Let Children Create Meaning in Outdoor Drawing Activities

Abstract

Children's participation in outdoor art-making activities is enabled to promote children's overall development. Systematic outdoor painting courses allow children to experience an intimate relationship with nature and beauty in an immersive artistic and natural atmosphere. This kind of outdoor original colors and items are closely related to them. The stimulation of children's senses is more direct and impactful on the development of children's visual capture and artistic thinking.

Based on years of research on children's outdoor art courses, I found that children can communicate with natural things. By guiding children to observe the essence of natural things, they can use art tools to express their emotions and creative intentions; even with simple lines and graphics, children can also create meaning rooted in their daily lives. In this process of contact with natural space, children's creativity and artistic expression will permeate their creations, and their personalities, emotions, and ideas are also released through outdoor painting. Moreover, children's image narrative, language expression, and interpersonal communication abilities have also been developed in sharing and appreciating works with each other. In addition, the participation of parents in outdoor painting courses also brings the parent-child relationship closer. The content and behavior of children's paintings allow parents to better understand their children's needs.

As an art curriculum researcher, creating an immersive art creation environment will encourage children to exert their subjective initiative and make meaning through "playing and learning" outdoors.