“There Is Art in This Book!”: Examining Family-Involved Art Activities from the Perspectives of Parents and Children

Early childhood constitutes a critical period in which the most enduring and profound imprints of an individual’s life are formed, and in which the first knowledge and skills related to life and art are acquired. Supporting the child socioculturally during this critical period and involving parents in the child’s educational process are expected to provide significant benefits for children. The aim of this study is to examine parents’ and children’s views regarding family-involved art activities carried out with children’s picture books. A case study design, one of the qualitative research methods, was employed in the study. Within the scope of the research, family-involved art activities were implemented twice a week over an 8-week period. Each week, one art-themed children’s picture book was selected together with two parents and the researcher, and parallel art activities were planned around these books. Two parents participated in the study each week. In total, 16 parents and 16 children took part in the family-involved art activities. Subsequently, interviews were conducted with 10 parents and 10 children who agreed to participate, using a semi-structured interview form. The data obtained from the interviews were analyzed through content analysis. The findings that emerged from the views of parents and children were grouped under three main themes: views regarding family-involved art activities, the effects of family-involved art activities on parents, and the effects of family-involved art activities on children’s development. The findings indicated that parents and children held positive views regarding family-involved art activities conducted using picture books, and that they reported these activities to have contributed to the development of parents’ perspectives on art and to have supported the development of children’s art-related skills. Based on these findings, recommendations for future researchers are presented.

Cite this article as: Aydın, D., Güneysu, Z., Sapsağlam, Ö., Özkabayel, B., & Yılmaz, Ş. (2026). “There is art in this book!”: examining family-involved art activities from the perspectives of parents and children. HAYEF: Journal of Education, 23, 0058, doi: 10.5152/hayef.2026.26058.