Let's get Rolling!

Tinkerlabs is running a 7 day challenge to get you creating with your kids, or just yourself! This is the 2nd time that we have done the Art Start Challenge and this time I bought the PDF. I highly recommend checking out the website and signing up for emails.

Today we used marbles and a spinning top to paint! I watered down the tempura paint a little bit so the marbles could roll around a little easier. Annabel and I were both surprised to see the neat spray that the spinning top made on the paper. We placed a small sheet of white paper inside of a plastic lid (a pan with big walls would work too). Then Annabel used a spoon to drop paint onto the paper. Lastly we added the marbles and got rolling!

I really like this activity because it works so well with all ages. You can get complicated with colors or just let them mix freely. 

The most popular play-based learning activity!

Water Play!

One of my most successful activities for my preschooler has to be water play. I hosted a 4 week Play-based art group as part of my master's capstone. This activity held all of the children's attention for the majority of the 45 minute class.

The only thing you really need for water play is a large bin or plastic storage box. I used shallow bins from Ikea and placed them on wood crates to elevate them a little bit. I them placed a variety of tools like mesh strainers, spoons, fuzzy balls, sparkles, tissue paper, and paint. The kids loved using the strainerstrainers to get the fuzzy balls. 

Materials:

Large Bin or storage box

Water

Mesh strainers

Spoons

Jars

Tissue Paper

Sparkles

Paint
Pretend flowers

Fill the bin with water either outside or inside with paper or a rug beneath it. I noticed our tile got rather slippery once the kids started splashing around. Then place a small box filled with the tools and mediums. Then sit back and watch the children play and explore. They will quickly find out how strainers work and will enjoy the new colors the water turns.

 

Rainy days = Art days

With a cold front, think 50 degree weather, approaching Florida we have been stuck inside today and most likely most of tomorrow. Perfect timing to begin 2 art challenges. One for the kids and one for me. This is my second time doing the ArtStartChallenge with Tinkerlabs and I love the different easy projects she provides. This time I bought the PDF for the week because the last challenge was so great.

Today we explored how paint was absorbed into doilies. Doilies offer a unique shape for kids to play with and tend to let colors spread nicely. My 3 year old daughter really enjoyed mixing the colors together, as usual. 

To complete our project and turn it into "wall art", she painted a small canvas bluish and glued the doilies onto it to make trees!

My Art Challenge begins today and the topic was sun. I took about 15 minutes to do a quick little watercolor of a Sunflower. This challenge lasts for 30 days and has a new topic each day. Simple and therapeutic. I hope everyone is having a cozy and creative day!

Peg family fun

I've always adored the simplicity of wooden peg people. They really are a blank slate that a child can customize in so many ways. One morning I quickly cut up some fabric scrapes and yarn, then put out a variety of bottle caps and buttons. Then the fashion designer came to the rescue to cloth these poor peg people.

Materials
Peg people (I bought mine on Amazon).
Fabric Scrapes
Yarn
Bottle Caps
Buttons
Markets
Glue (stick or school glue)

After you set out the materials let your children explore and create their own ideas. I often find that my 3 year old has lots of ideas but has difficulty making them "come to life". I helped a bit with the gluing and cutting. Aside from that, Annabel was involved in this activity for about 30 minutes.

Will you wrap fabric for dresses? Make belts of yarn? Maybe your peg person has a button hat? There are so many ideas! Let's see YOUR peg people!

Mommy and Me Art

After the holidays I found myself swimming in tissue and wrapping paper. Instead of tossing it out we decided to paint on it. Annabel, like most kids her age, loves free painting. The tissue paper gives interesting texture and the colors blend together easily.

Materials:
Tissue Paper
Watercolor Paint
Brushes
Elmers Glue
Small canvas or thick paper

Step 1: Paint your tissue paper. Cool colors for the ocean? Warm colors for the sun? Maybe some greens and yellows for a forest? Let your tissue paper dry for a few hours or overnight.

Step 2: Shred it up! Tear your tissue paper into small prices.

Step 3: Arrange it. Decide what kind of design you will be making. Lay out your tissue paper.

Step 4: Glue it down. Mix 1 part glue to 1 part water (Glue water) and use this to adhere the tissue paper to canvas. Let it dry and you have a little masterpiece!