I grew up hearing my mother talk about how important it was for her not to tell her preschool students what to draw, when to draw, or what the end goal of a craft should be. I remember how frustrated she felt when every Mother’s Day card was expected to look the same - when so much of the work was about proving to parents what the school was doing, instead of focusing on how happy the children were simply exploring and enjoying their childhood. When teachers are expected to produce a product for children to take home, what purpose it serves?
Art is all about freedom of expression…letting the mind wonder. Just like the process of writing, it can stir up emotions, feel tortuous at times, and yet also bring a huge sense of relief. Children need this experience too. And if we want another way to save these moments, or send it to our loved ones, we can quietly document it through photos.
When we acknowledge the importance of the process rather than fixating on the ‘end product,’ we can see parenting as an ongoing art of learning, adjusting, and becoming curious, rather than expecting ourselves to have all the answers. It becomes more about learning with our children and ourselves, than simply knowing more about them or ourselves. Do you catch the difference?
When we think we already know, we’re closed to learning something new. We just rest in the knowing.
When we discuss Process Art in the context of early childhood, we’re usually referring to providing art materials for child-led exploration, not focusing on the outcome but the process. This is not about adult-led crafts, or pinterest activities, but allowing the child to freely use their creativity.
It’s important to remember that every child is different, and the level of supervision depends on what you observe your child is ready for. For example, toddlers who are teething may put objects in their mouths more frequently. And it’s completely okay to wait until your little one is over two years old before introducing art materials.
As a mother, I try my best to give as much autonomy for our children as developmentally possible. I’m not perfect, and I don’t pretend to be… so when you read my work, watch my videos and photos, please always keep this in mind. My goal is make it simple, imperfect, and inspire you to come up with your own way.
Now, if you want to help your child with a specific material, it’s completely fine to say and model something like: ‘This is a glue stick. You can remove the cap and use it like this, but not on the carpet”.
Trusting our children as they create something meaningful to them is one of the most important parts of allowing them to explore materials. These early explorations lay the foundation for nurturing creativity, autonomy, and self-confidence.
When I talk about materials, I’m not only referring to craft materials but also scraps, beautiful junk (paper towel rolls, caps, cups), and nature elements (sticks, leaves, rocks…) - you can find some ideas here.
One of my kids really loves working on new projects after school and on weekends. I noticed that his work has become more complex over the last couple of years.
To the point that he is now working on a train layout all by himself, cutting foam and testing ways to make the train track fit in the tiny space we made available for this big project of his.
In short, process art is about not expecting anything from our children’s creations. It’s not about the end product… I write this wholeheartedly, because I can see why letting the mess take over has always mattered so much to me (and perhaps it’s also the excuse I found for not being able to tame it). Whatever the reason, I love witnessing how my children’s projects have evolved over the years and how proud they are of their work. Here’s what I’ve documented so far:
If you are looking for ways to make space for process art in your home, I made a selection of Ikea items that has helped us (click here)
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I love the concept of thinking of parenting as process art. So helpful!