Guest Blog: Introducing Art to Children and the top ten books about art for children
Guest Blogger Enid Bebbington (my wife!) writes about the ways to introduce art in to your children’s life. Enid also lists her top ten books choices about art for children - as a Librarian, she should know!
Bring art in to your child’s life!
After reading what a previous guest blogger wrote on the PIGSY website about her visits to London Art Galleries with her little son it got me thinking how awesome it is for us all to enjoy art through the eyes of a child. Children of course are the future of every industry and if we want art to survive and thrive (not that I think it won’t) we need to encourage the next generation to be art lovers just as much as this generation is.
However, as an art lover, I think seeing art through the eyes of a child helps to progress the craft and enjoyment of art. The engagement of a child, who has no boundaries, stimulates a conversation that in reality you don’t know where it will go or will take you. Additionally we all know that children have the biggest imaginations which could provide the biggest inspiration for artists!
With this is mind, I’ve thought about different ways that you can help and encourage the children in your life to be art lovers.
10 easy ways to introduce art in to the lives of children:
After a brain storming session with PIGSY here’s my 10 tips for introducing art in to the lives of your children
Art Museums & Gallery Excursions
Books - see the full list below!
Clothes - allow children to express themselves and their artistic spirit by letting them choose what clothes and colors they wear
Creating their own art - encourage your children to create their own art with art supplies in the home and then create a virtual art gallery on instagram in order to share it with family and friends around the world
Travel - research as a family where artists came from and then plan a vacation to this location to explore all of the places that the artist ventured around
Hang art in the home - and even give your children the option of hanging their favorite artist in their bedrooms
Make art a special treat - Sundays can be the day to visit an art gallery and then go for a hot chocolate after to look at pictures and talk about the art you just saw
Do you have an artist family member or friend? Set up a visit to their studio so your child can see how they work and what their artistic process is
Baking. Yes really! Bake a cake based on a piece of art. The Merrion Hotel in Dublin does a really great thing where they base their afternoon tea cakes on pieces of art in the hotel art collection. Really clever!
Face paint and dress up - children can experiment and explore art through these mediums
Enid’s Top Ten Books to introduce art to children & babies
“Life doesn’t frighten me” Edited by Sara Jane Boyers, with words by Maya Angelou and paintings by Jean-Michel Basquiat
“Miffy at the Gallery” by Dick Bruna
“123s of Art” by Sabrina Hahn
“Andy Warhol. What colors do you see?” by Mudpuppy
“Pantone Colors” by Panetone
“This little artist: an art history primer” by Joan Holub
“Good night starry night (Peek a book book) “ by Amy Guglielmo
“Little artist board book set” by Emily Kleinman
“Keith Haring Pop Art 123” by Mudpuppy
“Yayoi Kusama Covered Everything in Dots and Wasn't Sorry” by Fausto Gilberti
“Women Artists A to Z” by Melanie LaBarge
“Life doesn’t frighten me” with Basquiat illustrations
11. I actually have an 11th, which is my favorite - it’s “Life doesn’t frighten me” which features art work by Jean-Michel Basquiat and a poem by Maya Angelou. I like it so much, that I have my own copy - it’s not just for children!!
Architecture for Babies
And here’s a little bonus book that you can add to the list. It is one of my go to books for gifts when friends welcome a new baby in to their life…….I think a book is always a good option as a gift for a new baby as clothing seems to be the preferred gift so it’s nice to give something a little different!
“Architecture for Babies” by Jonathan Litton
Final Bonus Tip - Join your local library!
My final tip for art in your family’s life is to join your local library. You’ll save a fortune on books and there are generally art activity sessions that the children can attend for free. Coupled with this many, libraries are connected to art galleries and show really great work by local artists.
And btw, do you know that Irish public libraries no longer charge fines and also have a universal card that you can use in both your home library and any other library in Ireland?!