“Let the be children free; encourage them; let them run outside when it is raining; let them remove their shoes when they find a puddle of water; and, when the grass of the meadows is damp with dew, let them run on it and trample it with their bare feet; let them rest peacefully when a tree invites them to sleep beneath its shade; let them shout and laugh when the sun wakes them in the morning.” Dr Maria Montessori
Process Art is not only important to us as a family and as a trained Montessori teacher, it is the only kind of art advocated for by the majority of those in the childhood social neurological development world for children under the age of 8 years.
For us, it just makes sense to take Art outside. Art is all about the sensorial world and there’s no better Prepared Environment that plays to the senses than the outdoors.
Art also helps us extend what we’ve been exploring as part of our monthly Montessori Nature Study.
A little preparation can go along way. Here are some of our favourite things to bring outside:
- A thin, easy to carry watercolour palette.
- A mini clipboard to secure paper and provide a writing surface
- A large watercolour paper pad cut into quarters for easy transport
- This workbook is becoming a fast favourite.
- As is this one.
- Nature Anatomy is our absolute favourite Nature Study book and the one we have been using for our own Nature Study for the past year.
- Lyra pencil crayons are some of the best on the market. Vibrant true tones that spread like butter on the paper and the Ferby is the perfect size for little hands.
- A well made, well fitting child sized backpack to keep all of it in.
We also love adding audiobooks to our art times. Calm classics quietly read in the background help prepare a space for peaceful art.
All this with a healthy homemade snack and water bottle and you are set to make art outside.
Even the youngest toddler will enjoy squishing fingerpaint onto paper while under a big tree or beside a quiet stream.
If outdoor art is new to you take it slow and prepare in advance. Here are some helpful tips:
- Think about your own child’s interests/abilities. Do they love crayons over watercolours?
- Go at a peaceful time of day. Tired and hungry children are not happy artists.
- Process art is exactly that. Let the child lead. It’s about the scribbles and sensorial input, not about how much the finished product looks like you wanted it to look.
- Art can be messy (and that’s a good thing). Prepare in advance with something to clean up spills, wipe fingers and pack wet things home in.