The room buzzed with excited giggles as I stood with a group of preschoolers, all eager to jump into our next art adventure: pendulum painting. This was process art at its best—messy, active, and full of energy. We had set up a simple pendulum, with a cup full of paint, hanging over a large canvas spread out on the floor. As soon as I let go, the cup began to swing, splattering colourful paint across the canvas. The children’s faces lit up, watching as the paint moved in big, swirling arcs. Some reached out to guide the pendulum, eager to see how they could change the way the paint spread. Others cheered with each splash of colour. Their joy was infectious, and I found myself just as captivated by the patterns forming before us.

I knew I’d have some serious mopping to do afterwards, and our clothes might need a good soak, but none of that mattered. This entire activity was sparked by a book I’d read by Mary-Ann Kohl. Her ideas about process art inspired me to embrace the mess and focus on the experience rather than the outcome. Watching the children’s excitement and their eagerness to explore in new ways reminded me why process art is so powerful. It’s all about the joy of creating and discovering together, just as Kohl describes.

What is process art?

Process art has become a cornerstone of early childhood education, especially in Australia, where the emphasis is on nurturing creativity, exploration, and self-expression in children. Unlike traditional “product art,” which often focuses on achieving a specific outcome or replicating a model, process art places importance on the journey of creating rather than the final product. In this approach, children engage with various materials, textures, and colours in a way that feels natural to them, allowing their curiosity and imagination to guide them through each step.

When we talk about process art, we’re describing a child-centred approach that values the act of making. Children are encouraged to explore and experiment, manipulating materials as they wish without any concern for reaching a predetermined result. This kind of experience is all about giving children the freedom to make choices, test out ideas, and feel a sense of agency in their creative expression. The artwork they produce is unique to each child, reflecting their thoughts and emotions at that moment.

For me as an educator, it was about embracing a flexible and open-ended approach to teaching art that recognises each child’s intrinsic creativity.

Process art in early childhood

In early childhood settings like preschools, process art is an invaluable tool for supporting children’s holistic development. Through this type of art-making, children develop fine motor skills as they handle various materials, use tools, and experiment with different techniques. For example, using a rubber mallet to create patterns on paper not only introduces them to concepts of cause and effect but also helps strengthen hand-eye coordination. This approach allows children to engage in a sensory-rich activity that’s fun and educational, offering them a chance to explore how different actions produce different effects.

The beauty of process art lies in the fact that it makes room for every child’s perspective. Since there’s no right or wrong way to create, children feel more confident in their abilities and are more likely to express themselves authentically. As they experiment with colours, shapes, and textures, they are learning to make decisions, solve problems, and persevere, which are crucial skills for their overall development. The focus is entirely on what children experience during the creative process, which can be incredibly freeing and therapeutic.

What if you are not an artist?

Teaching art in this way invites children to see themselves as artists. Rather than focusing on reproducing a specific image or object, they learn that art is about expressing their thoughts and feelings. Educators can facilitate this by providing a variety of materials, offering gentle guidance, and encouraging children to explore their ideas. Through process art, children develop a love for creating, one that is driven by their interests and inspirations. This is very important in early childhood, as it sets a foundation for positive attitudes towards learning and self-expression.

In an educational landscape that sometimes leans heavily on assessment and measurement, process art stands out as a reminder that not all learning needs to be quantified. It celebrates the journey of exploration, helping children build resilience and self-confidence while discovering the joy of creating something that is truly their own.

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Process art is an approach to art-making that emphasizes the creative process rather than the end result. In early childhood education and care, process art can have many benefits for young children, such as:

1. Process art allows children to experiment with different materials, colours, and textures, and encourages them to express themselves in their unique way.
2. in process-oriented art, the act of painting, drawing, and manipulating materials is more important than the product; it can help develop a child’s fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and dexterity.
3. Process art allows children to explore their ideas and make their own choices, which can help build their confidence and independence.
4. When children engage in process art, they often face challenges and obstacles that require problem-solving skills and critical thinking.
5. A lot of children may manifest sensory processing disorders early on. Exposing children to a lot of new sensory experiences can be very helpful. Process art can engage all of the senses, from the feel of the materials to the smell of the paint, which can enhance a child’s sensory awareness and help them understand the world around them.
6. When children work on art projects together, they learn to collaborate, share materials, and communicate their ideas, which can help build their social skills and foster a sense of community.

Process art activities

Here are some examples of process art I have done with children.

Salad spinner

Melting crayons

Hammer prints

Shaving cream art

And more examples on my FB book page

What are your favourite process art experiences and tools?

Process Art in Early Years: Research

Research on process art in early childhood education talks about its role in fostering creativity, self-expression, and emotional well-being, moving away from product-focused art that emphasizes specific outcomes. Zhou et al. (2024) explore the psychological benefits of art in early childhood, noting that it allows children to express themselves freely, fostering mental health and emotional growth through a collaborative, iterative approach that includes children, teachers, and community members. Similarly, Larina and Dolia (2023) highlight how arts education in preschool settings can shape aesthetic sensibilities and develop children’s creative competence through hands-on engagement. This developmental approach is further expanded by Hayes et al. (2021), who document a two-year co-mentoring program between early childhood educators and artists, revealing that collaborative exchanges not only enhance pedagogical practices but also cultivate a reflective and process-oriented mindset among educators. Atkinson (2014) challenges traditional views by focusing on the importance of art as a process, wherein children’s interactions with materials enable them to construct personal meanings beyond predetermined educational goals. ]Another researcher Thompson (2015) argues that educators’ focus on “process over product” helps children embrace art as a dynamic medium for exploration and self-discovery, which can lead to more genuine engagement and developmentally appropriate learning experiences. Together, these studies reflect a shift toward valuing the journey of artistic expression with a focus on children’s experiences over achieving a specific artistic product and showing how this approach supports cognitive, social, and emotional growth in early childhood settings.

Process art and theory

Freud’s theory of development, particularly during the phallic stage (ages three to six), highlights how children begin to explore their environment, express their desires, and test boundaries. This is exactly what happens when young children engage in process art. Rather than focusing on a perfect end result, process art lets children make their own choices and create freely. It’s a way for them to express feelings they might not yet have words for.

In process art, they can play with textures, colours, and shapes, gaining a sense of control over what they’re making. Freud believed that these kinds of activities help children understand and manage their impulses, allowing them to grow in a healthy, balanced way. The freedom they experience in process art aligns well with his ideas about the importance of unstructured play for emotional growth and self-expression.

References:

Atkinson, K. (2014). Everything in my hand: Reflecting on meanings and processes of art in early childhood settings. Journal of Childhood Studies, 39(2). https://doi.org/10.18357/JCS.V39I2.15222

Freud, S. (1905). Three Essays on the Theory of Sexuality. New York: Basic Books. (for foundational concepts on the phallic stage and the role of play in development)

Hayes, N., Maguire, J., & O’Sullivan, C. (2021). Professional development in arts education for early childhood education: A creative exchange model. International Journal of Early Childhood, 53(3), 235–249. https://doi.org/10.1007/S13158-021-00290-Y

Larina, I., & Dolia, Y. (2023). Preparation of the Maybe Family Factory for preschool education to artistic and aesthetic development of preschool children. Vitoki pedagogìčnoï majsternostì, 31, 283–293. https://doi.org/10.33989/2075-146x.2023.31.283336

Thompson, C. M. (2015). Prosthetic imaginings and pedagogies of early childhood art. Qualitative Inquiry, 21(4), 322–331. https://doi.org/10.1177/1077800415581892

Zhou, Y., Mao, W., Liang, G., Deng, Q., Chen, S., Cai, X., Wang, J., Xu, H., Jin, W., Wu, C., Pan, P., Li, J., Chen, Y., Yu, J., & Tang, S. (2024). The psychological construction of early childhood art education. International Journal of Social Science Research, 2(1), 15–25. https://doi.org/10.58531/ijssr/2/1/3

Art experiences to include in your early childhood program