Interested in learning more about how the Kids Art Projects 101 membership program works and how it will benefit you and your little artists?
Perfect!
Then you are in the right place.
Read over this FAQ section to find the answers to the most common questions we receive about the program.
How does the Kids Art Projects 101 program work?
For the first year of the program in 2019-2020 our focus was PROCESS ART.
If you are new to this term (and that’s okay!) this means an emphasis on process over product. It is an open-ended approach to having an art experience without any specific outcome in mind.
It’s most commonly used with young children (3-6 years old), but Process Art offers research-based mental health benefits to people of ALL ages and ability levels. The flexible nature of this approach can bridge cultural gaps and language barriers as well.
The sequence of process art activities created is called the Fostering Creativity Through Process Art series, and it includes 48 authentic and engaging process art activities.
All 48 of these projects will be waiting for you upon enrollment in the program.
A huge part of the value of this program is the thoughtfully planned sequence of activities. There is a rhythm to the sequence and you may find it helpful to understand what to expect.
Ooh, sounds interesting! Can I see a sample art project?
Of course! Click the button below to download a sample art project.
What is new for the 2020-2021 school year?
This year we’ll be expanding our focus from deliberately open-ended process art towards a more structured, project-based approach with ties to famous art and artists. The projects will still be designed for use with young children, and will heavily emphasize play and experimentation, but they will also target specific skills, techniques, and understandings.
Instead of sharing stand-alone projects each week, we’ll be sharing structured units at the onset of each month. The plans are organized into three to four 40-minute sessions and can be paced out in whatever way works best for your situation. This approach is awesome because it layers art history connections with guided instruction about the elements of art and principles of design. Each unit will ultimately result in a completed art project.
This new series will include 12 project packs (distributed over one complete year) with connections to famous artists like Piet Mondrian, Jackson Pollock, and more. These projects were originally developed for use in a public school art room with kindergarten students, but have been adapted into a scripted PowerPoint format so that they can be easily utilized in a variety of settings and with a slightly broader age-range.
WHY IS THIS NEW FOCAL POINT OF VALUE?
Most school-age kids are ready to learn about famous art and artists! Such engagement exposes them to diverse pathways to success and creative expression. The problem is that figuring out HOW TO DO THIS WELL WITH YOUNG KIDS can be time-consuming and overwhelming. Teacher trainings, even well-organized ones, can leave you feeling ill-equipped for:
- Selecting kid-friendly masterpieces
- Translating art/artist facts in a way that feels accessible and engaging to little ears
- Making time for art history integration, in what is usually a very short time-allotment for hands-on artmaking
- Assembling supplemental resources (videos, stories, assessments, and early-finisher activities)
- Aligning famous art with hands-on projects
- Breaking hands-on projects into manageable and concise kid-friendly chunks
Our Famous Art – Project Packs do all that work for you! This resource will have you feeling more relaxed, prepared, and purposeful about engaging young kids in art learning!
AND THERE’S MORE!
In addition to the complete multi-session art project packs we’ll be sharing each month, we’re also going to be sharing…
- Monthly doodle prompt art calendars kids can use to create a bit of art each day
- Monthly video bonus with additional tips and strategies to ensure success with each unit
- Monthly art-themed chants, songs, and rhymes for use with PreK – 2nd grade
How does it work?
As a member you can login to the member dashboard anytime to access the existing files in the member area, save them, and use them as needed.
Every Friday the newly created resource for the upcoming week will be released. You can access it directly from your member dashboard, or you can print out the PDF version.
We’ll also send you a reminder email each week so you never miss a thing!
Follow our planned sequence, or mix and match resources from the member area based on your needs.
And don’t worry! You’re not in this alone. We also have an online Facebook community where we can chat, share ideas, ask questions, celebrate success and more.
What about the member area? Can I see that, too?
Sure thing! Watch this video for an inside look at how the member area is setup. We’ve intentionally made it very easy to navigate so you can easily grab what you need each week. The new sections for the coming year are not yet visible, but you’ll see them upon logging in.
Who is the Kids Art Projects 101 membership for?
As adults we have an incredible opportunity to provide enriching and meaningful experiences to the children in our lives. This program is designed for anyone who is in a position to be an art facilitator and introduce kids to new art activities.
This includes:
- parents
- teachers
- grandparents
- counselors and therapists
- after school care providers
- club leaders
- …anyone who wants to be the art hero in a child’s life!
However, those who will enjoy the Kids Art Projects 101 Program most are those who:
- Value art experiences as an integral part of a child’s development
- Are looking to do art projects regularly with children
- Are open to a process-oriented, child-led approach to creating art
- Don’t mind a little mess from time to time
Who shouldn’t join?
While I do think all children will benefit from a program like Kids Art Projects 101, this community may not be right for you if you prefer adult-led craft projects instead of process art experiences.
Although there is a time and place for doing crafts with kids, this program is designed to nurture a sense of free exploration and give kids the chance to create based on their own instincts as they interact with different materials and creative art prompts.
What age range is best for this program?
Children of all ages can benefit from participation in the Kids Art Projects 101 Program, but our current series are most closely aligned with the skills and interests of those in preschool through grade 2.
While we designed the Fostering Creativity Through Process Art series with preschoolers in mind, the truth is process art activities are open-ended and can be done by kids (and adults!) of all ages. Generally process art experiences can be introduced to kids as young as 2 or 3 who are beyond the “put everything in your mouth” phase. Older kids will interact with the art projects in a different way and make different discoveries. All ages will benefit from the experience!
The projects in the new Famous Art Series were originally developed for use in a public school art room with kindergarten students, but have been adapted into a scripted PowerPoint format so that they can be easily utilized in a variety of settings and with a slightly broader age-range.
In the coming years of the program, we will be adding a new series each year so that the entire program will include a comprehensive art curriculum for preschool through grade 5. As a member you will get access to these new series as they are released in the coming years.
My children have a wide range of artistic abilities. Will the lesson plans help me meet their needs?
Children bring unique experiences and background knowledge to every art project, and that is part of the fun!
Because each project is largely open-ended children will be able to freely experiment and interact with the materials based on their own abilities.
Additionally each specific art activity includes suggestions that will help you simplify, enrich or extend the activity based on student needs and preferences. This will allow you to easily differentiate at home or in the classroom.
We view the first series, Fostering Creativity Through Process Art, as a foundational year of the Kids Art Projects 101 program where we are focusing on helping kids feel free to take artistic risks, experiment with different materials, and express themselves through different media.
We will continue building upon skills learned this year as we move forward with the program.
I’m not an art teacher. Is that okay?
Of course! In fact we’ve designed the program so that no matter what your artistic background is you will have the guidance and insight to do these art projects with your kids. I want to make it as easy as possible for you, so that you are free to enjoy the experience as much as your kids.
And rest assured. You don’t have to be an art teacher with a doctorate in education to take part in this program, but I am one. And not only do I have years of experience doing art with kids in the classroom, I’m also an artist and a parent. I’ve learned many tricks and tips along the way, and I am so excited to share them with you.
I am an art teacher. Will I benefit?
Yes, and I’d love your feedback as a member! I’m an active K-5 art teacher, and I would recommend this program to any of my art teacher friends.
In my experience there is a significant lack of cohesive, skill-based, yet open-ended art programs that start in the early years and move forward as kids learn new skills.
I’ve scoured the art skills and standards recommended by various organizations, and I’m building this program to align with them while still focusing on the artistic goals that are most beneficial for children long-term.
My goal is to do this while still keeping it fun and easy to implement for busy teachers and parents alike.
I’m BUSY! How much time will these art projects take?
The beauty of process art is that it is open-ended, and you can set parameters for the amount of time you want kids to spend on these projects. Some days you may need to keep it short, and others you may want to let kids spend a little more time in the creative phase.
In general most of the projects in the Fostering Creativity Through Process Art series can be done in 30 minutes or less, including set up and clean up.
This will vary between children, and you can choose to extend the amount of time if preferred.
I’m also including projects that rely on common items so you won’t need to be venturing off to the local arts and crafts store for every project.
In the Famous Art series we’ll be sharing structured units with plans that are organized into three to four 40-minute sessions and can be paced out in whatever way works best for your situation.
Can I work at my own pace?
New resources are released weekly to help you stay focused and not feel overwhelmed, but as the program grows there are multiple series to choose from. Select the series and projects that best meet your needs at the time. I’ll always be available to answer questions as needed regardless of where you are in the program.
I actually hope you will revisit projects often in the future. A small tweak or a change in age can reveal an entire new experience for kids.
I’m not crafty. Is that okay?
Yep! In fact, I want you to know that you don’t have to be crafty to set up engaging art experiences for your kids. I’ll show you how to keep it simple and make clean up a breeze so that art projects become something you look forward to doing with your kids.
Because each project is process-oriented you won’t have to worry about a complicated set of instructions or a project not turning out the “right” way. These are not craft projects. They are designed for kids to learn to create freely.
I don’t have a lot of extra money for supplies. Is that a problem?
Nope! You will need some basic art supplies, but for the most part I’ve tried to keep the supply lists short and focused on common materials that can often be found at home or a local discount store.
I’m not techy. Will it be too hard for me to get my materials each week?
I am SO excited about the online platform we are designing for you. One of the main things I am trying to do is make it as easy as possible to find what you need no matter what level of tech expertise you have.
Each week you will receive a reminder email with a link to go and read the newest activity online or print out the PDF version of the activity, whichever you prefer.
And if you have questions or tech troubles along the way, I’ll be there to help.
Can’t I just find art ideas on the Internet?
You could, but why would you?
For starters I’m betting you’re probably quite busy. I think it’s likely that you have other things on your to do list that are more important, and even if you’ve been gathering ideas for years I’m wondering how many ideas you’ve collected but never tried.
One of the perks of being a member of the Kids Art Projects 101 program is that you have a group of people to motivate and remind you not to skip the activities each week. It’s more fun to do these projects together!
Not to mention the value of having a clearly designed, sequential program to follow, a program designed by a veteran art teacher to align with various arts standards. As you gather ideas on the Internet it’s hard to quickly discern which activities are just right for kids and how they can be adapted for different ages and abilities.
Participating in the Kids Art Projects 101 program takes the guesswork out for you and allows you to focus on setting the stage for a meaningful experience that you can actually enjoying, too.
What if I don’t like it or I need to cancel my membership?
We hope you love the program, and we would appreciate any feedback if you are not fully satisfied.
However, there’s no contract, and you can cancel at anytime if the program doesn’t meet your needs…but I’m pretty confident you and your children are going to LOVE it!
Now that we’ve cleared those questions up it’s time to take action.
If you’re ready for all the benefits you get as a founding member of the Kids Art Projects 101 program, click the button below to sign up!
Still have a lingering question? Email us at help@kidsartprojects101.com