Inspiring Children with Art Masterpieces

Explore A World of Diversity Through Art

People have always used art as a way to record an event, express themselves and their emotions. Children can learn a great deal from art since there is so much to observe and talk about.  By sharing art, families can open up a world of richness and diversity for children to explore.  You can search for art pieces either from a book, library (some loan pieces out), a visit to an art gallery, or online.

  While sitting next to your children, look at art together and discuss things that you see in the pictures. Talk about the clothing, colors, facial expressions, animals, light, shadows, or weather in the picture. Have a conversation about how the picture makes you both feel. Is it a happy picture? Does it look noisy or quiet? Does it look like a photograph from a camera? What might you change in the picture?

 Imagining

 Children can pretend to be in the painting running in the field 

Smell the Fields and Flowers

of flowers, smelling a sunflower, being knight riding off on a horse or an animal stalking prey. Children can make up a story surrounding a scene or have a treasure hunt looking for objects in paintings.

   Matching picture games are quiet activities. After downloading from a computer print two copies and cut one up. Your child can match and glue cutout details to the picture such as a child from the painting, an animal, or a piece of scenery.

Art Inspires

  Since artists are inspired by others, your children might enjoy copying a painting printed from a computer by using tracing paper over it and coloring it in. 

Trace Art That Inspires

They might like to draw their version of Van Gogh’s sunflowers, Turner’s storms, or Monet’s flower gardens.

 You may want to look up the Norman Rockwell Museum for” Saturday Evening Post “magazine covers that have inspired children to draw their own scenes that tell a story. Your children might enjoy painting flowers, sunsets, or scenery on a large rock to decorate the garden.

  Older children may like to copy geometric designs, patterns and bright colors of paintings by Mondrian. These help children use a ruler and protractor.

   Children can make their own at-home art 

Make a Home Art Gallery

gallery. Frame some of your children’s artwork. Display them on a wall or refrigerator. A string with clothespins or paper clips holding artwork adds color to rooms. When that space is full, move some to a special folder for safekeeping. Pictures can be scanned and saved in computer folders. The next time your family is on a picnic or walk in the woods bring along some art supplies and draw the scenery. Children around the world often do this on family outings.

photos: Fran Darling, fdarling fotos

For more ideas see grandparentsteachtoo.blogspot.com and wnmufm.org/ Learning Through the Seasons live and pod casts.

Giving Children Time Out and Time in

Expect It - Behaviors Are A Challenge

Expect it. Young children test grandparents’ limits and do behaviors that are dangerous or disruptive. They break rules set by the parents. Families may avoid some power struggles by giving children several simple choices, planning ahead, setting up rules and expectations, and practicing desired behavior.  Recognizing tired, hungry, or ill children helps, too.   Preschoolers are able to follow simple rules, respond to command, have self-control to wait for things they want, and deal with frustration from not getting their way, usually.

Misbehavior Happens

   There are many reasons for misbehavior though: jealousy, a feeling they are not getting enough positive attention, frustration, and stress according to child psychologists. When children misbehave, they will usually get a lot of attention even though it is negative. Pediatricians recommend to avoid yelling, hitting, and getting too worked up during episodes.  This increases negative attention and reinforces getting out of control and being aggressive toward others.

   Experts with their own children suggest walking away and breathing deeply. If in a public place, remove the child. It is usually not possible to reach a child in the 

Strategies and Consequences

midst of a full blown tantrum until everyone is calm.

 Improving Behavior

   Some strategies that can work to improve children’s behavior include allowing children to see the “natural consequences” of actions. If they throw a toy (against the safety rules) or break it, then they can't play with it.

   There are “logical consequences.” If they don't put toys away, the toys will have a “time out” and be unavailable for a reasonable time.

 There is “withholding privileges.” 

Activities children enjoy like playing Legos or watching their favorite show are taken away for a few days until children earn them back.

  Then there is “time out” of one minute for each year of age regulated by a timer. The “time out” is silence in a special place with no toys, not in their room, but where they can be observed and ignored. Everyone takes a break. Afterwards there is a gentle clear discussion of the broken rule, what went wrong, what expectations must be followed, and checking for understanding. 

  “Extinction” is another discipline technique that may work with a school age child. When a child misbehaves or is disruptive, the adult stops paying attention to the child. This approach is best for temper tantrums, frequent whining, or other disruptive type behaviors.

Firmness, Consistency and Calm

  Pediatricians stress to be firm, consistent, calm, use a normal volume, and loving manner. Talk about appropriate behavior when all are calm.  It’s only the behavior adults don’t like, not the child. 

  Family reward or token systems can also be effective in changing bad behaviors. Experts suggest writing down basic house rules on the refrigerator, sticking to them, and reviewing often. 

Photos: Fran Darling, fdarling fotos 

For “time in” activities see grandparentsteachtoo.blogspot.com and wnmufm.org/Learning through the Seasons.