Let’s Make a Mess!

Let's Make a Mess! Yes, that was the name of the preschool art class my friend and I co-taught at our homeschool co-op. Did the class live up to it's name? I'll let you decide.

The inspiration for this class was a direct result of Mary Ann Kohl's book, The Big Messy Art Book. You will find most of the project ideas and directions in this book. Mary Ann Kohl is well known for her belief that art is about the process not the product. This type of art is simply called process art, and it was the foundation for this preschool art class.

 
Here are some snapshots of our wonderfully creative artists and our process art activities.

painting with freshly made sidewalk paint ~ week 1

free paint ~ weeks 5 & 10 (you can read all about this activity here)

negative space paintings ~ week 11

toilet paper play day ~ week 8

snap paintings ~ week 4
complete instructions for this project

drip paint ~ week 12

 
tennis toss ~ week 2 (my favorite!)
Hint: We got tons of used tennis balls for free from a local sports center.

inverted finger painting ~ week 9 (complete instructions found here).

 
color collage ~ week 2

  
shaving cream fun ~ weeks 1 & 7

 
dancing beads ~ week 10

drip and fold ~ week 7

crayon bundles ~ week 4

You can take a peek at the syllabus for this preschool art class by clicking on it below. It contains the class description, target age, course outline, supplies, and materials fee. Feel free to steal this syllabus (or any of the content) for your own co-op class.

Tips for Teaching this MESSY Preschool Art Class

1. You will need 1 adult for every 4-5 kids. 
2. Try to do as many projects as you can outside. Tarps are very handy for this.
3. You will need a bag of old towels for wiping hands, the floor, the chairs, and maybe even the ceiling. 
4. A few tubs of baby wipes will be handy.
5. Ask around for "flat" tennis balls (try a sports center or local university with a tennis team). 
6. If you have extra time at the end of class, pull out Play-doh. We also read books as time permitted.

If you are looking for more Preschool Process Art, try my Pinterest Board