Creating A-R-T from the letters of C-R-A-F-T takes time.

One of the things I love about my role as an educator is finding the artist in every child. Many children will visit a table set up with paints or pencils and blank paper. Before you have an opportunity to write their name they have created a few lines or smudges and moved on. I know in my heart the child has the ability to do something amazing if they take time to slow down.

It's the same when children are invited to an experience which has glue sticks, scissors, and old magazines. The experience is to encourage each child to practice their cuttings and other fine motor skills, but what occurs is a rush to take ownership of everything, which demonstrates no respect for materials or peers, Torn or ripped pieces are pasted on a large sheets of paper with no vision to explore the textures, colours and images found within the magazines.

It is quite disheartening to observe how children rush to do an experience simply because they want exactly what the educator has provided as the proposed end result. These type of experiences come under the classification of craft in many services, which is no fault of the educators, service or environment. Parents used the word 'craft' when gifted their child's work or an educator may say 'I'll set up the craft table to keep them busy'.

I succumbed to making spiders out of pipe cleaners and plastic tops because a child needed to be redirected and these creatures were one of his favourite interest. The child rejoiced and ran around scaring his peers, which meant I was caught in the web of making craft. Suddenly pipe cleaners were everywhere as children took ownership of material before them. Echoes of 'I want one' continued for the next hour.

This kind of experience went against my personal philosophy of teaching and years of been influenced by Reggio Emilia education but it was necessary for the child who needed some additional care. There was a slight sign of hope when I observed a child create their own creature at the end of the table. He didn't care for spiders or what pipe cleaners were left over to use, this child was in the flow of creativity and only he knew the outcome of his slow progress.

The child tried to share his creation with peers around the table but they had no interest beyond what my hands were doing. This is when I stopped, put down the materials and positioned myself closer to this child to listen. Once he realised I was listening with all my senses our conversation flowed with ideas, interest and ongoing storyline about the creature.

His peers have now discarded their pre-owned materials all over the table, along with the thought of having their own spider. Already they're onto the next space within the room but know from experiences that some will return to the table later today or tomorrow for a spider.

The child did inspire another child to the table which was reset with some additional materials to extend ideas shared in our conversation.