Process art can be offered every day in all seasons; let’s be honest. It doesn’t really matter what the materials are; the key ingredient is giving children the choice to use them in their own way. However… there are some materials that just feel more autumn and wintery, whether they are collected in nature or offer a cozy, indoor, regulating experience. Here are 10 that I love for this season, categorized by “paint” and “no paint” because I know that is always the biggest barrier to offering open-ended exploration of materials… is it messy?
Low mess, mixed-media, no paint process art invitations:
I did offer paint in some of these invitations, but you don’t have to. You can substitute paint with tempera sticks or oil pastels. Some of these invitations do have glue. The best clean-up strategy with glue is to have some baby wipes nearby for sticky hands. I encourage you to let children squeeze the glue; it is so good for their hand strength and brings so much joy and discovery. Just cover your table and make sure you create a drying space!
1. Mixed-Media Process Art Weaving
Children can choose from a variety of textures and materials to weave through their loom in whatever way they choose. I included familiar materials like tempera sticks and stickers for children who aren’t quite sure how to begin. Read all about this experience and get the supply list here.
2. Process Art with Wire & Pinecones
This invitation is all about collecting and setting out options for threading with wire. Children are endlessly fascinated by the bendable properties of wire; it is an extremely engaging material that sparks deep engagement. Read more about this experience here.
3. Process Art: Exploring Wood
I get my wood scraps from our local high school wood shop. You can also try a lumberyard. Children love exploring these weighty construction materials with a surface that is both smooth and rough (make sure to sand the edges!). It’s tactile and engages the senses and is very exciting for children to use in art-making. Learn more here.
4. Collage with Leaves and Fabric
Gathering leaves from outside in the fall is an activity that is joyful for every age. And there are so many ways to use leaves in art-making! Here, I offered them with fabric scraps, glue, and paint. You can swap the paint for tempera sticks for less mess and easier cleanup. Learn more here.
5. Process Art 3-D Collage with Recyclables
Here, children explore the idea of 3-dimensional construction and layering on a cardboard surface. You can offer any small recycled and repurposed materials. Set out tempera sticks for added color if you don’t want to use paint. Colored rice and yarn confetti are optional, but oh-so-fun! Learn more here.
6. Stacked Sculptures with Kids
In this classic stacking invitation that Shannon Merenstein from Hatch (and my partner at The Creativity Project) shares with us, she uses a base of clay and a wooden skewer as a structure to build, thread, and stack materials. A very tactile and playful invitation. Read all about it here.
Process art invitations with tempera paint:
I consider tempera paint a “sure thing.” There is never a child who doesn’t jump right in and get lost and into flow with this medium. It is definitely messier, so you need to get into the right frame of mind and prepare for cleanup. I like to use jam jars with lids so I can wipe down the rim and close the top for another day. And then it’s easy to have a soapy bin of water to plop the brushes in. Don’t forget to clear a space for drying!
7. Open-ended Leaf Painting and Exploration
This is our “og” leaf invitation. It’s just so easy! Gather leaves and bring them in to paint. I always mix some white with the tempera colors to make them opaque. You can definitely switch out paint for tempera sticks, oil pastels, or chalk markers if you want something mess-free that you can even take with you on your nature walk. Read more here.
8. Pumpkin Painting with Kids
Painting pumpkins is always fun for kids. Who doesn’t love swishing paint on a smooth, round surface? But the colors can get kind of dull when mixed with pumpkin orange. This is why my trick for always having brightly painted pumpkins is such a good one! Read more here.
9. Open-ended Collaborative Painting on Tables
For many years, when I was teaching art classes in my home, we would end the semester with this easy and joyful painting invitation for everyone to do together. I covered the table with butcher paper, then set out jars of paint down the middle. I did give one prompt to get them started, but other than that, I just stood by and took photos of the beauty unfolding! Read all about it here.
10. Collaborative Painted Branch
You can find a fallen branch and drag it inside on any day of the year, but somehow this feels like it belongs in the Fall-ish roundup. This classic invitation was just recently recreated here with a driftwood log from the beach (truly perfect any time of year). If you don’t want to offer paint, you can set out a variety of textural collage materials with glue, and offer oil pastels or tempera sticks to add color.
xo, Bar
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Did you love this post? Here are more open-ended ideas to try:
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