Why Not?
The word aesthetic may seem difficult to understand,
but learning through sensory experiences is not.
Here are some goals and activities for teaching aesthetics to very young children. They have been taken or interpreted from the CEMREL Aesthetic Education Program. For more information on that program, please read the paper under the CEMREL tab above. The premise of aesthetic education for beginners is to use your senses to become consciously aware of your environment.
Goals for Aesthetic Education
To show students that everything in our environment can be experienced through our senses /
To improve students ability to recognize these experiences /
To show students how the arts contribute to sensory experiences in our environment /
To help students compare different art forms in order to enhance their response to the arts /
To involve students in sensory, creative, and critical processes /
To introduce students to different points of view about sensory experiences and the arts in order to help them develop their own point of view /
To show the relevance of the arts to the individual and to society /
To improve students ability to recognize these experiences /
To show students how the arts contribute to sensory experiences in our environment /
To help students compare different art forms in order to enhance their response to the arts /
To involve students in sensory, creative, and critical processes /
To introduce students to different points of view about sensory experiences and the arts in order to help them develop their own point of view /
To show the relevance of the arts to the individual and to society /
Objectives for Kindergarten Aesthetic Education
- Because space, light, sound, and motion are everywhere in our environment, aesthetic education begins with recognizing their sensory qualities...
1. Become familiar with the sensory qualities of space, light, sound, and motion
2. Engage in sensory experiences with space, light, sound, and motion
3. Begin developing a vocabulary to talk about art
4. Create art works using space, light, sound, and motion
1. Become familiar with the sensory qualities of space, light, sound, and motion
2. Engage in sensory experiences with space, light, sound, and motion
3. Begin developing a vocabulary to talk about art
4. Create art works using space, light, sound, and motion
Aesthetic Activities for Kindergarten Learners
Space- Go on a space hunt! Find different spaces in the room based on their description
- Arrange your classmates to see how distance plays a role in your perception of size -Discover the difference between 2-D and 3-D space by examining geometric shapes and forms - Observe the illusion of space in art - Rearrange the room based on the purpose of the space |
Light-Cover your eyes, then try to perform tasks such as moving about the room, identifying objects, and naming sounds. What is the importance of light in doing these things?
-Explore the room using a flashlight with the lights turned out. -Explore the room while looking through colored cellophane -Make shadow puppets and perform a play -Learn about an artist that uses art and sound or art and motion in their work |
Sound- Explore the sounds around you. What sounds do you hear?
-Experiment with making sounds, collecting sounds, and manipulating sounds - Using your mouth, hands, and feet to make music with pitch, rhythm, and dynamics -Play with musical instruments -Make musical instruments -Create a musical composition on your instruments -List things that make sounds |
Motion- Go on a motion hunt - Show how motion is everywhere!
-Discover how important sight and touch are in sensing motion. Try closing your eyes to sense motion. -Make a list of things that move. What moves quickly? What moves slowly? -React to art and music by dancing. -Make a movie of things that don't move and things that do. Compare the two. -Play with water in a Ziploc bag. Add small objects and/or food coloring. Shine a light through the water. How does it change? |
A Few Digital Resources to Use With Kindergarteners and Suggested Activities
Have the children compare Vincent Van Gogh's Starry Night with a contemporary light and sound installation.
Try playing the video without sound. Try playing music with the painting.
-Describe what you see. Make a list of descriptive words. -How are they similar? How are they different? -How do the artists show light? -How do the artists show motion? -Which do you like better? Why? Many artists play with the illusion of space. Look at illusions with the children and ask how they think illusions are created.
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If you have IPads in your classroom, there are many apps that involve light, sound, and motion. Here are a few for children to experiment with:
-Let's Create Pottery -Glow Fire Totems -Artisan -Art in Motion -Singing Fingers -Music Sparkles Try collecting sounds from freesound.org and manipulate them using the audacity download.
Making shadow puppets and a theater put space, light, sound, and motion into action.
-Making shadow puppets |