Increasing Creative Activity in 7 – 8-year-old Children through Unconventional Use of Art Materials

Understanding the possibilities of different art materials and their active use lies at the core of art education in primary school. The variety of techniques and materials used in different art forms provides children with a broad field for overall creative expression. Involving unconventional ways of using these materials stimulates imagination and enhances creativity and fantasy. The article examines several non-standard approaches to working with art materials and traces the development of the image within the creative process during art education of 7 – 8-year-old children. The research tasks are related to familiarizing pupils with the possibilities of certain art materials and using them in unconventional ways, increasing their knowledge of the respective techniques, and improving their practical skills in working with them. The need for fully exploiting the potential of materials and tools in order to achieve aesthetically high-quality images is substantiated. As a result of the conducted experiment, it was found that pupils who use art materials in a non-standard way become more familiar with their potential in an accessible manner and gain greater confidence and freedom. Interest in artistic activity grows, creative engagement increases, and the aesthetic qualities and emotional impact of the drawings improve.