Family Activity Sheets for Ages 3+ (Dundee Contemporary Arts): A set of four double-sided activity sheets inspired by exhibitions at DCA

Holly Rumble (Artist)

Research output: Non-textual formDesign

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Abstract

In 2022, Holly Rumble (Art at the Start) conducted research into how families with young children used DCA’s activity sheets. She wanted to find out if the same activity could be suitable for both 3-year-old and 5-year-old children, and what support parents might need to use the sheets independently with their children. The research has resulted in a redesign of the four activities used in the study.
She found that younger children lost focus if an activity appeared to have two distinct tasks, and so has designed an ‘extension task’ for older children. This appears on the reverse of the new sheets.
She also found that some parents needed reassurance that it was fine for their child to “go off on a tangent” and that they didn’t have to “create something that's perfect. It's more about just having fun.” The new sheets deliberately use a loose illustration of the stages and outcomes, so that parents do not feel that they must make their child’s artwork look like the example on the sheet.
Finally, there were many comments about first-time scissor use being “stressy” and so the new sheets include tips about how to support the child’s early experiences with scissors. Again, it may mean allowing time to explore, rather than cutting perfect lines.
The sheets also include a brief note to indicate which developmental skills the activity may encourage. These are also based on observations made during the study. These include prosocial skills, such as collaboration and turn taking, and fine motor skills, such as using pencils or scissors.
Original languageEnglish
Place of PublicationDundee
PublisherDundee Contemporary Arts
Media of outputOther
Publication statusPublished - 1 Apr 2023

Keywords

  • Art
  • Learning
  • Family
  • Child development
  • Social and emotional development

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