Process VS Product – what’s the difference?

As we know, our children grow up so quickly! The early years is the best time to be able to encourage them to explore, create, be unique and express themselves as individuals. As the busy festive period approaches, some families may look forward to their little ones bringing home themed creations that are an exact likeness of, for example, a pumpkin or a snowman. But is this really your child’s work? Is that how they represent that object? And the biggest question of all, is that really their work?

We know from times gone by that around this time of the year practitioners have been known to sit children down one by one at the table with a piece of card, chosen by them folded in half. They would then proceed to paint our hand brown and press it down onto the card ensuring it didn’t smudge. They would then stick on some googly eyes and say “look, you’ve made a reindeer” (cue a conveyer belt of ‘reindeers’ making their way out of the door at home time) This is known as product art where the result is the focus of the experience. So many exciting and valuable learning experiences can be overlooked following this method.

Process art has a very different take on what being creative is to our children. It shows that we love and respect them enough to allow them to create a card, picture or drawing special enough to give to their loved one. That is UNIQUE to them, created with love and freedom of expression, instead of a directing hand, pointing where to position and stick! This is the kind of experience that we provide at Banana Moon. Surely as parents, you would much prefer a piece of artwork lovingly and painstaking created by your child, rather than a replica, copy or imitation of something the educator has DECIDED everyone MUST create. As they get older, their marks will become more refined, so this initial expressive element of this process is so very important.

Our children are researchers in their own learning and not empty vessels to be filled with our own preconceived ideas or adults thinking. So, if your child presents you with a piece of paper with a green splodge with a variety of pom poms, lolly sticks and glitter stuck to it and tells you it’s Santa, go with it!