How to Set up an Art Center- For Teachers

 The Art center is a place where students can go to express their feelings, ideas, and be creative! Every child is an artist in the Art center! It is a place that promotes high level thinking, problem solving, and is rich in vocabulary.  Students can learn and develop skills in all learning domains (language, literacy, math, science, social studies, fine motor, gross motor, and social skills) through art.  It is an amazing place in your classroom if you are intentional with the materials and experiences you plan and set up for your students.

We all know students learn by doing, exploring, and getting messy.  Having a variety of materials and rotating materials in your art is SUPER important! I add or remove items from my Art center based on student interest and what we are learning about (theme).  Some materials are always in my center.  These materials are: construction paper, white paper, grid paper, crayons, markers, glue, scissors, paint, play dough, stencils, dot markers, tape, paper shapes, paper/foam letters, feathers, tissue paper and trays. Some of the materials I rotate are oil pastels, watercolors, sand, clay, Model Magic, paint sticks, various collage materials, items from nature (ex: leaves, pine cones, shells, rocks, flowers, sticks), buttons, crepe paper beads, yarn, ribbon, recycled items (ex: bottle caps, cardboard, newspapers), wood pieces, pom poms, stamps, playdoh tools, playdoh scissors, playdoh manipulatives, and painting tools (ex: marbles, cotton swabs, tooth brushes).

Label everything you can in the center to make clean up easier and to help students find the materials they need.  My rule is that anything students see on the art shelves, they can use at any time.  The things I don’t want them use, I put away in a cabinet.  Labels show students (and teachers) where the items belong.  It makes clean up easier and helps students become independent in your classroom so they won’t have to ask you for what they need.  Instead they will be able to find it themselves in the center. Don’t forget to have the words paired with a picture on your labels! 

Post student artwork in the center to inspire other artists! Create an art gallery for the art center.  You can use real picture frames, paper (like I did), or hang 3D art from the ceiling (if you are allowed to).

Every Art center needs an easel.  When students are creating art at the easel, they are strengthening their upper arms and core muscles! I took my easel apart to make the two sides sit side by side.  This way students can share materials, have conversations about their art, and observe their friends creating art at the easel which allows students to practice and develop their social skills!  These no-spill paint cups are perfect for the easel and the students can match the color brush to the color paint lid.

Each week you probably have to plan art activities or add something new to your art center.  Be intentional when you plan! You know your students.  Think about and reflect on your students. What do they love? What art media interests them (what do they always pick)? What are they talking about in class? What are they observing? What materials are they asking for? What skills do they need to develop? Observe your students in the art center and examine their artwork.  Let students take the lead, they are showing you through their play and art what they are interested in.   Don’t just plan an activity because you did it last year.  Plan an activity because your students will love it and grow from it!