Creating with Clay: Virtual Wonderworks #8

Book: What Should I Make?

by Nandini Nayar, illustrated by Proiti Roy. (Tricycle Press, 2009. First published in 2006 by Tulika Publishers, Chennai, India in English and Hindi.)

A little boy, Neeraj, helps his mother make chapatis, an Indian flat bread in this appealing children’s books from India.

 

Song: One From the Left by Jim Gill

This is a great song for stretching those fingers (plus counting!)

Book: Dave the Potter

by Laban Carrick Hill, illustrated by Bryan Collier. (Little, Brown, 2010). Caldecott Honor & Coretta Scott King Award Winner, 2011.

 

Explore STEAM, art, and poetry extension activities for teachers (Dave-Edu-Extension) and parents and families (Dave-Parents created by Reading is Fundamental (RIF).

Activity: Create with play dough

Play dough is great for building hand strength — pushing, pulling, kneading, shaping with dough uses lots of hand and finger muscles. It’s also pretty easy to make at home, and generally is much more pliable than store bought play dough. There are many recipes out there, and you can add color and scent (with kool-aid mix!) if you choose.

Easy basic play dough recipe

• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 cup salt
• 1 cup water
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• food coloring

Boil water and add the food coloring, then mix with other ingredients. Mix/knead until a soft dough forms. No cooking needed! Many recipes use cream of tartar, which helps the play dough last longer, but it works fine without it (I tested it to make sure!) This is very forgiving — if it is sticky, just add more flour. If it is too dry, add water (just a little at at time). Keep in a plastic bag and it will last for a few weeks!

More Books!

Find additional books & e-books about clay, dough (think pizza dough & cookie dough) and tactile/sensory projects to explore with kids.

 

 

 

Shapes & Collage: Virtual Wonderworks #6

 

Michael Hall’s Perfect Square is a perfect jumping off point for creativity. View a preview of it here: https://www.michaelhallstudio.com/books/bk_perfect_square.html

Activity:  Go on a Square Hunt

Build shape recognition – by going on a square hunt. How do you identify a square?

• 4 corners
• 4 equal sides

Trace the shape in the air. Draw it on paper. Look for squares around your house.

And then introduce other shapes:

• How is a square different than a rectangle?
• a triangle (3 sides)?
• a circle?

and then encourage creativity. What can you make from a paper square?

Matisse & Collage

Henri Matisse used collage to create works of art, which he referred to as “drawing with scissors.”

What kind of shapes can you create?

 

Did you know that the Westerville Public Library has art prints you can check out?

One is a Matisse: l”Escargot (the Snail)

In this collage, Matisse used squares of colored paper to create a snail.Can you find a spiral in this image? The original artwork is in the collected of the MOMA (Museum of Modern Art) in New York City. Learn more about Matisse and his collages in the online exhibition: https://www.moma.org/interactives/exhibitions/2014/matisse/the-cut-outs.html.You’ll find photos of Matisse in his studio and cutting and arranging the works.

Activity: What can you make with a square?

Try making a collage. You can tear paper (fun!) or use scissors (which is a great fine motor skill to work on.) Try to stick with using squares for one collage — then make whatever shapes you like.

Here are some examples from Perfect Square.  You can look at these perfect square activities, print them out if you like, or use your own ideas to create YOUR collage.

These photos are from a similar program a few years ago in the library. I love how different and distinctive the creations are. This is a great opportunity for children to create in their own way, as there is no right or wrong way, and kids can be free to explore. Also, you can use scrap paper, bits of whatever you have around, color them if you want — remember, Matisse started with a brown paper bag!

 

More books about Matisse & collage:

Note these ebooks:

Collage Workshop for Kids by Shannon Merenstein

The Iridescence of Birds by Patricia Maclachlan, illustrated by Hadley Hooper.

Parents & teachers, read more about this lovely book here: https://www.brainpickings.org/2015/02/10/the-iridescence-of-birds-henri-matisse/