art suggestions for kids who don't like art

[HappyLady]

My kids don't like art. Seriously. I've never known kids who didn't like to color, finger paint, cut, paste, etc. :001_huh: If this is normal, then I won't worry about it too much, but I'd still like to know if anyone has any suggestions on how to get them interested in doing these sort of things.

 

They're 4 and 1.5 so I don't expect much, but I sat my DD down with some shrinky dinks to color and when I came back she had written the word 'cat' on one of them and traced all of the letters. Then she didn't want to color any of them. :glare: I set my 1.5 year old DS up to finger paint and he just about cried. :001_huh:

 

Suggestions, thoughts? TIA!

[Lori D.]

Since I don't know your DC, take this with a grain of salt, but...

 

1. They are very young. I don't think I would assume they don't like art just because the 4yo didn't do what you expected, and the 1.5yo was -- who knows? -- having a bad hair day; didn't want something cold and wet on his fingers; wasn't in the mood for that particular activity at that particular moment...

 

2. Especially at that age, they likely aren't interested in doing activities ALONE. Sounds like you got them set up, then left and came back. What if you sat down and did shrinky-dinks WITH DD: "Let's color some of these as ornaments for grandma!" and then enjoyed talking, coloring, socializing *together*? And what if you set up finger painting for ALL 3 of you? Again, chatting and laughing together while doing it.

 

3. Maybe those particular activities were above their age interest? How about breaking out the Play-Doh? Or use gluesticks to attach cottonballs, glitter, string, pictures cut out of magazines, etc. onto a coloring page or sheet of paper? How about "stamping" markers (when you press straight down on the "stamp" end, it leaves a little image) and stickers on cardstock and make Valentines or thank you cards or notes to grandma or cousins? More materials that might be more age appropriate: sidewalk chalk outside or on big sheets of construction paper, stickers, crayons, markers, Play-Doh or soft clay, possibly pipe cleaners, glue sticks (wiggly eyes and construction paper!), lots of shaving cream in a big tray (instead of finger paints)...

 

 

My suggestion:

- Keep it short (5-10 minutes)

- Keep it simple (age-appropriate materials)

- Do it all together (add the fun of special time with mom as incentive!)

- Don't necessarily have to have an expected outcome (just have fun with the doing)

 

And, if if they aren't into art now, set arts and crafts aside and try again in a year or two.

 

 

And finally, neither of my DSs cared for arts and crafts much, so we only did it from time to time. Often, I'd get a kit and we'd make the items together, and then give them as Christmas gifts -- that seemed to help them not mind doing it if there was a goal to accomplish (i.e., make a gift for a specific person). To do "art" when they were in the elementary grades (not younger!!), the projects and information in "How to Teach Art to Children" was very helpful.

Edited February 14, 2012 by Lori D.

[stripe]

I second the dough/play doh idea. My kids love this. At a minimum it would develop a lot of the same fine motor skills even if not the aesthetic ones.

 

Usborne has a lot of books for smaller ideas. Big Book of Playtime Activities has a ton.

[HappyLady]

Thanks for the suggestions! I should add that we've done playdough, glue sticks, glitter glue, everything. And I do try and do these activities with my children, but even that doesn't help. Usually when I'm "setting them up" it's because I need to go get the other one ready (smock, etc). Once everyone is setup then I sit down and color, glue, cut, etc, with them. It just seems like so much work to get them ready and then 2 minutes later they want nothing to do with what we're working on. :glare:

 

I tried getting my DD excited doing the shrinky dinks because we were making a Valentine's Day card for daddy. Even then she wanted nothing to do with it. She was excited for the 30 seconds it curled and such in the oven, but that was it. *sigh*

 

Thanks again! :)

[cjgrubbs]

There are also lots of good kids artist books that show paintings and then briefly discuss the artist or something interesting about it. Maybe you could check your library for something like that.

 

Also, look at this site: http://www.artprojectsforkids.org/ Maybe try a variety of suggestions from this site.

 

Here are some other random ideas from my time spent teaching preschoolers:

Driving cars through paint and then onto paper can be fun form of art.

Putting food coloring into bubbles and them blowing onto paper is fun.

Use medicine droppers with colored water onto paper.

marbles rolled through paint and on paper in a cake pan

an old spray bottle with watered down paint onto paper

chalk on sidewalk or paper

paint with pine branches, toothbrushes, toothpicks, etc

use different textures of things as stamps - sponge, fabric, potato, apple, etc.

string beads onto pipecleaners for bracelets

Edited February 14, 2012 by cjgrubbs
thought of other ideas!

[boscopup]

At that age, my oldest wouldn't touch finger paint because he didn't like to get his hands dirty. :tongue_smilie:

 

I agree with Lori D. You'll need to do art with them if you want them to enjoy it.

 

I'd also not worry about whether they like art at this age either. None of mine have been into arts and crafts that young. :)

[Rosie_0801]

And, if if they aren't into art now, set arts and crafts aside and try again in a year or two.

 

:iagree: I found my kids got into those activities a good year or more later than I thought they would.

 

Another thing, are you making the experience too regulated? Mine would not like it at all if it were newspaper on the tables and art smocks, but the same activity done outside, naked, is taken well. :tongue_smilie:

 

Rosie

[stripe]

I think also three dimensional is more interesting than two dimensional. Sand castles, doll clothing, easy origami, and ye olde dough!

[mhg]

I bought my son the Ed Emberley books and he likes them. He's 5 and art is definitely not his strength but these have been great, have held his interest and have helped improve his skills. And they're cheap ($5 at rainbow or $6 ish on amazon)

 

http://www.amazon.com/Emberleys-Drawing-Weirdos-Emberley-Books/dp/0316789712/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1329259604&sr=8-5

 

 

http://www.amazon.com/Ed-Emberleys-Drawing-Book-Animals/dp/0316789798/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1329259604&sr=8-2

 

 

http://www.amazon.com/Ed-Emberleys-Drawing-Book-World/dp/0316789720/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1329259604&sr=8-3

 

 

http://www.amazon.com/Emberleys-Drawing-Faces-REPACKAGED-Emberley/dp/0316789704/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1329259604&sr=8-4

 

 

http://www.amazon.com/Emberleys-Drawing-Book-Trucks-Trains/dp/0316789674/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1329259604&sr=8-7

 

 

his favorite is the weirdos one of course.

 

(They're also available on rainbowresource for cheaper than amazon).

 

BTW, my son also hated coloring/art forever. I bought him a 96 box of crayons and that turned things around also. He started wanting to do art

more and thus the hunt for the Emberley books.

Edited February 14, 2012 by mhg

[mothergooseof4]

Honestly, I have two boys that want nothing to do with any art, any craft, any project, etc. And you know what....they get it from me. But, I didn't influence them. I gave them all of the art stuff when they were very young and even tried to be a good mommy by doing it with them. They still hated it.

 

I remember my oldest would cry when I would give him crayons or finger paint. I thought he would grow out of it, but he hasn't and he is twelve. Once I was working in his preschool class at church and the other teacher (who happened to be a professional teacher) was baffled because my son didn't want to color. I actually thought all of those coloring books at the store were just for looks because NONE of my kids have every wanted to use them. Both boys at 12 and 9 still hate to cut out anything. They can, they just don't want to. Glue....nah, they don't like that either.

 

My dd does love arts and crafts so she does Atelier art all on her own and loves it. But, since the boys hate art, I don't force it on them. They do like play dough, but other than that their creative time is spent with legos, wood working, rebuilding electronics, and such.

 

Others may balk at "no art" for our hs, but it works for us and I don't feel like it is a hill to die on. That said, I wouldn't give up on them at their young ages, they may grow into it. But, honestly, if they don't I wouldn't worry about it.

Edited February 14, 2012 by mothergooseofthree

[Lori D.]

It just seems like so much work to get them ready and then 2 minutes later they want nothing to do with what we're working on.

 

 

Yep. That was both DSs here, too. I'd sit down and color with them, and find 2 minutes later that I was the only one coloring. :tongue_smilie:

 

We did do some art, but not that young -- DSs were more like grade 1 up through grade 5. And even then, it was no more than once a month -- used that "How to Teach Children Art" book.

 

And it really did help to have a cool kit (beeswax candle kit; Sculpty eraser clay; painted flat wooden Christmas tree ornaments; painted plaster Christmas tree ornaments) and to know that they were making these as special gifts for the grandmas. The year they seemed to enjoy the most was when we set aside a lot of regular school work for the month of December, and made an ornament a day (about 3x a week) to make a set of Jesse Tree ornaments. They were about grades 4-5, and had fun using the hot glue gun; actually sewed a little with needle and thread, etc.

 

 

BEST of luck! Warmly, Lori D.

[jhockley]

My dd has always been into it, but ds doesn't want to do anything either. Same boat- tried playdough, paints, coloring, gluing, even paper airplanes. Zero interest. But he loves building Legos, so he is creative and using fine motor skills. And he will look at art projects so he's not totally craft deprived, lol.

[HappyLady]

Oh my gosh! These are such good suggestions! Thank you! I fear because I don't have an artistic bone in my body that my kids will suffer from it. I only know to color, paint, cut...... the basics. I don't know how to be imaginative in this area. Thank you so much!!!

[mom31257]

Mind don't like arts and crafts at all, but we've been using Mark Kistler's drawing lessons that I subscribed to through Homeschool Buyer's Co-Op. I think they like it better than any crafty thing I've tried. I bought us each our own sketch book, and we do it together.

[laughing lioness]

My kids don't like art. Seriously. I've never known kids who didn't like to color, finger paint, cut, paste, etc. :001_huh: If this is normal, then I won't worry about it too much, but I'd still like to know if anyone has any suggestions on how to get them interested in doing these sort of things.

 

They're 4 and 1.5 so I don't expect much, but I sat my DD down with some shrinky dinks to color and when I came back she had written the word 'cat' on one of them and traced all of the letters. Then she didn't want to color any of them. :glare: I set my 1.5 year old DS up to finger paint and he just about cried. :001_huh:

 

Suggestions, thoughts? TIA!

 

My 12 yo did not like to color, finger paint or do any of the "normal" early eled stuff. His fine motor skills were on target so I just let it go. He does do art weekly at co-op. LOVES art at co-op.

What I did at home was to teach him the elements of drawing using Bruce McIntyre's excellent "Drawing Textbook." We have several Mark Kistler and Usborned how to draws as well as Draw, Write Now books. He LOVEs to draw and has been into figure drawing for a couple of years, developing great perspective. (here's a sample of a recent drawing if interested- on bottom of post).

I'd just let it go, teach your kids drawing skills, do some art appreciation, make sure thier fine motor skills are up to speed and move on.

[MomatHWTK]

My kids loved this:

http://www.nestentertainment.com/mikes-inspiration-station-boxed-set-6-dvd-dvd_p248784.aspx

 

and this:

http://www.madcaplogic.com/

 

and this:

http://markkistler.com/

[kalanamak]

My son likes Atelier because he watches what the other kids are doing, and gets ideas. He also sees the other kids aren't perfect, either.

[Chris in VA]

You might like the suggestions in my fav art book for preschoolers/K'ers, Creative Art for the Developing Child.

 

It goes thru the stages of developmental art, and give suggestions for how to encourage artistic expression. It's very "process-oriented," which is what you want for young kiddos. We used it in preschool and loved it. She gives a shape for each month, and then things to do with it, as well as examples of the progression of art skills. It's really a fab book!

[MeganW]

Your 1.5 year old is WAY too young to worry about.

 

For your 4 year old, is she a perfectionist? My kids HATE open-ended stuff. They want EXACT instructions on how to complete whatever we are doing. After a few repetitions, they are willing to branch out and enjoy a little more, but they need the reassurance of some background knowledge.

 

We recently went through "Coloring 101" b/c even coloring stressed them out. They knew it didn't look good, but had no idea how to be neater. I literally came up with a list of steps that we go through for every picture. After a month of reviewing the steps every single time we color, they are finally actually enjoying coloring, and choose to do it during free time!