Busy Little Hands: Art Play!: Activities for Preschoolers

Love this book! Process art can seem super intimidating. I drool over photos online of super complex projects, but it can just seem like so much work to prepare projects and so many materials to source and buy. This book breaks several projects down into super simple preparations for parents/teachers with materials you likely already have. Process art allows your child to express their creativity in their own way without needing to follow a bunch of complicated instructions and that is exactly what this book gives them the power to do. The pages are beautiful with great photos and graphics, but are also super durable for little hands.

We have a small library of "activity books" in our living room and Art Play gets the most action of all of them. The pictures are engaging, the set-ups are simple, and the limited text means that my almost-3-year-old can choose and help to set up her "activity" with more independence - she's not relying on an adult to decode the writing. My kid is really into process art, so most of our "activity books" are within that genre, but what sets Art Play apart is that it incorporates movement - drawing while dancing or upside down or moving a toy - so she's exploring bigger movements of her body as she develops the fine motor skills, coordination, and creativity that you would expect from a process art project.

We are lucky enough to live locally and have attended in-studio classes at Homegrown Studios for years. Art Play truly embodies the goals of the studio and Meredith's easy, confident art guidance. The ethos is process art. It's not about your child creating a perfect ladybug or snowman that all look the same - it's about the feel of the playdough, noticing how paint mixes with oil or water, and most of all, for children to feel "in tune" with what they're creating and to express themselves through creativity. This is a must-buy for children of all ages! I love that she adapts the art activities to meet many different age and developmental levels.The book is super easy to follow. Children can leaf through and easily pick which activity they'd like to try next. Most of the materials we already have at home. We will love this for years to come!

Very accessible activities with fairly basic supplies. The activities are exciting to children. The actual book is well made & kid friendly. Love the ease of “parent prep” caption & the little captions about what they are gaining developmentally from each activity.

I received this book over the weekend and have already used one of the activities today for my home preschool. As an early educator, I am always looking for easy-to-use idea books that promote open-ended and imaginative play and activities. This saved me tons of time browsing Pinterest or Google because I will be able to use EVERY ONE of these activities with my preschoolers! I love how each activity is laid out with lots of photos to show the process. There is a little section that explains any set up for the adult and then the steps clearly laid out in photos which is perfect for kids (or any visual learners). The diversity in the book is refreshing and the bright, happy colors are engaging and make you want to try them all! As an educator, I also have a ton of idea books in my collection. This book isn't as bulky and heavy as some and I appreciate that. This is well worth the price and the perfect gift for an educator, parent, or anyone who provides activities for kids. I'm putting this book on my list of "books to give as gifts" and I REALLY hope there will be another one someday. I love following Meredith on Instagram and getting ideas from her. Thanks for this gem of a book!

This book is fantastic not a lot of supplies or steps required for my toddlers to make some epic art. I also love that it has a spot for ideas on organizing all the art supplies. Here my little one is doing the salt and water colors project found in the book. Can’t recommend enough not only will your little ones have fun with this book but so will you (no matter what your art level is at).

I love this book and my kids love this book! The pictures make it easy for preschoolers and elementary age kids to follow. This book has inspired my first grader and preschooler to create. I am a stronger believer in process art and this book is a good place to start. Highly recommend. Great gift with some basic art supplies for any kid.

Beautiful quality book full of AWESOME engaging and easy activities!!! My kids can't wait to try them all. Pages are thick and sturdy, easy for little ones to "do it self" and book is well laid out with pictures and visual as well as written instructions.

LOVED this messy play and crafts ideas! Adds a few more good ideas I haven't thought of in over 10 years of working with toddlers. Really love the pictures and my toddler loves choosing which activities to do.

This book is even more amazing than I thought it would be. I teach preschool and I will happily be using the activities with my students. This book was so thought out from the directions, pictures, quality. A lot of love and knowledge went into the creation of this book. I highly HIGHLY recommend Art Play.