The Child Development Center hosted its annual “Through the Eyes of the Child” exhibition from April 22-25. The exhibition showcased the children of the CDC’s art and photography. Through their hard work, viewers can view things the way children do. The colorful and imaginative exhibition draws individuals into the corner of the library. From photographs taken by children to clay art, the widespread use of artistic forms is spectacular.
As attendees enter the exhibition, they are greeted by a slideshow of images taken by children. Seeing different objects from a child’s perspective shows viewers what catches children’s attention. The idea of using photography in the exhibition shows the variation of art forms offered to children in the CDC.
The toddlers of the CDC showcased their art by playing with clay on a painting canvas. The toddlers could freely immerse themselves within this piece of art, not having to follow specific rules or guidelines. On the clay art wall, the teachers describe how this art form benefits children at this age. The teachers who helped coordinate this exhibition share, “Clay is a quite compelling form of learning for toddlers. It captivates the child’s interest and curiosity while covering many developmental domains, such as fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, spatial awareness, self-expression, problem-solving, and literacy and numeracy concepts.” Though art can be a fun hobby for children of this age, it is also a way for children to develop lifelong skills.
Students also used the clay to create farm animals, sculpting them into shapes of farm animals. The intricate painting also shows attendees the attention to detail the children take upon themselves to show through their art. Not only is the painting eye-catching, so is the clay formation of the animals.
The students took a trip under the sea, inspired by books they read in class. Using what they learned from the books and through their imagination, students drew and created animals with paper mache. Impressively, the students formed animals such as puffer fish, octopus and jellyfish. Students also drew fish, formed sea dollars in mold and created tentacles of jellyfish by placing paper in place of the tentacles.
CDC is making learning fun for developing children, ensuring their ways of teaching are fun for their students. Highlighting their hard work in class outside of the classroom can instill a sense of accomplishment in these young students. Encouraging children within art and allowing them to be free to explore different art forms can lead to potential benefits in the future. The colorful and abstract art displayed shows how children view the world around them.
