Transient Art

Transient art

Transient art means using items to create art that isn’t permanent. There is no preconceived outcome. The process of the art can be developed over time and added to. Transient art uses loose parts and natural items such as pinecones, pebbles and leaves. It’s the perfect way for children to create a connection with nature in the early years.

Each season offers a wealth of very different nature that can be used alongside loose parts for children to explore as well as create their art work from.

Materials

Items you can provide for transient art include; stones, twigs, leaves, shells, beads, feathers, matchsticks, pompoms, pinecones, bark shapes, acorns, conkers, petals, moss, ribbons, mirrors.

Offer children a range of loose parts and nature displayed in baskets or trays to choose from. Guide children to be inspired by the natural world around them and use this as a basis for their creations. For example, in spring, beautiful blossoms begin to bloom on trees and from the ground. Providing children with blank templates, bare trees and twigs to explore the concept of spring will allow them to make sense of the world around them. For young children, this will be their first memorable experience of nature growing. They can use art to understand and explore this. Educators can facilitate the children’s language and curiosity naturally by introducing terms such as bud, spring, growth, petal etc… whilst the children play.

Themes

Adding a theme to the loose parts offered could determine what the children use them for. For example, items with a Christmas theme, including stars and reindeer, may guide the children to create Christmas/winter themed art. This is not always the case as children see things differently to adults. The beauty of transient art with loose parts is that the children are free to explore them as they wish (without adult intervention).

Transient art outdoors

It is important for children to experience transient art outdoors as well as indoors.

When working outdoors with different materials, children can extend their ideas. This can be done by collecting their own nature to add to the images made. Adding items such as cable reels, small tables and shelves also allows children to create using different dimensions. These can include height and balance. Their art does not have to be 2D and can be made into structures where items are piled, stacked and balanced.

Children’s creative imagination is a wonderful thing. Transient art is a way to develop children’s early decision making skills. It allows them to use all of their senses and builds on their problem solving skills. There are plenty of benefits to providing loose parts to children for exploring.