Make a Process Art Organizer and be ready on a moments notice to invite your kids to make art!
My son LOVES art!
It used the be the only thing that would keep his idol hands busy. He wasn’t the kind of 3 year old where you could set out crayons or markers and just let him have at it. I’d have to repaint many… many walls.
So once a week I’d dig out my art bin from the garage and lug it into the house, set up the art stuff & clean up and put it all away.
Necessity… the mother of all invention
I was tired of having to go out in the garage, dig around and gather up all of the materials and set up for art just to put it all away again. What if I fill an organizer with art supplies (the same way I filled the bowls or plates of art supplies) and then it would be all ready to go and he could clean it up all by himself!
Its SO easy to set up and I refresh supplies as needed which ends up being about once a month (we do art projects maybe twice a week for usually one child but sometimes have playdates).
Setting up your Process Art Organizer

Materials:
- Organizer with compartments, different sizes is helpful but not necessary
- Arts and Craft Supplies (I buy in bulk… Pom-poms, sequins, crayons, Googley-eyes, Construction or copy paper-cut to fit the compartment sizes, Craft sticks, beads, pipe cleaners, glue stick, washable markers, ribbons, etc.)
- Imagination
First
Go through your current arts and crafts supplies stash(you may be surprised to find you have more supplies thank you thought or maybe I just subconsciously hoard these). If you have a theme in mind or an up coming holiday you may select those colors for example red, white & pink for valentines day or green and red for Christmas or red white and blue for fourth of July.
Next
Place the materials in the organizer. The first time I prepared our art organizer I did this by myself but then I shifted to invite him to include the arts and crafts materials he wanted to use. I buy some supplies in bulk and they last us about a year & other supplies at the dollar store. All of the unused items are stored in a storage bin in the garage and that is how we replenish the process art organizer.
Finally
Set out the organizer and any other materials (paper, up cycled cardboard, etc.)necessary at a child sized table (for maximum independence). The first few times I sat with him to teach him how to clean up the bin (sequins go in the sequin compartment, crayons go with crayons, etc.). This is a practical way to teach sorting skills as well. The crayons are way easier to find when they’re all together.
What is process art?
Process art is a contemporary art movement where the focus is on the process of making art (and not the product). It is an opened invitation to create. See samples below:
-
Preschool Christmas Process Art -
Preschool Valentine’s Process Art -
Ocean Process Art
The NAEYC Characteristics of process-focused art experiences
NAEYC is the National Association for the Educating of Young Children
- No step-by-step instructions
- No sample for children to follow
- There is no right or wrong way to explore and create
- The art is focused on the experience and on exploration of techniques, tools, and materials
- The art is unique and original
- The experience is relaxing or calming
- The art is entirely the children’s own
- The art experience is a child’s choice
- Ideas are not readily available online”
LAUREL BONGIORNO, NAEYC
Please let me know how the process art organizer works for you!
Resources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Process_art
Characteristics of Process Art Expereinces
https://www.naeyc.org/resources/pubs/tyc/feb2014/process-art-experiences
