Does anyone have any ideas for open ended art activities for children?

You want me to get started on this? LOL

How about I give you a book suggestion.

Creative Art for the Developing Child by Clare Cherry

Please remember that with many art ideas on the web...that really they are more "crafts" with a specific outcome. :-) Your best bet is to routinely change out your collage materials.

Painting: regular paint the first day and provide "texture" for the children to add on their own the following days...sand, coffee grounds etc.

Sand: Glue bottle, paper/cardboard, colored sand in shakers, pan to "dump" the extra off. This is ALWAYS a favorite.

Involve the children in creating different types of paint brushes. The most recent ones we made were feathers (bird week). We attached feathers with masking tape to the end of a craft sticks. I kept hearing "cool!" from them.

Coffee filters, washable markers, spray bottles

Watercolors: wet paper, dry paper, crumpled paper, watercolor paints, watercolor pencils and water/paint brushes, homemade water colors (it dries more powdery), painting with jello

Chalk: black paper, light paper, wet paper, dry paper, dry sidewalk/wet sidewalk

Oh, the list goes on. Check out that book...it's a great resource.

1. perpetual preschool.com

2. Books by Maryann Kohl.

3. Books by Bev Bos

4. the ooeygooeylady website.

Anything with paint, play dough, glueing paper, and materials for writing and drawing. You can just have materials on a work space that children can access during a free time. They don't have to have a goal for their creation just an imagination.

Check out Usborne Books - they have wonderful references such as Big Book of Playtime Activities and Big Book of Things to Do. Find them at http://www.ubah.com/g2687

Marble painting, add modeling clay, add different types of paper to create with, make collages. www.perpetualpreschool.com is a great website.

Create your favourite nursery rhyme character. This allows free choice of subject and materials and they can't get it wrong!

create a 3d model of your favorite animal out of recycled products??