138 HAWAII PARENT July/August 2024 get your child’s inner creativity flowing, action art is one thing many children find difficult to resist. Action art is also known as gestural abstraction. It can be a delightful sensory experience for all children, particularly, but not limited to, those with special needs. One of the easiest forms of action art is finger painting. Experiment with storebought brands or have fun making your own with a couple drops of washable tempera paint and shaving cream! Let your children enjoy the sensory experience of finger painting without stressing over the final project. Another fun idea for children too old for finger paint is to go outside and tape poster board against a fence. Let children flick spoonfuls of paint at the poster board. Some parents have found another exciting method for this project by carefully saving the eggshells from their morning breakfast. Poke a generous hole in the tip of an egg while being careful not to crack the entire shell into pieces. Rinse the empty eggshell, and fill it with paint. Cover the hole with tape. Go outside, and allow children to throw the eggs at a poster board or canvas. One of the great things about action painting is that the end result usually looks much cooler than expected, but even if it does not, the act itself was so fun, it is worth it anyway. Who doesn’t want to see eggs full of paint splatter? The important lesson in all of this is that joy should be as much a part of life and education as everything else. Without joy in our lives, what good is the rest of our education? Without creativity, how do we apply our education? Do not be afraid to teach your children to appreciate the process and the journey. Give them the opportunity to create art just as you would give them homework help. Happy creating. TIPS TO ENCOURAGE YOUNG ARTISTS: • Never try to guess what your child is making. Instead, ask her to explain. • Instead of telling your child how to make something, ask her how she thinks she should make it, and encourage her efforts. • Do not critique or criticize your child’s art. Remember, there are no wrong answers in this subject. • Every once in a while, allow your child to use canvas instead of paper to create art that is nicer to display and will last long enough for her to show her own children. • Do not put down a child’s interest in art because there is supposedly no money in art. How many history majors end up making millions? Whatever enriches us is a worthwhile subject and varies from person to person. is an ancient drum. But the grandest upcycling of all is the cardboard box, a gold mine capturing children’s imaginations for generations—a fort, a spaceship, a monster and a maze. Give your children some markers, and let them go to town. When the materials are free, parents can step back and let art happen, stress-free. Teaching children to be stewards of the Earth and reduce, reuse and recycle is a definite added bonus. ACTION ART Life Skill: Joy Not every child is a Picasso, and some may favor more of a Jackson Pollock experience. If you have tried everything to “Some little ones might favor more of a Jackson Pollock experience.”
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