Encouraging Art Appreciation in Children

Children are one of the busiest groups within society. From the time their legs take them across a room without buckling beneath them, they begin the indefinite discovery trail. Stopping at an art gallery or museum may not be on their path so liven up the detour.

Before the visit, expose your children to the art through kid friendly books, movies and websites. Then, create a spy game complete with challenges and prizes. Seeing the art in person will activate their prior knowledge and peek their interest.

Below are suggestions appropriate for specific age groups. To begin, each child should have a small paper bag with a handle to carry. This will give them a sense of responsibility and ownership of the task at hand - The Spy Game. Plus, their hands will be occupied and less likely to reach out and touch.

SHAPES AND COLORS

Preschool (3-5 years)
Draw a variety of shapes and mark different colors on individual labels. Provide the child with cut up index cards large enough to affix one label. Every time the child spies a shape or color, the child will show you where, peel off the label, place it onto the index card and deposit it into the bag. The adult monitoring the game will then give the child sticker choices to decorate the outside of the paper bag. If there are ten labels, there should be ten stickers. When the bag is full, the game is over and prize awarded. Attention span at this age is brief and needs to be respected.

Lower Primary (6-8 years)
Give the child a mini sketchpad and pencils. Explain that if the pencil touches anything but the paper a penalty will be implemented. Children at this age tend to please and will not want to disappoint. Each time they spy a shape, they need to draw the shape and describe it using color and where it was spotted. Every time a page is completed, a sticker is given. If twenty pages need to be filled and are, the game is over and prize awarded. Children at this age especially value rewards and will eagerly work for a grand prize.

Upper Primary (9-11 years)
Place a sheet of paper divided into however many sections you want completed on a mini clipboard containing a pen. In every box, write the name of a shape or mark with color. When a shape is spied, the child draws it in the appropriate box. Every color spotted needs to be written down and labeled primary or secondary. To ensure no early guessing, have the child also note where the shape or color was spotted in the gallery or museum. When the sheet is filled in, the game is over and prize presented. Children at this age do not require a prize with every box because they tend to have a longer attention span.

Middle School and High School (12-18 years)
If the child will still be seen in public with you, be thankful. If the child will still converse with you, be thankful. This age group likes to debate and generally not on the side of the adult. Such a skill is useful in life and can be acquired through practice. The adolescent and adult should each have a journal and pencil. At various paintings or sculptures, both will note one positive or negative aspect about the piece of art and support the opinion. The opinion best supported gets a point. Points are tallied up at the end of the visit and prizes awarded to all parties involved for participation.

The above suggestions are guidelines that can be applied to other topics including emotions, purposes, mediums, societal values and representations of people, animals and religions. The child's age, maturity level and developmental readiness should dictate the length of the visit and type of exhibit. A child's appreciation of art develops overtime through life experiences and interests. Remember, the child or adolescent is in a process of learning. Be enthusiastic and provide positive feedback.