Why a 4 year old does not need art classes

Of late I have had many parents ask me if I conduct art classes for 4 year olds (or even younger ones, sometimes). I have had to politely say 'No' ! Most parents feel a little disappointed ....after all, their child draws well, is really keen on drawing and painting, and is always engaged in doodling ..and they feel with guidance their child can be much better at art ... so, why do I say No ??

Well,  really younger children need to have a LOT of freedom to express themselves. I feel that as grown ups we have a tendency to interfere ...even in a well meaning way, and that can be quite discouraging to a child that age. Second, children below 5 years are usually not great at listening, and want to exercise their free will !! So really, putting a child in a formal setting curtails that freedom, and there is really no art instruction that can happen. If the idea is to encourage the child to freely express themselves, is'nt home the best place to do it ?

So what can we do as parents ?
Let you child try a variety of art media ... get them finger paints, poster colors, sponge (instead of brushes) , crayons, rangoli powder, playdoh (or atta flour), sand, glue, color paper, glitter colors ...anything ! Try different sizes - give them full size chart papers, get a white board/ black board at home (if you care about the walls in your house :) )
Introduce these one at a time, so that the child does not feel overwhelmed !

Also, don't fret if she draws the same thing over and over again. That is really how they establish their mastery on a subject that captures their fancy ! (I used to mostly draw just women until I was in college !! In fact I was obsessed with drawing just my feet for a whole year in college ...so for a 4 year old being obsessed with fans, or flowers or buses ..is really nothing to worry about !!  :) )

And they have finished one amazing work of art ..take some time to talk to them about it. Ask the child to explain the piece of art. Let her narrate the story behind what she has drawn. That is the real encouragement you can give your child. Try to not be critical or even give constructive feedback on her art. She is too young to even know that art is expected to be 'good'. In her eyes, she is not creating a masterpiece...she is expressing herself and her world (real or imagined) and any suggestion to improve could just mean her world is not good enough for you !! Be generous in your appreciation. Put up her work for display in a prominent place in your house. Show it off to your guests.