Any classroom, no matter what age the students, adore art and craft time. This period of class allows students to be creative and does not require the same level of merit as other subjects. Art and Crafts is something that every child can be good at. It is designed not only to be a fun part of the day for children, but it also
aids in various key developmental areas; cognitive, emotional, sensory and motor skills. Craft supplies vary from classroom to classroom, but there are some key supplies that should feature in every room.
Paper/Card
Be it regular white paper or some coloured card, there should be some material to suffice as a “canvas” for the children to create their masterpiece on. Once you have some sort of paper or card, the scope for activities range from drawing to painting to 3d art to collages and more. Paper or card is absolutely necessary for virtually any craft activity.
Colours
Depending on the age group, your colouring materials can vary from colouring pencils to markers to crayons. The general consensus is to start the youngest children off colouring with crayons as they are the easiest for them to hold and colour with. The next age group should be able to work with colouring pencils. These require a more significant grip and level of control and any mistakes can easily be corrected with an eraser too. Markers are best left for older kids.
Safety Scissors
Each classroom should have a couple of safety scissors to hand. They can be used to cut shapes, reduce the size of an art piece or cut some card to use for other purposes. Learning to safely and effectively use a scissors can greatly help to develop a child’s motor skills. They can learn to control the movement of their hands by cutting various patterns and shapes into a piece of paper or card. Once, they are more advanced, they can be given the task of cutting perfectly around a shape or drawing on the card.
Glue
Once a child has mastered the art of drawing, cutting and colouring, they are keen to create even more creative pieces. Glue is necessary for creating “special effects” in arts and crafts. With some glue, a child can really explore their creative side, a child can bring the sheep that they have drawn to life with some glue and cotton wool. They can use different strips of coloured card and stick them to their “canvas” to truly enhance their “masterpiece”. The use of glue adds a whole new range of activities and possibilities.
Paint
Be it oil paints, finger paints, glitter paints or water paints, children just love painting. This activity can teach children about the various colours and how to combine different coloured paints to develop new shades. It offers them a means of expressing their emotions and communicating. It also helps to build their hand-eye co-ordination. It is a good idea to choose the paints for a classroom according to the age range of the children that will be using them.
Robert Carass is the Managing Director of
www.xpertofficesupplies.ie - Ireland's premier low cost office supplies company. He has been in the Office Supplies Industry for over 20 years and he is very passionate about his work. He has held various positions working in the industry.
