Beauty From a Shorter Perspective

Little thinkers may not know (or care) about Aristotelian ideals of art, but as the saying goes, they definitely "know what they like". Unafraid to voice their opinions, and unburdened by the prejudices we grow into as adults, they may actually school their parents and teachers on the virtues of creativity and innovation. With tiny thinkers in tow, a trip to any local art gallery can be turned into a philosophy lesson in aesthetics. Here are some suggestions:

• Choose a small room in the gallery, stand in the middle, and have your kid thinkers choose their favourite piece. Ask them to explain what they like about the piece, and make sure they're specific. Be sure to distinguish between features of the actual piece (colour, shape, etc.), and how it makes them feel.
• Have them pretend that they are the artist that created the piece, and ask them to explain its message. They can also role play, and describe how they were feeling on the day it was created, and what they were trying to say to people viewing the piece.
• Make comparisons between pieces. Ask your little thinker to find one piece that is beautiful, one that it ugly and one that is interesting. Discuss what each of these words means to them. (Ex. This painting is beautiful because...but this one is ugly because...)
• Introduce the idea of subjectivity to them. Ask them to choose a piece that they like today, but that they might not like another day, if they were in a different mood. (Ex. On a grumpy day, I might like this one better because...)
• Emphasize that there aren't right and wrong answers when discussing art. The important thing is that they explain why they think the way they do, and give examples.