Exploring Shapes and Patterns: Preschool Art for Early Math Skills
Who would have guessed that art and math could complement each other? On the surface, it sounds like they are two completely different worlds, but in reality, by combining the creative aspects of art with concepts of math, children can learn and build their knowledge of math in a way that is more playful and engaging.
Unlock Early Math Skills Through Art
Play-based learning allows children to learn in a hands-on way, giving them a chance to explore concepts through curiosity, experimentation, and their own imagination. Math revolves around patterns, shapes, numbers, and comparisons. These things are all easily incorporated into art activities for preschoolers, utilizing creativity while engaging in important math skills such as:
- Shape Recognition: Shapes are used all across art! Identifying circles, squares, triangles, and other shapes can help improve spatial awareness and build a foundation for more complex concepts down the road. Explain shapes in a simple way for better understanding. For example, show how a square has four sides that match each other in size. Once you have shown a shape and explained the defining characteristics, you can ask them to find others.
- Patterns: Pattern creation and recognition builds logical thinking and problem-solving skills. The best explanation of a pattern is simply that it’s something that repeats. Find a household item to give a visual. For example, maybe a kitchen towel with colored stripes. You can show how the colors repeat, and ask them to guess what color would come next if the towel were to have more space.
- Comparison/Measurement: Comparing items or images with concepts like “bigger than” or “smaller than” helps kids put the world into perspective while developing measurement skills and logical thinking. Common household items and a ruler or tape measure can help explain this concept.
- Symmetry/Tessellation: Discovering how shapes fit together can help introduce geometric principles in a more understandable way. To show symmetry, consider folding a piece of paper in half and drawing half a heart, then cutting it out. Once the child opens it, they’ll see that both sides are exactly the same.
There are many ways to incorporate mathematical concepts into art projects. Here are some simple, creative ways to do just that:
- Shape Collages: Provide paper, glue, and a pile of paper shapes in varying colors and sizes. Encourage them to create a piece of art by gluing the shapes to the paper any way they’d like! As they are working, discuss the shapes they are using.
- Pattern Printing: Get creative with household items and paint! There are several things that can be used for this activity – such as a kitchen sponge or a potato cut in half! Have your child dip the “stamp” in paint and create their own repeating items on paper. Challenge them to create different patterns, pointing out the repetitive aspects of each.
- Nature Hunt: Get some fresh air! Go on a nature walk to collect different shapes found along the way – round rocks, triangular leaves, rectangular bark, etc. For extra fun, create crayon rubbings of your finds! Place the item under a piece of paper and rub the front of the paper with the side of a crayon, bringing an image of the item onto the paper.
- Pattern Jewelry: Work on those fine motor skills like practicing patterns! Provide string or pipe cleaners and a variety of colored beads. Encourage your child to create a piece of jewelry with a pattern of their choice!
Enrich Your Child’s Education at The Blue Elephant Learning Center
There’s no end to the possibilities when it comes to using art as a means of education, not just with math but across all subjects! Expanding creativity to enrich learning is a core belief here at The Blue Elephant Learning Center. We offer part-time and full-time care from infancy program through school age, including the preschool curriculum in Frisco.
To learn more about our program, feel free to call us at 469.287.0332 or schedule a tour of our Frisco preschool!