25 Projects for Art Explorers

With schools emphasizing STEM activities for children to meet curriculum goals for standardized testing, nurturing children’s artistic creativity is often given short shrift. Kirker’s fun resource aims to restore the balance, offering more than two dozen projects that will spark children’s interest in art and encourage creativity, collaboration, and critical thinking. Designed for kids aged 5-10, and flexible enough to use in either storytimes or classroom settings, the projects hereintroduce children to a variety of art techniques, from gouache and watercolor to collage and papermaking, using a curated selection of quality picture books;provide detailed directions for guiding children to experiment with these techniques to create their own projects; andinclude materials lists adaptable for any budget, capsule biographies of the picture books’ illustrators, programming tips, and links to additional resources.Kirker’s inventive projects will help library staff and educators reinforce learning, encourage experimentation, and build an appreciation for art and the creative process.

Christine Kirker is a library associate with the Carroll County (Maryland) Public Library. Since joining the library staff in 2005, Christine has developed and presented many programs for children of all ages, including monthly preschool science programs. She is the coauthor of Storytime Magic (ALA Editions, 2009), Kindergarten Magic (ALA Editions, 2011), and Multicultural Storytime Magic (ALA Editions, 2012). Previously, Christine spent ten years at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) as a research analyst for the Office of Institutional Research. She graduated from UMBC in 1992. Christine presents trainings and programs introducing ways to enhance storytimes through Storytime Stuff.