I’m always looking for ways to create opportunities for open-ended play at my library (see my November post: Creating Playful Opportunities @ Your Library that focused on outdoor play.) Each month we offer Young Artists at Play for ages 2-5 where we provide a different creative medium for children to explore. The focus is on process rather than a product as much as possible, often choosing collaborative projects rather than an individual piece to take home. Many of these programs were inspired by the Making Art Together section of the Eric Carle Museum website, which is a wonderful resource! These programs are generally easy to prepare for; not requiring a lot of staff time and not expensive, as they often utilize materials on hand, leftovers from other programs, and everyday items (great for reusing/recycling!). Here are a few of our most successful programs. Cardboard Creations: Our branch also houses the…
Tag: art
I Heart Art!
Imagine heart hands or a heart emoji in the title above, and you’ll have my theme for this month’s early childhood outreach. I do indeed “heart” art, whether that’s looking at art, creating it, or even just thinking about colors. For my outreach storytimes, we did all three this month!
Leveraging Museums for Library Programming
I love visiting museums—art museums, natural history museums, even sports museums. You name it—there’s something interesting to learn and discover. What’s exciting in today’s digital world is that many museums offer online ways to experience their collections…and many fun programming ideas can be uncovered in this manner. Let’s take a closer look!
Advocating for Diversity Through Art Programs
Makerspaces are increasingly popular additions to public library branches, and many youth services departments are adding hands-on art and craft sessions to their calendars. Any arts education in a free and accessible space like a public library is beneficial for children. Studies show that early childhood exposure to art education programs leads to a stronger appreciation towards art later in life, as well as an increased interest in cultural institutions like libraries and museums (Kisida et al., 2018). However, there is an opportunity to do even more than inspire creativity and art appreciation through maker programs. Art programs can be a venue in which to introduce children to diverse cultures and identities by using real artists as inspiration. For many children, public libraries may be their first opportunity to engage with the arts. It is crucial to make sure they feel welcome and included by exposing them to artists who…
Art Therapy for Tweens
Starting off the new year can be both exciting and exhausting for children and adults. One way to alleviate the transition of getting back into the routine of returning to school after winter break, is a program we call “Art Therapy!” This program is for children ages 10 and up along with their older sibling and/or adult caregiver. Every month Children’s Librarian, Jennifer Chang leads the Art Therapy program at Cupertino Library. She is always thoughtful when selecting the art project for the month so that it appeals to both tweens and their adult caregiver. Attendees have been able to paint a bird bath dish, bookmarks, coasters, and canvas watercoloring.
Program in a Post: Dot Art
With this post and around $20-$50, you can take a super simple art activity to any outreach location. Supplies: Set up: Similar to Art Links, Squart, Art on the Spot, and Cotton Swab Pointillism, this is a perfect outreach activity. Throw your supplies into a small tote and off you go. Find a table somewhere (park, school, etc.), set out your supplies, and make a few samples. We love to take this one out on the ArtCart with a tray for the stencils & markers. Program prep: Just gather your supplies. Go and make some dots!
Program in a Post: Local Art!
With this post, a talented local artist, and some space, you can host a successful art show for kids and families!
Process Art
You don’t have to be artistic or crafty to do art programs at your branch! As a kid, I hated (really hated) art class, easily frustrated when my creations didn’t live up to my standards. Early in my library career, I started doing art programs simply because the kids loved the programs and caregivers expected them. Doing specific types of programs because your patrons enjoy them is a totally valid motivation. Like nearly everything in life, I’ve gotten more confident with practice and experience. But I’ve grown to truly love art programming – and it’s not because I’ve become a more skilled artist or gone through a creative growth spurt. The key shift for me has been embracing process art rather than crafts. Crafts are product-oriented, with detailed step-by-step instructions. There might be some variation, but the end results look very similar. Process art emphasizes the process…