• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Start Here
  • Homeschooling
  • Shop
  • Member Log In
  • Cart

Gift of Curiosity

Sparking children's creativity and learning

  • Holidays
  • Seasons
  • Subject Areas
  • Themes
  • Age
Home
  • Blog
    • Holidays
    • Seasons
    • Subject Areas
    • Themes
    • Age
  • Start Here
  • Homeschool
  • Shop
  • Member Log In
  • Cart

Process art vs. product art: What is the difference?

7 Comments Toddler, Preschool, Kindergarten, 1st Grade, 2nd Grade, 3rd Grade, 4th Grade, 5th Grade

Sharing is caring - thank you for spreading the word!

1.2K shares
  • Share95
  • Twitter
  • Email

This post may contain affiliate ads at no cost to you. See my disclosures for more information.

Children’s art can generally be broken down into two different categories: PROCESS and PRODUCT.

So, what is the difference between process art vs. product art? And why does this difference matter?

Process art vs. product art: What's the difference? And why does it matter? Great tips from a child development professional on engaging your children in process-oriented art activities. | #artsandcrafts #giftofcuriosity #handsonlearning || Gift of Curiosity

What is the difference between process art and product art?

The quick answer to this question is that with process art, the value is in the experience of creating the artwork and exploring materials and techniques.

In contrast, with product art the value is in the final result rather than in the experience of producing it.

With process art:

  • There are few, if any, directions to be followed
  • There is no right or wrong way to do the project
  • Children focus on creatively exploring the materials, tools, and techniques
  • Every finished product will look different
  • The role of the adult is to encourage and support children’s creative process

With product art:

  • There are step-by-step instructions that must be followed
  • There is one right way to do the project
  • Children focus on getting the final product to look right
  • Every finished product will look essentially the same
  • The role of the adult is to ensure children’s final product is done correctly

I am not denying that there is value in having children create art as a product. Some benefits include learning how to follow multi-step directions and developing fine motor skills like tracing and cutting.

However, product-oriented art does little to stimulate playful creativity. Nor does it give children opportunities to think outside the box and try new things.

So today I’m going to talk about the value of process-oriented art for children.

Process art vs. product art: What's the difference? And why does it matter? Great tips from a child development professional on engaging your children in process-oriented art activities. | #artsandcrafts #giftofcuriosity #handsonlearning || Gift of Curiosity

Why are process-oriented art experiences important for children?

Process-oriented art experiences, by their very nature, facilitate exploration, creativity, and relaxation. They stimulate out-of-the-box thinking and can lead to new discoveries – qualities we need to nurture in our future leaders and innovators!

Process-oriented art facilitates self-expression and encourages children to make connections to the world around them. When children engage in art as a process, they have opportunities to predict, plan, compare, and problem solve. They also get to feel a sense of ownership and pride in their original creations.

 
 

Tips for engaging children in art as a process

You do not have to follow all of these tips every single time, but these are some great guidelines to keep in mind when giving your children opportunities to engage in process-oriented art experiences.

  • Provide a variety of different materials for children to use (paper, ripped newsprint, paint, string, leaves, glue, buttons, glitter, markers, clay, tissue paper, etc.).
  • Allow plenty of time for children to explore and create.
  • Say “yes” to the creative ideas your children come up with for their artwork.
  • When commenting on your children’s work, say things like “Tell me more about this,” “How might you use this material in your artwork?” and “How did you come up with that idea?”
  • Teach techniques, not products. For example, teach children how they can use a tape resist technique to create lines in their art or how they can use a paint dripping technique to make splotches on their paper.
Process art vs. product art: What's the difference? And why does it matter? Great tips from a child development professional on engaging your children in process-oriented art activities. | #artsandcrafts #giftofcuriosity #handsonlearning || Gift of Curiosity

Not all art will be “wall worthy” – and that’s okay!

My children do a lot of art. Some of it is beautiful, and I jokingly refer to it as “wall worthy.” A lot of my kids’ artwork ends up on a wall somewhere in our home.

But sometimes they create art that doesn’t look “beautiful” at the end and I don’t put everything they make up on a wall. And that’s okay too.

When art is a process rather than a product, the value of the activity was in the making of the art rather than in the final product. The value is in the free exploration, creative process, and the hands-on experience.

Adults need to understand that simply doing art has intrinsic value, even if the final product isn’t something you’d want to hang on the wall or save in a scrapbook.

Process art activities

Here are just a few process-oriented art activities you may like to do with your children:

  • Coffee filter chromatography
  • Blow art monsters
  • Watercolor painting on paper towels
  • Painting with strings
  • Leaf collages
  • Aluminum foil paintings
  • Recycled paper with nature accents
  • Cut up art
  • Cornstarch bead sculptures
  • Tape resist watercolor painting
  • Colored glue monsters
  • Easy seed medallions
  • Sun prints
 

More arts and crafts resources

Note: For more kid-friendly craft projects, see my Arts and Crafts for Kids page and my Arts and Crafts Pinterest board. 

Follow Katie @ Gift of Curiosity’s board Arts and crafts on Pinterest.

Filed Under: Toddler, Arts and Crafts, Preschool, Kindergarten, 1st Grade, 2nd Grade, 3rd Grade, 4th Grade, 5th Grade

You May Also Enjoy These Posts

10 owl crafts for kids“Magic” melting pumpkins {Halloween science and fine motor activity}Arctic Animals 3-Part Cards {Montessori}

Reader Interactions

7 Comments

  1. Lila

    February 5, 2019 at 9:44 am

    I LOVE this article! Thank you so much for posting it. I teach Early Head Start (ages 6 weeks to 36 months) and we are only really allowed to do process art! This article really helped me see the value and gave me some great ideas for future projects! I will definitely share it with my fellow teachers and others! Thank you!

    Reply to this comment
    • Katie

      February 5, 2019 at 11:25 am

      Thank you for letting me know this article has helped you in your work. All the best to you and your students!

      Reply to this comment
  2. Yue Gao

    February 3, 2020 at 10:36 am

    Thank you for letting me know this article. Letting me know the difference between process art and product art. Process-oriented art experiences important for children!

    Reply to this comment
  3. Anne Talberth

    December 29, 2020 at 1:23 pm

    Thank you for reiterating the importance of Process art. Surprisingly ,there are still so many centers that insist on using those “cookie cutter”type projects all because the “parents like them”. With all the pieces precut out for the kids, there’s almost no learning or skill development involved. I love that I found your blog. !!! Thank you again for sharing your knowledge with us!!

    Reply to this comment
    • Katie

      December 29, 2020 at 4:52 pm

      I’m glad you found me and that we share some similar ideas. 🙂

      Reply to this comment
  4. Veronica Riley says

    June 29, 2021 at 1:53 pm

    I truly enjoyed learning about the process art and product art. I think this is something i will introduce to the center i work in. thank you.

    Reply to this comment
  5. munchkin

    September 1, 2021 at 2:01 pm

    A great article on difference between process art and product art. Really enjoyed reading it.

    Reply to this comment

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Hey there, I’m Katie

I help parents who are transitioning into homeschooling shed old mindsets and embrace their homeschooling superpowers so they can create a homeschool they love where their children will thrive.

Learn more about me and what I do HERE.

Hands-On

Get 10 ideas for easy, hands-on activities you can do with your kids TODAY to make learning more fun.

Check out these related products in the shop!

Toddler Skills Pack Bundle

Preschool Math Pack Bundle

Printables Pack Bundle

Measurement Activity Packs Bundle

Volcano Printables Bundle

Shop All Resources

  • Contact
  • About Me

Copyright © 2022 Gift of Curiosity  •  All Rights Reserved  •  Privacy  •  Terms of Use  •  Site Design by Emily White Designs

Posting....