Preschool Art: It's the Process, Not the Product

Anyone working with preschoolers and early primary age children will want this book. Over 200 activities teach children to explore and understand their world through open-ended art experiences that emphasize the process of art, not the product. Activities are included for painting, drawing, collage, sculpture and construction.

Customer Reviews:

fantastic resource

By audrey - September 6, 2001

I am not an artsy-craftsy person, but I am not going to let that stop me from getting my son's little paws deep in paint or covered in glue. This book is great for a beginner like me, but to say that its usefulness is limited to beginners is to sell it short. There are lots of great ideas here and many variations listed. Each of the almost 250 projects gets its own 8-1/2" by 11" page and has numerous line illustrations to clarify techniques and materials. The page is organized into a Materials list, a Process list, and Variations, and includes hints to make the project easier (such as cleanup tips or materials that can be reused). Icons on each page indicate the suggested age, how much time is needed to prepare ahead of time, whether or not extra assistance may be needed, whether or not caution is required (for sharp, hot or electrical materials), and whether it is one of the author's favorites, based on its being extra fun, extra fascinating, or extra easy and... read more

The best preschool art book that I have found

By J. Gregory - October 21, 2004

I think I own most all of the preschool art/activity books on the market and this one is by far the best one. The main thing that sets this book apart is MaryAnn's Kohl's philosophy that it is the process not the product. The projects in this book focus on the experience that preschoolers get from doing the project, not creating a craft in the way that a grownup tells them to. Oftentimes, in the process of exploring the art materials the project takes a direction that is different from where the adult thought the project would go. The preschooler learns so much more from this type of art project than a pre determined craft project. All of the projects in this book are based on this philosophy and provide opportunites for open ended art exploration.

The book is very well laid out and is easy to use. She has a basic section with alot of "classic" projects and then projects organized by month. I found this organization to work very well because each month I would look at the... read more

Calling All Kids to Art

By Susie Jarvis "Susijar" - April 25, 2005

I was reading through the reviews on Preschool Art, and was VERY surprised to read a negative one. This book is like the basic manual for art all preschoolers [no wait, all KIDS] should do in their life times. If you also look at the variations and extensions, you will never run out of art for the rest of your child's life. BASIC? Well, certainly, some are basic -- but then, we've been around for years and years, and all these little kids are new to what we think of as basic. In fact, the first chapter is all about basic "must do" project ideas. Ok, if you're a fabulous successful artist, you don't need this book for YOU, but you might still need it for your kids. This book is very well organized, FUN, easy, and if you don't have the "extra materials" on hand (like ROCKS AND LEAVES, for goodness sake, go out with your kids and get them! That's the whole point of a book like this! Enjoy your children from the basic moments on up. Give them the gift of creative opportunities. Start... read more