If you want to know the true value of process art then this activity is for you!
I have never seen my kids delight over an art project quite like this one. I first saw this amazing idea from my friend Ann over at My Nearest and Dearest, and I thought her idea was brilliant. What I didn’t know was that her idea would be featured alongside dozens of other process art ideas in an amazing book called, Action Art by Mary Ann Kohl (aff link). Mary Ann was gracious enough to send me a copy of her new book and my kids and I have looked at every single page twice. From trike riding to cotton ball throwing, this out-of-the-box book has ways to get kids moving and to start creating! After reading the book, I really understood how powerful (literally) process art can be for kids…
My daughter squealed, “I made a face!!”
The paintbrush twisted and twirled as she painted curly hair along each side. She was thrilled to finally make hair that looked just like hers.
It was the first time that my five-year-old looked little in a long time. She struggled to hold the power drill, but she was bound and determined to use it to paint!
Have you ever thought to paint with a power drill?
I certainly didn’t! But, it’s absolutely genius and SO much fun.
What You Need for Process Art with Tools
- Power Drill
- Paint brush
- Paint
- Action Art Book <– aff link
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This is just one idea from Action Art, but it was one that we had to try first!
While my daughter started by drawing a person, this art activity quickly became a quest for my kids to cover every inch of white.
My two year old did not want to paint with the drill (which was shocking, but I think that it had to do with the noise of the drill), but he joined in with a regular paint brush. Both of my kids layered the blue, green, and red and discovered a gorgeous shade of purple.
To me, this is what process art is all about.
The end result of my kids painting wasn’t something that I would hang in a picture frame (it was all one color with no white so it wouldn’t look very dynamic), but think about what my kid’s experienced while painting…
- How to hold/use a drill
- Mixing primary colors and making new colors
- Motor skills by holding the drill, pushing/holding the button, moving the (very heavy) drill, etc.
- How to navigate the same painting space together
- Vocabulary like twirl, spin, push, mix, mechanical…
My kids learned a great deal experimenting with paint and that’s why I love Mary Ann’s book, Action Art. Each page is full of ways to get kids moving, learning, and having fun while playing with paint!
I absolutely loved this activity, but I know there are so many more to try in our new book.
When in doubt, let kids lead the way to their own art experience ~ the results might surprise you!
A huge thank you to Mary Ann Kohl for sending us a free copy of her book, Action Art, in exchange for this review. You can see our full disclosure here. While I received the book for free, all the thoughts, opinions, and photos are my own. I couldn’t recommend it more as a gift or as inspiration to get kids painting!
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