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Art

Category
Art

Make a melting ice sculpture

Ice is such a fun material for kids to play with! It is easy to make and it changes form over time which means it is perfect for process-led art activities. In this post, I share how you can do your own melting ice sculpture at home with your little ones! Age range: 18 months + Preparation time: 10 minutes (ice needs to be frozen over night) What you need WaterSaltAcrylic paints or food coloringLarge Tupperware container or cake tin container to freeze iceLarge plastic tub or tray for kids to play with the ice inSmall containers (yogurt pots are perfect)Paintbrushes and kitchen utensils Additional equipment: Spray bottles for the paint, spice shakers, children’s toys to freeze in the ice and a camera to document the ice melting over time. Preparing the melting ice sculpture The night before you do the activity, freeze some water into the large Tupperware container…

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Art

Make an action painting

“A painting to me is primarily a verb, not a noun, an event first and only secondarily an image.” Elaine de Kooning, painter What is action painting? This activity shares how you can make your own action painting at home using paints, crayons, paper, and water. Action painting is when an artwork is by splashing, dripping, pouring, and squirting paint to a surface rather than carefully applying it with a brush (Tate, 2021). This process is associated with the Abstract Expressionism movement made famous by American artists such as Willem de Kooning, Franz Kline, and Jackson Pollock. About this activity Written by Jessica Lam (Pedagogical Coordinator at the Forest of Stars preschool, Malaysia), this post shares how parents can do this process-led art activity at home with children aged 1 year and up. Jessica describes the process of action painting as similar to ‘dancing’ with the paint: “As the lightness…

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Art

Make a cardboard assemblage

What is an assemblage? Assemblages are artworks made by gathering and constructing different materials and objects which are often scavenged by the artist from unusual places. This technique has been used by artists including Louise Nevelson, Robert Rauschenberg, Sarah Lucas, and Rosalie Gascoigne (pictured below). Assemblages are a great way for children to learn about composition, shape, 3D form, and texture. Young children can also develop their fine motor skills through handling tools such as plastic screws, paper clips, split pins, and scissors. In this post, I share how you can make an assemblage out of recycled cardboard at home! Rosalie Gascoigne, Lambing, 1991torn linoleum on plywood. 120 x 191 cm What you need to create your cardboard assemblage A large recycled cardboard box. If possible, source a few different types of cardboard such as correlated, paperboard, and food packaging.Split pinsMakeDo Cardboard Construction Kit. Purchase HERE.Paper clips. I brought jumbo…

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Art

Make a Shadow Sculpture

Shadow sculptures explore the creative potential of everyday household objects. I love this activity because it is so simple yet also encourages children to learn about light, transparency, opacity, and dimension through hands-on play. What you need A light source: This could be a flashlight, a lamp, cell phone light, or the sunA base: Styrofoam is perfect Mesh materials: Like colanders, graters, vegetable bags, and fly swatsWire objects: Like soft stem wire and chenille sticks.Transparent objects: Like shadow transparencies (download below) and bubble wrapFigurines: Toy animals, cars, figures are great for encouraging storytelling through shadow play. Any unusually shaped object that will make a funky shadow like an indoor plant or kitchen utensils. Setting up the play space Place the styrofoam base in front of a flat wall. Set up the light source so it is shining onto the area. Layout a small handful of materials (for example, the soft…

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Art

Make a soil tray

Nature art ideas for toddlers

Pic: Louisa Penfold With lockdown restrictions being eased, the outdoors (except for playgrounds) is being flagged as one of the most ‘socially-distance friendly’ play spaces for children. Creativity and nature go hand-in-hand. This post shares how you can experiment with ‘soil trays’ as a land art activity with kids! Soil trays are a wonderfully open-ended art activity you can do with young children. The soil itself acts as a ‘blank canvas’ that children arrange natural materials onto. This activity can be done in any natural space including a backyard, a city park, bushland or even at the beach. Nature in art and early childhood education Many artists such as Andy Goldsworthy and Georgia O’Keefe have spent their entire careers exploring nature as a creative material. American architect Frank Lloyd Wright also once famously said: “Nature is my manifestation of God. I go to nature every day for inspiration.” Goldsworthy’s art is talked about…

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Art

Make homemade wrapping paper

How to make homemade wrapping paper

This post shares how you can make your own homemade wrapping paper using objects you likely already have in around your house! Homemade wrapping paper is a great activity to do with kids aged 3 years+. In this post, I share four options for how this can be done. Tools you need Acrylic or tempera paint A roll of plain paper (or another paper surface to print onto)A rolling pin (or a similar sized rolling object, like a drink bottle)A paintbrushBubble wrap Elastic bandsCling filmA lid or wine cork An eye dropper (these plastic ones from Lakeshore Learning are perfect). Alternatively, a spray bottle also works well. Option 1: Block Print Get your child to select a lid (or a similar small, flat object like a wine cork) to use as a stamp Apply paint evenly to the flat side of the lid. You could use a paintbrush to help…

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Art

Make a marble run

A marble run for toddlers using recycled materials

Marble runs are a classic kid’s activity, you may even remember making them yourself at preschool using pre-constructed wooden tracks! I love marble runs because kids can use their imagination, and problem-solve while unknowingly learning about concepts such as motion, gravity and force. This blog post shares how you can make your own marble run at home using recycled materials! Age range: 18 months + please note that marbles can be choking hazards for little kids Preparation time: 10 minutes What you need Cardboard rolls (toilet paper rolls work great)Recycled materials such as fruit packaging and yogurt containersMasking or painter’s tapeScissorsBowl or basket Marbles or marble alternatives such as cotton balls, pasta shells, felt balls or polystyrene ballsA blank wall or window Setting up the activity A marble run aims to keep the marble in motion for as long as possible. To start, use the tape to stick the first…

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Art

Make a window picture

Attention all parents who currently have the kids (unexpectedly) at home! I know that everything feels so overwhelming right now. You are probably thinking ‘how the hell am I going to keep them entertained?’ I get that. It is such a weird time for everyone. So, I am going to do my best to help. I plan to share some different kid’s art projects that you can do at home over the next few weeks. These will all be simple, creative projects that can be done using things you have around the house. First up… Create a window picture The window picture I created in my kitchen! The first kid’s art project I am sharing is so simple but so much fun… creating a window picture! All you need is foil, paper, water and a window. This activity is perfect for children aged 2 years and up. What materials you…

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