Art in preschools, as well in the slovenian document Kurikulum za vrtce (1999) encompasses
everything from literature, music, dance, film, theatrical arts, to art education. All forms of art
are highly recommended for a child's holistic development, but I focused more on visual arts
in my thesis. Through creative activities, children learn to observe the world around them,
develop various skills, and express emotions in such a way. The latter is particularly important,
especially if a child has issues that they don't know how or don't want to share with others.
Through visual expression, we can offer a non-intrusive way for children to express their
thoughts, emotions, and opinions.
In the theoretical part of the thesis, I address various aspects of art education and art therapy in
the preschool period. First, I present the significant importance of art education in the preschool
period and how a child's artistic expression develops. Then I move on to the central part of the
thesis, where I focus more on art therapy. I analyze art therapy in detail and present various
studies that explore what art therapy can assist with and what physical and psychological issues
it can resolve or at least alleviate. I also present the phases of the art therapy process, as well
as the forms and methods used in art therapy. In the continuation, I compare regular artistic
activities in kindergarten with art therapy since it's crucial to distinguish between the two. There
are quite a few differences, and not every artistic activity qualifies as therapy. Finally, I direct
attention to children with special needs, for whom I found that art therapy can be highly
beneficial. For the conclusion, I address education in the field of art therapy and identify places
in Slovenia where such education can be pursued.
In the empirical part, I analyzed the results obtained through a questionnaire. The questionnaire
was aimed at preschool educators and assistant educators throughout Slovenia. I was interested
in how well the respondents are familiar with the field of art therapy and their opinions
regarding the development of independence, self-confidence, as well as communication and
social skills through artistic activities. I was also interested in the connection between artistic
expression and identifying signs of children's special needs.
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