1. ART
CENTER
Aler | Canillas | Cappal

3. ART CENTER
 One of the greatest drives human
beings have is to express themselves.
Young children are no exception.
 Provides children time for free
exploration and creative play with
various media (The blank page is
powerful
 Develops the children’s fine motor
skills

4. ART CENTER
 Provides opportunities for children to
make inter-curricular connections
 Develop their ability to critique and
appreciate fine art
 A place for young children to explore
the world of scribbles, shapes, designs
and pictures

5. ART CENTER
 A fun place to work independently or
in cooperation with others to develop
and strengthen concepts and skills
 To expose children to a variety of
mediums in different ways
 Should encourage the children’s
individual expression and creativity
 Available as a free choice

7. What the children learn
 Creativity and individuality
 Imagination
 Master simple shapes and colors
 Communication skills
 Fine motor skills: pre-writing skills,
squeezing and gripping, enhancing
muscle development and coordination
 Conceptualization

8. Questions to consider
 Where will children put their finished
art?
 Can they get to the finished art spot
without having to carry a very, heavily
painted paper through ALL of the other
interest centers?
 Is the Art Center close to the hand
washing sink or bathroom?
 Is the Art Center accessible to

9. Guidelines - Location
 Near a sink
 Have good natural light
 Have sufficient space so that children
can work comfortably
 Must be easy to clean

10. Guidelines – Art
Materials
 Accessible to the children
 Related to other classroom
experiences
(ex: theme-related material)
 Different levels of ability
 Labeled materials

11. Guidelines – Art
Materials
 Diverse collection from the following
categories:
Drawing materials
Paint materials
Three-dimensional art material
Collage material
Tools

12. Tips for Inclusion
 Have a range of writing and painting implements (thin, stubby,
big and small) so that children can use tools appropriate to
their dexterity level.
 Experiment with tabletop easels, large pieces of paper on the
floor, and paper inside a shirt-size box to find a comfortable
work surface for every child.

13. Furnishings
Tables – smooth surface
Chairs
High, closed storage – for adult use
Low, open multi-unit storage shelves – for
children’s use
Easels
Drying rack
Hooks or pegs
Display space – for two-dimensional and
three-dimensional art

14. Art Materials
Finger paint and
Tempera Paint
Watercolors
Brushes of various
sizes
Play dough
Sponges of various
shapes and sizes
Various types of
paper including
finger paint paper
Stamps and stamp
pads
Fabrics
Scissors

15. Art Materials
Pencils, pens,
markers, colored
pencils, crayons and
chalk
Tape, glue sticks,
and glue bottles
Collage materials
Stickers
Craft foams
Art prints
Newspapers and
magazines
Yarns, ribbons,
strings and straws
Various colors of
craft sticks

18. Other Materials
Aprons
Water spray bottles
Hand wash
Towels
Pans of soapy water
Cleaning rags
Mops

19. Sources
 Allen, M. (2007). Early Childhood Centers, Grades
PreK-K. Huntington Beach: Creative Teaching Press.
 Carmouche, T. (M.Ed.) (2011, May 1). Establishing
Learning Centers in an Early Childhood Classroom
Setting. Child Development and Lifelong Learning.
Lecture conducted from University of Louisiana,
Lafayette.
 Pardee, M. (2005). Equipping and Furnishing Early
Childhood Facilities.Community Investment
Community for Kids Resource Guide, 3, 44.
 Petersen, E. A. (1996) A Practical Guide to Early
Childhood Planning, Methods, and Materials: the
what, why, and how of lesson plans. Where It
Happens: Basic Elements of the Setting (pp. 112-
130). Massachusetts-Allyn & Bacon.