With the increase in swiping and typing, students are losing the ability to gauge pressure with their hands. Being able to control the pressure of an art tool or material is really important in the art room! Knowing how hard to squeeze a glue bottle or how gently to press a pencil or paintbrush is crucial for craftsmanship, value, line weight variation, and more. Grab household items like sandpaper, clothespins, mechanical pencils, sponges, and stress balls to teach students what hand pressure is and give them opportunities to explore! Join pediatric occupational therapist, Dani Dermer, for a few activities to incorporate into your art lessons to practice varying control.
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Magazine articles and podcasts are opinions of professional education contributors and do not necessarily represent the position of the Art of Education University (AOEU) or its academic offerings. Contributors use terms in the way they are most often talked about in the scope of their educational experiences.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Lindsey McGinnis
Lindsey McGinnis is AOEU’s Media Content Manager and a former high school art educator. She is passionately equipping art teachers to be successful in their classrooms and firmly believes that art is a safe place for students to explore and process the challenging topics and concepts around them.
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