For very young children, making art is a sensory exploration activity. They enjoy the feeling of a crayon moving across paper and seeing a blob of colored paint grow larger. Kamii and DeVries (1993) suggested that exploring materials is very important because it is through exploration that children build a knowledge of the objects in the world around them. Therefore, it is critical to provide unique and "outside of the box" opportunities and methods for children to create and explore with.

Kentucky State University Extension agent Allison Denny from the West Regional Center partnered with the SoKY Marketplace Farmer's Market, and their kid's club SoKY Sprouts, to provide an artistic learning experience for youth. Being at this local farmer's market's event allowed us to bring awareness of our Extension Program to the Bowling Green community, while providing our programming content to new stakeholders outside of the Extension office. Participants were able to pick from a variety of colors to paint their own terracotta pot. After painting, youth were provided soil to fill their pots with, as well as sunflower seeds to plant in their newly decorated pots. Families were then sent home with Extension publications on growing sunflowers, as well as the presence of sunflowers throughout art history. This activity allowed youth to flex their decision making skills, as well as their fine motor skills in using these materials and determining the placement of colors and shapes. It also allowed for further practical education in agriculture/horticulture with the practice of growing sunflowers, and publications on the plant life cycle.