use a drawing app on tablets to create their own story character, enhancing digital fluency and creative decision-making (Drew & Rankin, 2004). 

Finger Painting Sensory Experience (0–2 years)

• What went well:
  The experience with the finger painting offered active sensory experience to the babies as they were curious and motivated to experiment on primary colours through the use of their fingers and hands. This exercise allowed free movement and exploration of mixing colours that helps in early cause and effect learning. The experience enabled the babies to develop confidence in working with new material and developed fine motor tricks through grasping, patting, and swiping paint on paper.

• What could be improved:
  Setting clearer boundaries of the painting space would be one way of improvement. Some children were distracted by some paint on their clothes or on the floor and this decreased concentration in actually making art. To solve this, a sensory space with smocks and tray tables would be prepared better to contain the mess and keep the babies more entertained.

• What I’d change next time:
  The next time I would bring the textured materials such as sponges or bubble wrap and some finger paints. It would diversify the senses, broadening scope on tactile investigation. Also, the visual discrimination and basic abilities of color recognition might be promoted by the provision of primary colors in separate doses prior to the combination.

Collage with Soft and Natural Materials (2–3 years)

• What went well:
  Toddlers happily met the collage activity with natural materials of cotton, bark, leaves, and felt. They had liked the textures and liked making their own decisions involving what to stick where to put items. This decision-making promoted their inventiveness and developed a feeling of independence. Most of the children were proud to present their collages, as it was demonstrated that the activity enhanced communication and descriptive language.

• What could be improved:
  Some children struggled with the glue sticks and had difficulty attaching heavier materials like bark. This led to frustration for a few toddlers who couldn’t get their pieces to stay on the paper, which interrupted the creative flow.

• What I’d change next time:
  In future, I would provide different adhesives such as double-sided tape or glue dots for sturdier items. I would also introduce the materials with a brief sensory exploration circle, letting children touch and describe them first. This could deepen curiosity and ensure they know how to handle the collage pieces before creating.

Clay Play-Creative Creatures(3-5 years)

• What Went Well

The children really engaged in retelling their favourite stories using simple puppets and collage elements. They were eager to share ideas, which supported their oral language, sequencing, and creativity. The open-ended materials inspired them to make unique puppets, boosting confidence and symbolic thinking.

• What Could Be Improved

Some children needed more guidance to stay focused on the storytelling circle. A few struggled with taking turns or listening to peers. Next time, I could provide clearer group expectations and visual cues to help them manage transitions between sharing and listening.

• What I’d Change Next Time

• Next time, I would include more diverse materials, like speech bubbles or labels, to help children plan what their puppet will say. I’d also build in small group practice before the big circle, so children feel prepared and supported. This would foster more inclusive participation and stronger language outcomes.

Group Nature-Themed Mural (6–8 years)

• What went well:
  The group mural activity gave the children a sense of teamwork and collective ownership of their artwork. Using natural elements like leaves and bark alongside paints encouraged them to think about the environment and sustainability while expressing their ideas creatively. Many children worked well together, negotiating who would paint which parts and adding their own touches to the overall nature theme. This also enhanced their problem-solving skills and helped them practise respectful sharing of space and materials.

• What could be improved:
  A few children were hesitant to collaborate closely, preferring to work alone on their part of the mural. This reduced some of the opportunities for rich peer-to-peer discussion and co-construction of ideas that the activity aimed to promote. Additionally, the natural materials sometimes fell off the mural surface as they dried, which frustrated some students.

• What I’d change next time:
  Next time, I would start the session with a short cooperative warm-up game to build trust and get the children comfortable with working together. I would also test different adhesives for the natural elements beforehand to ensure they stay attached. Finally, I’d create small “mural teams” with clear roles, such as painter, material collector, and designer, to encourage equal participation and develop leadership skills.