PARENTING : Preserving Creativity for the Ages : Children’s special art projects are often cherished. But paper can tear and yellow, so it may be wise to take steps to protect those works.

Sometimes a parent knows the minute the masterpiece is pulled out of a child’s backpack that it is something to save for all time. Or a child’s artwork may gradually become more dear after months of display on the front of the refrigerator.

As kids grow, parents begin to realize that special art projects may have almost an archival value years from now. But paper can yellow, tear and change over time, so conservationists strongly suggest that parents use care in their efforts to preserve meaningful remnants of childhood.

Christine Allen, archival sales and marketing manager for University Products Inc. in Holyoke, Mass., a firm that specializes in conservation materials, recommends that, whenever possible, parents give children fine quality, acid-free paper to draw on. Inexpensive paper of the type commonly used in schools contains a high acid content, which makes it more susceptible to yellowing and tearing, she said. Tacks, paper clips, tape and rubber bands also contribute to the rapid deterioration of artwork and should be avoided.

If a cherished project has been done on inexpensive paper, however, it can be sprayed, Allen suggested, with a de-acidification solution, such as Wei T’o, a nontoxic aerosol that helps preserve the paper and prevent discoloration.

Occasionally, a child will bring home a piece of art that marks a developmental turning point or an unexpected flash of talent. For those works that merit framing, Allen encourages the use of acid-free mounting board, and glass or acrylic that does not touch the artwork. To store several sheets of unframed artwork in a paper container, she recommends using an acid-free box and placing acid-free paper between the sheets.

“Don’t be cheap when you’re choosing a storage box,” Allen said. Flat acid-free corrugated storage boxes cost about $6 each through archival material distributors.

Bob McGiffin, chief conservator at the Gene Autry Western Heritage Museum in Los Angeles, suggested that parents also consider properly protecting some of their children’s clay sculptures. While clay is an inert material that will not be changed by heat or light, it is, of course, breakable, a fact brought home to many during the Northridge earthquake. To prevent artwork made of clay from falling and shattering, McGiffin recommends using a special museum wax--a blend of microcrystalline wax and mineral spirits--to attach the art to a surface such as a mantel or shelf.

Dorothy Adams, co-owner of Conservation Materials in Sparks, Nev., said the wax, used by museums internationally, will not harm or alter any surface, and it can be easily loosened and removed with a string of dental floss.

For storing clay pieces, Allen recommends acid-free collection boxes with individual compartments that protect against breakage and discoloration.

Joan Rapoport of Van Nuys, an artist and mother of two daughters now in college, still has a crayon drawing on the refrigerator that one daughter did 10 years ago. She tried to save a couple of art projects every year for each child, and then re-evaluated the growing stack of drawings and paintings from time to time to see what still seemed worth keeping.

Rapoport understands the value of saving children’s art for those to follow. Her daughters especially treasure a framed picture of a lute that she painted back in high school, and a drawing she made on a Mother’s Day card almost half a century ago.

“They’ve gotten a kick out of the art my mother saved,” she said.