Rolling Artwork - staying away from 'the screen'

I asked myself, is artwork really beatifically for my 1 1/2 year olds?  I think we all know that art is beneficial once our children enter the school age years...but what about now?  I read part of an article published by The Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development that explained the importance of art education.  The article states that art promotes brain activity, helps aid in the development of self-esteem, self-discipline, cooperation, and self-motivation....I'm not sure how much art actually helps in these areas for a 1 1/2 year old, but maybe a little.

The main reason I like to do art projects with my children is that I enjoy them!  I enjoy planning something new for us to do, setting it up, and watching them enjoy the activity.  I also enjoy anything that keeps them away from the screen (TV, videos, anything that has a screen).  I hate the screen and love it all at the same time.  It's great to have something that keeps the twin's attention for a few minutes but I hate what it could possibly do to them developmentally.  Below is a quote from the American Academy of Pediatrics publication on Media Education.

"Pediatricians should urge parents to avoid television viewing for children under the age of 2 years. Although certain television programs may be promoted to this age group, research on early brain development shows that babies and toddlers have a critical need for direct interactions with parents and other significant caregivers (eg, child care providers) for healthy brain growth and the development of appropriate social, emotional, and cognitive skills. Therefore, exposing such young children to television programs should be discouraged."

So with this reasoning, my answer is YES! Doing artwork is beneficial for all of us.


Rolling Artwork

Project Type: Art Activity
Age Range: 18 months or older

Supplies: Baking pan, white paper, golf balls, paint, plastic wrap and tape.

 

 After gathering together my supplies, I placed the white sheet of paper into the pan, squeezed a couple paint blobs, put the golf balls in the pan, and covered it with plastic wrap.  I tightly taped the edges of the plastic wrap to the pan.  The last thing I wanted was for our artwork to escape and roll all over the house.

 

My two enjoyed watching the balls roll around in the pan and the noise the balls made on the metal pan.  You could also try using other objects to roll around.  Here are the results...