Visual art activities play an important role in a child’s holistic development and preschool teachers have a key role in this process. They are responsible for creating a positive and stimulating learning environment that is equal for every child. An appropriate selection of visual art tools and materials is essential, as these should be available to children both during free creative play and during guided or planned activities. At the same time age periods must be taken into account as the choice of art materials differs between them. In addition to teachers, the child’s home environment is also important and should be supportive, so that children have the opportunity to develop motor skills and abilities. A child must be able to develop freely and needs encouragement and praise without restrictive interference from adults.
This diploma thesis examines how frequently specific visual art tools and materials are used and what the reasons for their non-use are. Eighty-nine preschool teachers from kindergartens across Slovenia participated in the survey and 20 preschool groups of different ages were observed. The collected data were analyzed using Excel tables and graphical representations. The results show which visual art tools and materials are used most frequently. These are mainly basic, safe, and easy-to-use tools. Among older children more demanding and less typical visual art materials also appear. The study confirms that in practice, atypical and less familiar visual art tools and materials are used too rarely, although they could stimulate greater interest and motivation for visual art creation among children.
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