this little mosaic activity is one i set up as an individual project. i wouldn’t have been surprised if two children decided to work together. i was surprised (and delighted) to find all four boys at once using up all the pieces.
a piece of fabric threaded through the ceiling tile (yes, carefully done and moved to make sure it wasn’t pulling too hard), handles made from duct tape, a trampoline borrowed from a family (thank you, otis, for sharing).
really good times.
really good static.
really contemplative figuring out of things (notice the mirror being used to see the fabric from different angles).
i don’t have photos of the little dollhouse figure that got many rides on the fabric. she had a blast.
i saw this, realized that it would require more precision than i’m good at, so i asked our families if anyone thought they could make one. i had over 10 responses and asked the first three responders to make us one. i am humbled and grateful (and thinking of more projects). thank you.
we have a whole table dedicated to tape.
the fine motor work is impressive. i am reminded of a workshop i went to led by occupational therapists who stressed the importance of working those finger and hand muscles.
this sure does it.
a little too well sometimes.
p.s. if any of your children come home and speak of tape over mouths (or arms or hands or feet), the teachers did not do it!!
a big j cut from old mat board (thank you mr. randy) covered with a thrifted missing-pieces-too-hard-for-preschoolers jigsaw puzzle and about 3 bottles of glue.
problem: i think there are preschoolers who left the week believing “j is for puzzle.” we have time to clear that up.
what are you thankful for?
a simple project done in stages. children sat with me in a circle and they told me ideas of things they were thankful for (i realized that what a preschooler is thankful for can also equal what they wish for), i wrote them around the edge of the purple paper, then they went to ms. carol. she helped them identify colors and sizes in order to glue them together so each color would show. then there was turkey face making and glue drying.
happy thanksgiving, friends and families!
we were graced with a couple of turkey snacks this week.
thank you for the extra time and love, families!
a variation on a common theme.
we used cinnamon scented natural feathers, a low temp glue gun, an old cereal box, scraps of construction paper, and a marker.
make sure you sing this song while you hold your little turkey:
i’m a little turkey short and fat,
here are my feathers, here is my hat.
when it is thanksgiving, you will hear:
gobble, gobble, gobble in your ear!
it always feels like an assembly line when we do “crafts” like this. these are activities where the product is what we’re working towards (unlike most projects we do).
i try to make the process worth something. like letting the children put both hands in the tub of feathers, letting them cut the extra scraps of paper while i use the glue gun, letting them break off little pieces of some pinecones to use for the beaks (plus quite a few extra).
and the children go home with something “cute” to decorate the home with.
