When setting up a Montessori art area, ensure that materials for art activities are accessible to children with minimal adult intervention. If an art activity or technique has been presented, then the supplies for that activity should be made available for children to select freely.
- Montessori Shelves: Organized to Encourage Independence
- Clear and Predictable Routines and Procedures
- Selecting Supplies for the Montessori Art Area
- Addressing Challenges in the Montessori Art Area
- Creating an Art Curriculum for Young Children
Montessori Shelves: Organized to Encourage Independence
Many Montessori art activities are typically presented as “individual” activities, with all the necessary supplies contained on a tray. Adults prepare additional sets of materials and store them nearby. For instance, a watercolor painting activity might include the watercolor paints, a paintbrush, a small glass for water, a piece of thick (blank) watercolor paper cut to fit the
Based on the individual needs of the children in the group, adults might modify which materials or activities are available for free choice. For example, to avoid a situation where a large quantity of paint might be spilled on the floor, a painting activity might include 2-3 small paint pots with only enough paint for one or two children to use. The replenishment bottles remain in a cabinet for adults to access as needed. See tips on organizing your art storage.
Clear and Predictable Routines and Procedures
Just as with all other materials and activities in a Montessori space, Montessori art lessons should be presented in a clear and logically organized manner. Whether offered as individual lessons or as whole-group presentations, Montessori art activities generally include a few key points:
- Slow, deliberate demonstrations on how to use the tools and materials
- Any safety considerations to keep in mind (e.g. are there sharp or breakable items?)
- Cleanup expectations
- Guidelines for how many times the activity may be repeated in a particular time frame
While projects and outcomes will obviously differ from child to child, encouraging all children to follow the same routines and procedures with the materials helps prevent accidental injuries, damage to materials, and excessive mess.
Selecting Supplies for the Montessori Art Area
Adults should select child-sized supplies for Montessori art activities whenever possible. Child-sized materials allow children to focus on the activity at hand rather than on struggling to manipulate or handle tools. For example, look for shorter paintbrushes, child-sized scissors, and easels that stand at a comfortable height for the children using them. Younger children may feel more comfortable handling “chunky” crayons or smaller, thicker markers.
Cutting paper into halves or even quarters allows for better fit on a tray and reduces waste.
When possible, select the highest-quality art supplies your budget will allow. Materials like watercolor paper, tempera paint cakes, and real clay are not only enjoyable to work with, but also enhance the sensory experience, providing children with opportunities to explore different textures, colors, and consistencies.
It might sound a little unusual, but food service items can be useful and cost effective for setting up Montessori art activities (and many other Montessori activities as well). Items like plastic trays and small sauce dishes have a wide range of uses in Montessori art activities.
Many suitable and cost-effective items are available at:
- Eco Kids Art
- Montessori Services
- Amazon
- Etsy
- Discount School Supply
- S & S Worldwide
- Viva Colors
- More ideas at Montessori-Art.com
Addressing Challenges in the Montessori Art Area
“What If the Children Only Want to Stay in the Art Area All Day?”
This is a common concern among Montessori teachers. This can be especially challenging in programs where teachers are accountable for presenting a particular set of academic standards in a particular time frame. Here are some things to consider:
Art is a valid area of the curriculum.
When art remains freely available, instead of a “reward” once children complete other work, and if adults consistently offer new presentations in all areas of the curriculum, children’s work choices often balance out naturally. Restricting access to art activities until other work has been completed sometimes sends the message that those other activities are inherently less desirable and are something to be “gotten through” in order to do “the fun stuff.” If children are less interested in language and math activities, Montessori teachers might consider offering additional presentations to re-engage the children in these curriculum areas rather than restricting access to art.
Note: one reasonable exception here, in full-day programs where younger children nap in the afternoons, is requesting that older students give younger students the chance to work with art materials in the earlier part of the day. Older students can work freely with those materials in the later part of the day while younger students are resting.
The Montessori art area offers many benefits beyond creative expression.
When tempted to restrict the availability of art activities, especially for their older students, Montessori teachers may find it reassuring to remember that Montessori art activities have many cognitive and developmental benefits, all of which contribute to children’s success in other areas of the curriculum. Practice with art materials supports gross- and fine-motor development, critical thinking and executive function, and the refinement of sensory skills. Older students consolidate their learning and practice leadership skills by giving art demonstrations to younger students and supporting younger students during art activities.
Art activities can support other areas of the curriculum.
If a child shows particular inclination to work on art projects, teachers can use this interest as a platform for other, more “academic” lessons. For instance, following an art activity, the child can reflect on their work with the moveable alphabet, or by journaling. A mosaic or beading activity could incorporate math by inviting children to count out particular quantities of materials before proceeding. A science lesson for Kindergarteners can include the opportunity to record observations through drawing or watercolor painting. In fact, with a little creativity, most lessons can incorporate art activities!
Dealing With Mess And Chaos in the Montessori Art Area
Managing art activity mess and chaos is essential for maintaining a conducive learning environment in a Montessori classroom. Here are some strategies Montessori teachers can use:
Make cleanup part of practical life
Make sure every art lesson includes clear and specific instructions on how to clean up the activity. Young children do not always understand all the steps involved in cleaning up a new activity, even if the activity is similar to one they’ve cleaned up successfully in the past. They may not realize how their existing cleanup skills transfer to the new activity. Because of this, a child may unintentionally leave a mess behind when moving on to the next activity.
One of the most straightforward ways to prevent excessive mess in the art space is to make sure that each art presentation includes clear, age-appropriate instructions for cleanup. Should the child remove an in a certain way to avoid spreading paint on clothing? Should scraps go in a recycling bin? Do spilled pieces need to be swept up and put in the trash? How should the child clean up drips or spills? At what point should the child ask for cleanup help from an adult? Clear cleanup instructions empower children to take responsibility for maintaining a clean and useful workspace and limit the amount of mess that adults must contend with.
Limit the number of materials available at one time.
While art activities should generally be available at all times, it may not be practical to keep all available supplies on the shelf at once.
For example, a gluing activity involving sequins may include only a small amount of sequins on the tray at a time. Store the complete supply of sequins in a sturdy container in an area only accessible to adults. As needed, adults can replenish the sequins throughout the day. Even when children are being careful with their movements, unintentional spills are likely. Remember – it’s much easier to clean up a small portion of a spilled item than it is to clean up an entire spilled container!
Limiting materials also provides a natural limit to the number of children working on art at once. If only four art activities are available on the shelf, and all four are already in use, then other children must find another activity until their desired art activity becomes available. By limiting activities in this way, teachers can ensure that there aren’t more art activities in use than the adults in the space can reasonably manage at once.
Provide designated work areas for art activities.
Depending on the space available, consider limiting art activities to an area that’s easier to clean. Children can also use inexpensive plastic placemats (like these, for instance) to designate and protect their workspace. This is similar to the way that work rugs designate a child’s work space when working on the floor. A small waterproof outdoor rug also works under an easel to protect the floor and make cleanup easier.
Managing Diverse Skill Levels And Interests
Because Montessori classes typically include a range of ages, adults must plan art activities with a range of developmental levels in mind. Additionally, art activities that reflect children’s diverse interests can help maximize engagement with the art curriculum. Here are some ideas for managing diverse skill levels and interests in Montessori art activities:
Offer choices, adaptations, and a range of difficulty levels.
Montessori teachers can provide children with choices and adaptations in art activities to accommodate varying interests and abilities. For example, offer 2-3 shades of paper to choose for the background of a drawing activity, offer a selection of colored beads to choose from when making a necklace or bracelet, or offer a container with a wide variety of “loose parts” for a collage.
Activities should reflect the developmental needs of the children in the group. Younger children benefit from opportunities to practice more preliminary art activities and older children benefit from access to more complex, multi-step art activities. Teachers can also adapt activities by adding or removing steps or materials to increase or decrease an activity’s complexity.
Focus on process over product
Montessori art activities emphasize the process of creating rather than the final product. Teachers encourage children to focus on the experience of the activity itself, placing emphasis on the colors, textures, shapes, materials, and techniques involved. As the outcome of a young child’s art activity may not resemble that of their peers (or may not resemble anything in particular)
Montessori teachers often take notes or photographs to document children’s work during art activities. This documentation helps inform future lesson planning as well as gives some context for the child’s family and caregivers about the benefits of a particular activity.
Cultivate a supportive environment.
Montessori teachers create a supportive and inclusive environment in the art space when they use thoughtful language that helps all children feel valued and respected. Teachers can foster a supportive environment by featuring all children’s artwork equally (in a class “art gallery” for instance). They can also support students by using descriptive language to celebrate effort (I see you used a lot of blue in your painting!), and by asking children to reflect on their own experiences (Which part of your collage do you like the best?).
Teachers must be careful to avoid the appearance of “ranking” children’s work, and should not criticize children if their work does not resemble a particular example. As long as the materials and environment are not being damaged or mistreated, adults can respond to children who criticize other students’ artwork (e.g. that’s just scribble-scrabble! or they’re not doing it right!) with gentle but firm reminders that each child’s process is unique and that all artwork is important in the community.
Creating an Art Curriculum for Young Children
Covering everything from basic elements to advanced activities, this practical, comprehensive course presented by Carolyn Lucento makes art an integral part of the Montessori Primary curriculum. With sample lesson plans and instructional videos, participants will be ready to implement what they learn immediately. Every aspect of this course aligns with Montessori philosophy. In addition to four hours of video content, participants receive a 60+ page Montessori-style Art Album/Manual in digital format.
Holly Earnest is a content writer on the Trillium team. After eight years in the classroom and another 2.5 as a center director, Holly transitioned from full-time campus life to focus on supporting Montessori educators and caring for family. She is AMS-credentialed at the primary level, and enjoys coaching Montessori guides, creating Montessori training materials, and presenting at Montessori conferences.