What Should You Do About All The Preschool Artwork?

Did your child bring home a big shopping bag of art from preschool?

As the school year wraps up, there are so many projects coming home.

The piles and piles of artwork. These piles are going to add to the piles we already have. So, let's talk about what you can do with all that art…

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First, let me start by telling you a little story.

It was the last day of preschool and I was standing with another mom on the sidelines of the playground, watching our sweaty, watermelon-stained boys run around. She was holding a brown supermarket bag bursting at the seams with oversized paintings and a sculpture made of clay, beads and wire. As she shifted the bag in her arms, a painting fell out and caught on the wire. Her son's painting tore and she was devastated. As I comforted her, I told her that most of the contents of our bag were going into the trash after a few days. She was floored. Didn't I feel guilty?

I explained that as a former teacher, I understood that most of this work had already done the job that it was intended to do. I believe that art for young children is about the experience of creating- the sensation of the paint as it rolls against the paper, the freedom to make decisions like which colors to use, and how big of a glue puddle to create. Don't get me wrong, I wasn't going to dump our bag in the trash barrel at the park and walk away. Instead, we would go home, take everything out of the bag, and I would encourage my son show us all of his work. We'd decide on a few pieces to hang in our home and maybe mail one or two pieces to the grandparents. We'd photograph some of the more important pieces and then decide what to recycle and what to put in the trash.

5 Ways to Reuse Your Child’s Artwork

Grab one of those old preschool paintings and tape it down flat to the the table. Odds are, your child created that painting standing up at the easel, so placing it down flat offers a new perspective. Take out some markers, stickers, or fresh paint. Allow your child to revisit their work and add to it.
Use large drawings or paintings as wrapping paper. Kids love to gift their art work and this is a great way to do it. Let them have at it with a roll of tape (we love this rainbow tape) and do the wrapping for you. It might not come out professional looking, but its a great fine motor activity and it will give your child a sense of pride.
Recycle old art work by cutting it into small shapes for collage. Put out the pieces on a tray with glue and a piece of sturdy paper or cardboard and let your child make something new! It is amazing how these things turn out the second and third time around. Plus, you win, because your child is engaged in a non-screen activity and you didn’t even buy anything!
Post it! Mail that painting to a friend or grandparent. Brainstorm a list of people who might like to receive mail. Help your child fold their work and place it in an envelope. Show them how you address it, and let your child decorate the envelope. Head to the post office together and mail out the package, allowing your child to take the lead as much a possible. Boom. I just killed an entire morning for you! Your child and their grandparent will probably be very happy.
Have your child choose a painting they remember making. You know, that really special one that you can tell they spent ages on. Sit down with them and have them dictate a story about what is happening in the painting. It is okay if they make up something entirely new on the spot. It is the writing and sharing that matters here. Write down their words carefully (this is a great pre-reading exercise, btw). Later that evening, allow your child to present her painting to the family while you read her story out loud!