Casa Maria's Creative Learning Zone

Dazzling Marbled Paper

2012-01-31T19:22:00.001-06:00

Paper marbling is a method that one can use to decorate paper or fabric.

It gets it's name because the finished product looks a lot like a smooth marble or stone. The process involves floating ink or paint on top of water.The next step would be carefully laying a piece of paper on top of the water. The patterns created by the floating colors are transferred onto the paper.

Directions on How To Make Marbled Paper

Cover table to protect from water and paint.

Pour enough water on a large tray or pan, about one inch or so. Those aluminum pans sold at the dollar store work fine.

Prepare paints to be added to the water.

Lightly drip different paint colors onto the surface, so they float. A few drops at a time works best.

Lift paper or fabric gently, and admire the stunning print.

Miniature Marble Painting

2012-01-15T20:50:00.001-06:00

Creating miniature art demands imagination and incredible physical skill. There is something fascinating about this form of art, it makes us look closer and admire the meticulous skill with which the artist needs to make such beautiful and delicate pieces.

I was really fascinated to see the children slow down and hold these miniature boxes with such care and calmness.

They moved the boxes up and down, ever so smoothly, and did not create any large waves. The physical control to keep those glass balls in their tiny compartments demanded self discipline. Any abrupt movements could dislodge the marbles to jump out.

We used the same process as our shoe box art; the only difference was the size of the boxes and marbles.

Miniature art invites us to draw closer and be in awe at patience needed to work on such a small surface.

My 2011 Edublog Award Nominations

2011-11-28T14:20:00.001-06:00

There are so many amazing and inspiring blogs in education. It’s was not easy to narrow it down to nominate just one for each category. Here are my nominees!

Best ed tech / resource sharing blog:Juliet@ I’m a teacher get me outside here

Most influential blog post: TeacherTom @ http://teachertomsblog.blogspot.com/2011/08/spoiled-brats.html

Best individual blog:Jennifer @ http://progressiveearlychildhoodeducation.blogspot.com/

Best group blog: Donna & Sherry @http://www.playbasedlearning.com.au/

Best teacher blog: Teacher Tom@ http://teachertomsblog.blogspot.com/

Best new blog:Karen@flightsofwhimsy-ece.com

Best educational use of a social network: Deborah @ http://www.teachpreschool.org/

What’s not to LOVE about these delicious cupcakes?

2011-11-15T14:58:00.001-06:00

Cupcakes are delightful, and just every person loves them. They come in a variety of colors and designs.

They make great paper weights, centerpieces and ornaments. The best part of making fake cupcakes is that they will never go bad.

Fake cupcakes can be made out of just anything; we made ours with Plaster of Paris.

With a little bit of imagination the possibilities are endless.

Corrugated Paperboard Collage

2011-11-10T14:36:00.001-06:00

Did you know that corrugated paperboard is half of all paper recycled in the United States?

Corrugated boxes are made of corrugated paperboard. It is different from hard paper known as cardboard. If you take a closer look at the edge of a corrugated paperboard, you will see a row of air columns. This air acts like a cushion, while the columns make the paper tough. Some corrugated boards can have up to one, two, or even three layers of flutes and liners, depending on how sturdy the boxes need to be The wavy paper inside the corrugated board is called corrugating medium. The flat sheets on the outside are called liners.

The children created these color collages using recycled corrugated paperboard.

Bring on the Magic of Fall with Whimsical Pumpkins

2011-10-31T14:29:00.002-05:00

October and pumpkins go hand and hand. They are often used to add color and charm to front porches, fireplaces and home decorations.

Yet, not everyone loves to carve pumpkins, so why not break out some art supplies and create your own whimsical fall decorations.

How we transformed plastic milk bottles into pumpkins.

This project started by collecting recycled milk bottles, and these were used as the base of our pumpkins.

To make the pumpkins taller, attach paper towel rolls and cut them to the specific height desired by each child.

To perk up the shape of each individual pumpkin, tape some crinkled newspaper around the bottle.

Use masking tape to hold it down.

Wrapped the entire bottle with newspaper to create a smooth surface for painting.

To secure the newspaper, tape around the rim of the bottle.

Allow the children to decorate their pumpkins by using a variety of art materials.

2011 Fall Whimsical Pumpkins

Our Very Busy Spiders

2011-10-14T20:26:00.001-05:00

Are you terrified of spiders? There’s a name for that fear, Arachnophobia.

Most spiders are harmless to people. Spiders live in many different kinds of habitats; they live in cold climates as well as desert climates.

We created an extraordinary spider habitat, the children decided to attach a bridge to help these insects cross from one end to the other.

As you can see, our spiders have been very busy spinning webs.

Meet “Crowie” the crow.

Bubble Wrap Prints

2011-10-08T12:18:00.001-05:00

Who can resist bubble wrap?

It is best to allow children to feel and play with the bubble wrap before they start lifting prints. It is a great way to introduce the concept of print making .

Materials:

Large trash bag

Bubble wrap

BioColor paints

Styrofoam

Faux leather material

Preparation:

Cover the entire light table with a garbage bag. I prefer to tape the ends down with masking tape.

Cut some Styrofoam sheets to the desired size. Cover each of them with faux leather. Tape faux leather with masking tape.

Cut a piece of bubble wrap and tape it on the covered light table. Bubbly side up.

Process

Allow the children to squirt some paint on the bubble wrap.

Give them the responsibility and independence on deciding how much paint to squeeze and which color to choose.

When the bubble wrap is covered with paint, encourage the child to press the Styrofoam onto the bubble wrap.

A light pressure is best.

Lift the Styrofoam from the bubble wrap and discover the colorful prints you’ve created.

Be amazed at the multi- colored prints.

When bubble wrap becomes dry or gray in color, simply squirt more paint and begin again.

Play with Countless Pieces–Part Two

2011-10-03T19:48:00.001-05:00

We are all creative. Creativity is the hallmark human capacity that has allowed us to survive thus far. Our brains are wired to be creative, and the only thing stopping you from expressing the creativity that is your birthright is your belief that there are creative people and uncreative people and that you fall in that second category.
Shelly Carson

“At The Farm”

(Light Table Play)

Play with Countless Pieces-Part 1

2011-09-30T21:34:00.001-05:00

The environment in which the children are expected to learn and grow is vital to the learning process, that the Reggio Emilia schools in Italy have acknowledged that it acts as a “third teacher”.

Adding loose parts to a well planned environment provides the children with the opportunity to build and gives them a chance to change their surroundings. The children use their imagination to manipulate various materials in many ways.

I consider loose parts as one of my favorite teaching tools.

Here are some examples on how the children were able to play with a set of tree blocks in different ways.

“Cat Land” - Setting 1

The Cat Mobile

Contemporary Explosion of Black, Red and White Fine Art.

2011-09-26T20:07:00.001-05:00

The theme of this art display is to promote the powerful vision of Red, Black and White, incorporating mid tones/hues of these colors.

Art pieces mounted on repurposed Styrofoam pieces.

Water Beads

2011-09-14T14:17:00.002-05:00

I am happy to introduce our newest favorite thing, WATER BEADS!

Thank You, “Play at Home Mom” for sharing such a great sensory experience for children.

Here is the link to their wonder blog: http://playathomemom3.blogspot.com/search/label/Water%20Beads

Water beads, also known as water gel or crystal soil, is a fragrance –free water super absorbent polymer. They hold 100 times their own weight in water.

They are beautiful soft beads, which reflect light in a glistening sparkle.

Although this product is non-toxic, it is a choking hazard for children. Please supervise children at all times while playing with water beads. Do not flush down drains.

The ABC’s of Teaching Preschool

2011-08-31T18:54:00.001-05:00

Congratulations to Deborah Stewart from Teach Preschool. Her very informative facebook page has now 20,000 “likes”. You are such an inspiration!

To help Deborah celebrate we are posting The ABC of Preschool.

C for Creativity

Creativity is the ability to make something unique, to envision things that don’t exist and to make common things special. Creativity is the ability to look at everyday items in new ways. Creativity is about thinking, exploring, discovering and imagining.

Ways to Encourage Creativity through Art

1. Give emphasis to the process rather than the product.

2. Embrace unusual ideas from children.

3. Provide a classroom environment that allows the young to play and explore without constant adult interference.

4. Allow time to explore.

Three Month Project

5. Create an art center where children can freely discover materials on their own.

6. Provide a special area where children can explore clay.

7. Display creative works but avoid evaluations.

8. Promote respect for the unusual.

9. Be open to live with a sense of curiosity.

10. Encourage creative problem solving in all parts of the curriculum.

Congratulations Deborah Stewart

Sodium Polyacrylate AKA Insta Snow

2011-08-28T21:40:00.001-05:00

There are two ways that you can get ingredients to make fake polymer snow. You can purchase insta snow at craft stores or you can collect sodium polyacrylate from disposable diapers.

This is one of the coolest products I’ve seen. All you need to do is add water to the powder and immediately make slushy snow. Keep adding water until you have the desired amount of wetness. The gel will not dissolve; the children can decide how mushy they want their snow to be. It will last for weeks.

Insta snow is safe to handle, non-toxic and guaranteed to amaze children. I have been fascinated with insta snow ever since I first saw a Steve Spangler's workshop, ten years ago!

Hanging Flower Gardens

2011-08-22T20:53:00.001-05:00

Silk flowers can be used over and over again. So instead of letting them collect dust, turn them into stylish and vibrant works of art. As long as you have glue or a hot glue gun, you can add flowers to almost anything.

First, you should collect all your fake flowers whether they are from old flower arrangements, weddings, parties, or bought from consignment shops. Once you have gathered a substantial amount you can offer them to the children, so they can turn them into stunning art pieces.

I am rather lucky; my parents donate most of the flowers used in our projects.

We used Styrofoam blocks, yarn, crepe paper and crinkled paper shreds to create these beautiful hanging gardens.

The children decided to name the project “ Hanging Flower Gardens”.

An Atmosphere for Creativity

2011-07-11T14:04:00.001-05:00

According to psychologist Alan Bowd of Canada’s Lakehead University, children need to foster thinking skills such as these to encourage creativity:

Fluency -- produce many responses to an open-ended question or problem.
Flexibility -- generate unconventional ideas and view situations from different perspectives.
Originality -- produce unique, unusual, or novel responses.
Elaboration -- add rich detail to ideas.
Visualization -- imagine and mentally manipulate images and ideas.
Transformation -- change one thing or idea into another to see new meanings, applications, and implications.
Synthesis -- combine parts into a coherent whole.

In a mentally playful environment, loose parts are the key for creative play. With them, children learn to construct, take turns, knock down, plan and start all over again.

Bring out those safe, durable and functional loose parts, send a message that they are able to make choices and take risks.

Learning should be FUN!

Magical Fairy Land

2011-07-01T14:07:00.001-05:00

The girls really wanted to put up a fairy garden and I thought the idea was simply enchanting. Our fairy garden took two weeks to assemble. As in any project it required planning, a great deal of imagination and knowledge about the subject. We incorporated some elements of design: PROPORTION, COLOR, SCALE, and PATTERN to accomplish this fairy garden.

Here are a few things that the children came up with while planning Fairy Land.

1. A fairy garden should look just like our gardens outside. It should include lots of vines, flowers, rocks, grass, trees, moss, colorful pebbles, and a fairy cottage. Most importantly, it should be very colorful. “Fairies love pink, purple, yellow and light green”.

2. It should include a water feature.

3. Fairies need a variety of trees, both big and small. They need them to hide and play.

4. Fairies love all animals…horses are their best friends.

5. Fairies love to use mushrooms as furniture and shade from the sun and rain. Giant mushrooms are the best!

6. Since they have tiny ears, they don’t enjoy loud sounds.

A fairy tunnel.

Mermaid friends who live in a “ocean river”.

Trees and plants.

A giant mushroom or a fairy house.

A bridge connected to two big trees.

Dinosaur Land Year Two

2011-06-27T13:09:00.001-05:00

Most Children are fascinated by dinosaurs. They learn a great number of facts about these magnificent creatures through pretend play and exploring real information from books.

A couple of the children, who were here last year, had so much fun building an interactive dinosaur land with recycled materials. They asked if they could try building it again. Without wasting a second we turned our small tables upside down and started brain storming on how we should build this exciting and “VERY DANGEROUS LAND”.

Many ideas came into place and everyone agreed on a few things without much conflict. Our dinosaur land had to include: “giant trees, sharp rocks, mountains, and dangerous bridges to cross”. We added some new things this year: “a very wobbly wooden stick bridge, a zip line for the dinosaurs to use”, and even a desert-like area with very few trees. Just like the Triassic period!

The children played with Dinosaur Land for about a month and the girls decided to convert it into “ Magical Fairyland”.

A study of Black, Gray, Gold and Red

2011-06-20T14:16:00.001-05:00

Emotions are the deepest feelings that an individual can exhibit. They define who we are! They fabricate our thoughts, our actions and how we create art. In most Reggio Emilia Inspired schools, art is not just “art” but is considered as SYMBOLIC EXPRESSIONS. These symbolic expressions are called “The Hundred Languages” of children. Loris Malaguzzi explains is best in the beginning of a poem he wrote in 1998

The Hundred Languages of Children

The child is made of one hundred.
The child has
a hundred languages
a hundred hands
a hundred thoughts
a hundred ways of thinking
of playing, of speaking.

Always a hundred
ways of listening
of marveling, of loving
a hundred joys
for singing and understanding
a hundred worlds
to discover
a hundred worlds
to invent
a hundred worlds
to dream.

These pieces were made some time ago to study the composition of black, gray, gold and red. Using a combination of ribbons, beads, silk petals, pom poms, rocks, cardboard and glue, the children began their artistic journey.

The children were able to explore depth, color and texture.

Recycle! Reuse! Redesign! Repurpose! Renew! and RE-INSPIRE!

2011-06-18T09:54:00.001-05:00

Talk about turning trash into treasure, the children have repurposed these various bottles and created whimsical works of art. Plastic takes about 450 years to degrade and when you think about millions of plastic bottles piled up for generations, it does give you pause for thought.

We reused a variety of clear plastic bottles and stuffed them with brightly colored painted paper towels.

Materials:

Recycled Bottles

Liquid Watercolors

Pipettes (dropper)

Paper Towels

Let’s not forget that the accessibility of open-ended resources helps prompt curiosity and provokes investigation. Exploration is essential for young children’s growth. If children are not motivated and inspired, then they will not learn!

Here's a list of some common garbage items and how long it takes for them to degrade in the environment.

• Disposable diapers: 450 years

• Rubber boot sole: 50 to 80 years

• Tin can: 50 years

• Leather: 50 years

• Nylon fabric: 30 to 40 years

• Plastic bag: 10 to 20 years

• Cigarette butt: one to five years

• Wool sock: one to five years

• Plywood: one to three years

• Waxed milk carton: three months

• Apple core: two months

• Newspaper: six weeks

• Orange or banana peel: two to five weeks

• Paper towel: two to four weeks

Sources: U.S. National Park Service; Mote Marine Lab; New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services.

When it comes to Casa Maria’s art, pre-loved is new and repurposed art is considered Eco-Cycle Chic!

Wild Backyard Zoo Animals

2011-05-30T10:32:00.001-05:00

I’m often asked this question, what part of your backyard is designated for play and learning areas at school? My answer has always been my entire backyard. It is the role of the teacher to think ahead and to prepare the areas and special spaces for children to play and learn. At the same time, we should also leave areas where the children themselves can explore and create their own imaginative play and be allowed to experiment, explore and learn. We should provide them with choices aside from basic anchored play equipment. Giving the children diverse choices helps them learn problem solving skills. Examples of outdoor play areas might include a nook for reading, sand and water tables, a mud pit, an art area, a vegetable and fruit garden, a stage for singing and dancing, a science area, a quiet nook for relaxing, loose parts and a variety of materials for fort building or just building structures …the possibilities are endless!

I found this gorgeous mural and used it as a back drop, with a blanket and some other materials; we set up a play area outdoors. It didn’t take much time, and the children enjoyed playing with the animals and branches.

“Watch out Miss Maria, we have Wild Zoo Animals at the backyard. They might decide to swing and slide much later.”

And they did!

Unstructured Play

Golden Trophies for the Finest and Smartest Child

2011-05-27T20:26:00.002-05:00

I was having dinner at a restaurant a few weeks ago and sat behind a group of women who were having a serious conversation on “what their preschool children should know”. One mother was bragging that her three year old son could “write his first and last name, count to 60, and knew all his planets”. Another lady replied; that her daughter, who just turned four, “could count to 100, write her phone number, and without difficulty recite her whole alphabet”. The third mother said: “her son knew his alphabet, could count to 50, and most importantly, can pinpoint where 20 states are on the map”.

I sat patiently waiting for my food and honestly tried not to focus on their conversation but it bothered me greatly that these mothers were being so competitive. I was waiting for trophies to fall from nowhere and award these mothers who claim to have the “FINEST and SMARTEST child”. I had given up on these four women, when finally one of the mothers said: “childhood should not be a race; I believe that my child will develop and learn at her own pace”. She continued to say: “I am astonished how she can drink from a regular cup, put on her velcro running shoes, and sometimes pack her special stuff for a sleep over at her grandma’s house”. Believe me, it took every fiber in my body not to turn around and give her a high five. There is a lot more to learn than letters and numbers. It is important to give a child the skills to be successful in everyday life.

I wish I could have told those mothers that children should know;

That the world is MAGICAL and that she/he is wonderful, special, unique and brilliant.They should know that we will facilitate his/her interests and encourage them to follow them. They should know that using their imagination and creative thoughts are marvelous and acceptable. They should know how to make mud pies, grassy soup, and pine needle spaghetti, build stick houses for bugs and simply enjoy nature as a way to learn and understand about the world around them. Our children need to know that they are loved unconditionally and that we as parents will stand by them no matter what undesirable things they do.

Our children need to know that they are loved, and that they come first before anything else in this world.

The best gifts we can give our children are an uncompetitive and cheerful childhood.

The Little Boy by Helen Buckley

2011-05-26T12:40:00.001-05:00

Once a little boy went to school.
He was quite a little boy
And it was quite a big school.
But when the little boy
Found that he could go to his room
By walking right in from the door outside
He was happy;
And the school did not seem
Quite so big anymore.

One morning
When the little boy had been in school awhile,
The teacher said:"Today we are going to make a picture."
"Good!" thought the little boy.
He liked to make all kinds;
Lions and tigers,
Chickens and cows,
Trains and boats;
And he took out his box of crayons
And began to draw.

But the teacher said, "Wait!"
"It is not time to begin!"
And she waited until everyone looked ready.
"Now," said the teacher,
"We are going to make flowers."
"Good!" thought the little boy,
He liked to make beautiful ones
With his pink and orange and blue crayons.
But the teacher said "Wait!"
"And I will show you how."
And it was red, with a green stem.
"There," said the teacher,
"Now you may begin.

"The little boy looked at his teacher's flower
Then he looked at his own flower.
He liked his flower better than the teacher's
But he did not say this.
He just turned his paper over,
And made a flower like the teacher's.
It was red, with a green stem.

On another day
When the little boy had opened
The door from the outside all by himself,
The teacher said:"Today we are going to make something with clay."
"Good!" thought the little boy;
He liked clay.
He could make all kinds of things with clay:
Snakes and snowmen,
Elephants and mice,
Cars and trucks
And he began to pull and pinch
His ball of clay.

But the teacher said, "Wait!"
"It is not time to begin!"
And she waited until everyone looked ready.
"Now," said the teacher,
"We are going to make a dish."
"Good!" thought the little boy,
He liked to make dishes.
And he began to make some
That were all shapes and sizes.

But the teacher said "Wait!"
"And I will show you how."
And she showed everyone how to make
One deep dish.
"There," said the teacher,
"Now you may begin."

The little boy looked at the teacher's dish;
Then he looked at his own.
He liked his better than the teacher's
But he did not say this.
He just rolled his clay into a big ball again
And made a dish like the teacher's.
It was a deep dish.

And pretty soon
The little boy learned to wait,
And to watch
And to make things just like the teacher.
And pretty soon
He didn't make things of his own anymore.

Then it happened
That the little boy and his family
Moved to another house,
In another city,
And the little boy
Had to go to another school.
This school was even bigger
Than the other one.
And there was no door from the outside
Into his room.
He had to go up some big steps
And walk down a long hall
To get to his room.
And the very first day
He was there,
The teacher said:
"Today we are going to make a picture."
"Good!" thought the little boy.
And he waited for the teacher
To tell what to do.
But the teacher didn't say anything.
She just walked around the room.

When she came to the little boy
She asked, "Don't you want to make a picture?"
"Yes," said the little boy.
"What are we going to make?"
"I don't know until you make it,"
said the teacher.
"How shall I make it?" asked the little boy.
"Why, anyway you like," said the teacher.
"And any color?" asked the little boy.
"Any color," said the teacher.
"If everyone made the same picture,
And used the same colors,
How would I know who made what,
And which was which?"
"I don't know," said the little boy.
And he began to make pink and orange and blue flowers.

He liked his new school,
Even if it didn't have a door
Right in from the outside.

Body Tracing

Origami Box Collage

2011-05-24T21:28:00.001-05:00

Origami- ori meaning "folding” and kami meaning "paper.

It has since then evolved into a modern art form. The goal of this art is to transform a flat sheet of material into a finished sculpture through folding and sculpting techniques, and as such the use of cuts or glue are not considered to be origami.

The ancient art of paper folding originated in china and by the sixth century, it had made it to Japan. At first, only the wealthy were able to practice the art of paper folding, since most of the people couldn’t afford to purchase paper. By the 1300’s paper became was abundant and was available to everyone, this is when more and more people begun making origami.

This isn’t original at all; I learned how to make this origami box from a dear friend, named Ginger. I use them continually in my classroom, especially as individual containers for art or mini trash boxes.

What do you do with all those beautiful glossy magazines that you purchased over time? Repurpose them and turn the pages into a box collage.

Box Collage

Beautiful origami boxes

Open up boxes.

We used a recycled Styrofoam sheet for backing.

Lightly spread glue.

Arrange and glue on boxes.

Flatten good.

Leave out to dry.

Display for everyone to admire.

A Zig Zag Super Tall Tower

2011-05-19T13:25:00.001-05:00

Knowledge arises neither from objects nor the child, but from interactions between the child and those objects.

— Jean Piaget

The Nuts and Bolts of Discovery

For the young child, access to materials ,freedom to manipulate, alter, and mix them with others materials, on their own way, are the nuts and bolts of discovery.

Learning begins as young children manipulate and play with objects, using their bodies and all their senses to gain a better understanding about the objects.

“The child is the chief architect of his own mental model of the world.”

- Piaget

“I’m gonna make many houses,” announces O, as he stacks colored acrylic squares on top of red and yellow Avon cups.

In addition learning is also a social experience connecting meaningful exchanges among children and adults.

Here, other children share their ideas on how to build “stronger” structures.

“Lets build a A Zig Zag Super Tall Tower.”

The children’s interests and questions lead to more exploration. As inventors, children create unique solutions to problems that may arise.

“ Go get some chairs, we can’t reach the tower top.”

The children need to feel secure in the knowledge that an adult is available to help if needed.

“Oh no, we can’t reach the top anymore. Ms. Maria, we need you to help us”. It was my turn to help the children and add more Avon plastic cups.

“Easy, steady…we made it,” they chant.

Ahhh, Mission Accomplished!

And it all went tumbling down.

I’m Printing

2011-05-15T09:52:00.001-05:00

Printing- a pattern, design, or mark that is made by pressing something down on or into something else.

Here’s a no fail art activity that I just thought of…instead of using a paper towel tube to create prints, the tube is the final art product itself. We had so much fun, and everyone’s piece is simply spectacular. This activity could be used for all ages and stages, with a 100% success ratio!

I want to show you how to make these colorful prints. Instead of using rollers, we used paper towel tubes. It’s a light weight tool which allows for endless creative printing opportunities.

Procedure

Star by covering your paper towel tube with a paper towel. It is a very addictive project; please make sure that you have enough tubes for each child before you start.

Encourage the children to squirt paint all over a shallow box.

Lay the paper towel tube on one end of the box.

Applying light pressure, gently roll the tube across the box, just enough to cover it with paint.

The added visual value of watching the paints spread brings a sense of awe and delight.

Let it dry.

Repeat!

2011 - Old Fashion Fun

2011-05-09T13:59:00.001-05:00

What’s spring weather if the children can’t have fun in the sun? With theses sand and water tub activities, the children can enjoy the “ELEMENTS”-air, water and earth.

For the best outdoor play ever, let your children loose for some old-fashioned fun!

Wooden Collage

2011-05-04T14:16:00.001-05:00

According to the dictionary, collage art is “an artistic composition made of various materials (as paper, cloth or wood) glued on a surface.” The word comes from the French word “coller,” meaning to glue or to paste. You may use any material or found objects; glue them down to produce art. It is sometimes combined with painting and other medium in a single work of art. They are also called other names: montage, assemblage, and decoupage.

It is very simple!

Using a combination of wood, glass gems, beads, crushed shells, wood shavings, and glue, the children began their artistic journey. Our wood collage art, are considerably smaller in scale, framed as a painting would be. The children were able to explore depth, color and texture.

Mud Sculptures

2011-05-01T23:33:00.001-05:00

"Every child should have mud pies, grasshoppers,water bugs, tadpoles, frogs, mud turtles, wild strawberries, acorns, chestnuts, trees to climb. Brooks to wade...bees, butterflies, various animals to pet, hayfields, pine-cones, rocks to toll, sand, snakes and hornets; any child who has been deprives of these has been deprived of the best part of...education".

- Luther Burbank

There is nothing more joyous than feeling mud oozing through our toes . With the right amount of water, mud can be molded, formed, and set out to dry. The children love to use it for mud pies, cakes, meatball making, and sculptures. Give the children the opportunity to get down and get dirty!

Making Meatballs

Mud Sculptures

Making a “MUD GUY”.

Making a Mud Cake.

Smiley Mud Cake

A Mud Dog

The “MUD GUY”.

Brown Paper Collage-Part Two

2011-04-29T14:15:00.001-05:00

Each child decided by themselves and based on their individual skills how to progress in the construction of their collages. It is very common at any given time and at the child’s request, to pull out the collage or any art piece from our drying rack or shelves, so that the child could work on it and or add more items.

It Was All About Packing Paper

2011-04-29T14:00:00.001-05:00

Brown Packing Paper Collage- Part 1

These days it is beneficial and important that children participate and understand how to help the environment by recycling. Schools need to find a way to encourage children and their families to reduce, repurpose and recycle.

Last week, as I was greeting the children upon their arrival, a very creative child came in with a pink shiny purse and a BIG smile on her face. I figured that she was excited to show me her sparkly purse. She stood right in front of me, and slowly unzipped the purse, and said, “ look what I have, I brought this paper for art”. She was showing me the packing paper that kept the purses nicely shaped at the store. I looked at her and said, “ Well, just let me know when you feel like working on that art project. What a fantastic idea!, thank you for recycling and repurposing the packing paper”. I thought to myself, what a special moment that was, she really wasn’t interested in showing me her brand new pink metallic purse, she was eager for me to see the paper that she had planned to create an art work with.

A few minutes later, a three year old child came out of her car, carrying a huge sack with something brown inside. She was trying to walk and hold that big plastic bag at the same time. The expression on her face was priceless… As I opened the door she said with a very proud voice, “ I brought this for the class, we could use it for art”. I was extremely proud on how the children looked at trash and figured out that it was best to recycle and repurpose them.

As classroom teachers we have the unique ability to influence and help mold a child’s mind and how they can value the world around them. Lets take the opportunity and let them learn by example, if they see the adults around them working on conservation and the three “R’s” there is a good chance that we could influence them too and they will become environmentally friendly adults.

Supplies Needed

Recycled Packing Paper or Newspaper

Glue

Collage Materials ( use objects with color, texture and shapes)

Paint

Recycled Cardboard

Water

Plastic Tub

How to Make Collage

Soak packing paper in water.

Squeeze water out gently.

Spread glue all over heavy cardboard.

Arrange packing paper on cardboard.

Flatten if desired.

To add a twist of color, squirt paint all over.

Set out to dry.

Add other items.

Remember layering is the KEY to collage making.

Brown Paper Collage – Part two will have the finished art works.

Encourage Each Child To Be Unique Individuals

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Each person's map of the world is as unique as their thumbprint. There are no two people alike...no two people who understand the same sentence the same way...So in dealing with people try not to fit them to your concept of what they should be.

Milton Erickson

Remember always that you not only have the right to be an individual, you have an obligation to be one.

Eleanor Roosevelt

Abstract Art inspired by the Dutch artist Piet Mondrian

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You don’t have to make your paintings look realistic if you don’t want to. Many famous artists painted what they saw using flat patterns, bright colors, and interesting shapes. This is called abstract art.

The children’s paintings were inspired by the Dutch artist Piet Mondrian, who changed the way many people think about art. His paintings consisted only of rectangles and the colors red, blue and yellow (over white backgrounds) outlined by black vertical and horizontal lines.

Materials:

Foam shapes from Teachers Treasures Recycling Center

Tempera Paint

Construction Paper

Repurposed File Folders

Nylon Loop Weaving

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Fiber art includes any type of artwork which uses fibers - as a major material. It may consist of textiles such as fabric, yarn, and natural and synthetic fibers. It is a ART FORM, such as weaving, twining, knotting, sewing, felting, appliqué and embroidery.

Here are some discoveries made by the children:

“The loops are all soft and fluffy.”

“The thinner loops stretch really well. The wider loops don’t stretch as good.”

“The smaller loops, bend the cardboard square.” and “Don’t use the smallest loops.”

“The brown is super stretchy.”

“It looks like a pot holder, but you really can’t use them.”

Words used:

Over, under, back, front, weave, pattern, nylon.

We used Capri Sun Juice boxes brought in by the children and cut them into small squares.

The long tube is a wrapping paper tube.

Rounded cardboards are cup holder trays, cut up.

Not sure what those metal spider web looking things are, found them at our local recycling center.

Eggs Up-Close

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This gallery features beautiful up-close pictures of the eggs, using macro photography.

Egg Mobiles

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Wash eggs before you start with this activity!

Blowing Eggs

What you need:

· Eggs

· Large Needle

· Skewer

· Bowl

Take your egg in one hand, and a large needle in the other, poke a small hole in one end of the egg and a slightly larger at the other end. You will have to do this fairly gentle, as not to crack the egg. Prick the yolk with a skewer through one of your holes to help the contents flow out easier. While holding the egg over a bowl, blow through the smaller hole, the inside will run out from the large hole.

Please don’t get discouraged, it gets easier with practice!

Once contents of the eggs are removed from the shells, rinse them carefully. I like to soak my shells with water and a few drops of bleach for a couple of hours. Try not to use hot water; it might cook some of the egg white inside. Set out to dry, shells have to be completely dried before decorating and painting.

Decorating the Eggs

The children used waxed crayons and permanent markers to draw on the eggs. We chose to use liquid watercolor paint to color our eggs. Instead of dipping the eggs, they preferred to use paint brushes to paint on their shells. Liquid Watercolor paints soak into the shell well, but it took several coats to get the appearance, that they desired. They laid their eggs out to dry for a few minutes before the second or additional coats were applied.

The children laced pony beads into stretchy string and added Spring flowers

to their egg mobile.

Developing Fine Motor Skills & Dexterity

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Between the ages of 3-5 children usually make steps forward in developing their fine motor skills and dexterity. Here is a creative and cost-effective way to help children strengthen dexterity in their hands and fingers.

Instead of using lacing cards try using objects that could be strung into yarn, wire, rope and plastic string.

We used wire and items from our recycling bins.

Rolling Pin Painting

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This is a fun and really simple way to paint. We used an older rolling pin to spread colors all over the paper.

Allow the children to squirt paint all over the paper.

Roll, roll and keep rolling.

Multi Media Collage

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We explored more than one art medium by making a multimedia collage. A multimedia collage combines basic collage techniques with one or two other mediums. This multimedia collage is a form of paper art which encourages exploration and experimentation. This collage took two weeks for the children to create.

There is no wrong way to create multimedia collage.

Materials

Recycled Poster Size Board

Three Large Shoe Boxes

Paper Towels

Shells

Rocks

Glass Rocks

Sand

Tempera Paints

Liquid Watercolors

Glitter

Glue

Crushed Plastic from Teachers Treasures