Ready to discover how collaborative art can turn any group into a creative team? Episode 1 introduces you to the playful, beginner-friendly Pattern Play approach—perfect for parents, teachers, and facilitators.
Welcome to Episode 1! I’m diving into what collaborative art is all about and why I’m so passionate about sharing it with you.
Discover how this simple, playful approach can turn any group into a creative team by painting together.
I’ll also introduce the 3 stages of 'Pattern Play Collaborative Art' so you can get started with confidence—even if you’re new to art.
Become introduced to the Pattern Play style of collaborative art!
Links and Resources:
Free Beginner’s Guide to Collaborative Art
Episode Transcript: Easy Collaborative Art Podcast — Episode 1: What Is Collaborative Art—and Why Does This Podcast Exist?
Podcast Home: Easy Collaborative Art Podcast
Below is a quick ‘How to Start’ guide if you’re wondering what collaborative art is and how to use it with younger children.
Imagine you are an early childhood educator with a class of preschoolers or kindergarten students and want to guide them through their very first group art project (without losing your mind).
Here’s a simple process you might follow:
Step 1: Messy Playing
Begin with play. Give each child a brush or sponge and let them explore bold strokes, dots, and swirls of colour. Don’t worry about neatness—this stage is all about fun, freedom, and getting comfortable. When children see their marks mixing together, they experience firsthand what collaborative art is: creating something as a group, not just alone.
Step 2: Exploring
Add simple, child-friendly patterns. Use the Pattern Play resources in the free Beginner's Guide or encourage the children to repeat shapes they already know—like circles, wiggly worms, or clusters of raindrops and Cat's Ears: 'V V'. They can copy patterns, or invent their own. Tip for teachers: provide a different brush size each layer so the children can notice how their artwork becomes more detailed. This step helps them see how their individual contributions connect to the larger group art project.
Step 3: Bling!
Invite the children to decorate. Paint pens or markers, stickers, or dot makers are perfect at this age. They can doodle around patterns, trace over lines, or add bright finishing touches with the stickers in little clusters. These stick-on gems or shiny dot stickers can add extra excitement. The bling step helps the artwork come together, and each child leaves proud of their part in the collaborative piece.
This simple process shows early childhood educators what collaborative art is in practice: a creative, beginner-friendly way to help children explore, play, paint and work together while making a group art project they can all feel part of.
Pattern Play Collaborative Art is all about connection and creativity.