Good to eat, but not good for art.
Why Not to Use Food for Kid's Art Projects
It is tempting to use food for preschool art activities and play purposes. Painted pasta necklaces, rice in the sand table, popcorn snow scenes ... the ideas are endless. However, preschool art needs to go on a diet. By using food for art projects, children do not learn to value the importance of food as a basic human necessity.
Instructions
- Take steps to eliminate food use for anything other than consumption. Evaluate the supplies that you currently use, and find substitutes. For example, instead of popcorn, use crumpled white tissue paper. Instead of rice, cereal, and pasta, use beads.
- If you want to make a project that requires food items, find alternative materials that represent food. Have children cut out pictures of food from magazines. Use styrofoam fruits and vegetables from craft stores.
- If you want to use food in a creative manner, you can have your preschoolers help make their own snacks. After you plan a simple snack, let the children make their own snacks by choosing the ingredients that they will enjoy eating. For example, you can make faces on rice cakes using fresh fruits and vegetables. Let children choose from things like raisins, shredded carrot, apple slices, and so on.
- Emphasize the importance of food as a necessity. You can gently explain to children that there are some people who do not have enough food to eat, and that we all need food in order to be healthy. You may even want to hold food drives at your facility, so that children can understand how sharing can help others.