UA-120956027-3
I've gathered some recycled items together for a sculpture invitation. When creating an invitation, spending some time thinking about the presentation pays off in increased engagement for the child. I cut my toilet paper tubes in quarters, cut apart a drink carrier, and cut up an egg carton. Which is more appealing - the jumble of materials in the box, or the neat rows?
I also put glue in a bowl with a brush. This can help with the over zealous bottle squeezing that sometimes happens with inexperienced gluers. It also allows the child to be very intentional about where the glue will end up. I will give my artist directions to keep their sculpture process inside the rectangle box. This will contain the mess and also challenge the child to build up instead of out. This invitation could easily become a two (or more) day project - once dry tomorrow, more shapes could be added to go taller, or paint or markers could be added for colors.
0 Comments
This simple invitation is a great outdoor activity. Sidewalk chalk isn't just for sidewalks! If you dip the chalk into water, the texture changes and can create richer colors. How will the chalk look on the branches? Does it look different when the chalk is dry vs. wet? For a related read aloud video see: Not a Stick.
One well-known element of Reggio inspired classrooms is “invitations”. In the preschool context, these invitations are the teachers’ way of providing a loose framework and inspiration for student-led exploration and learning with a group of materials. As the name implies, the presentation of the materials “invites” the children to explore. In the setting of the Art Studio/Atelier, the invitation inspires children to explore art materials, build their confidence with using different tools and media, and discover new interests and ways to use materials.
In our time away from school, I thought I would share some ideas for preparing art invitations in the home. How are art invitations different than art projects? An art/craft project usually has an end product in mind. You may show the end product to the child so they know how to create it, or follow step by step instructions. Invitations are about the process (not the end product), exploring materials, and enjoyment of creation. The end product might look different than expected, or there might not even be a finished product. While a craft project at home probably requires hands-on parent guidance throughout, hopefully after thoughtfully setting up an invitation at home, the parents can go hands-off and allow the children to explore and create independently. What do I need to buy to prepare for creating art invitations? Nothing! You can rummage though old art supplies, bring in natural items from your yard, or raid the junk drawer or recycling bin. If you do want to do any shopping, try to look for supplies that could work for multiple projects. Make sure you have kid-friendly scissors, glue sticks, glue bottles, tape, and some coloring supplies on hand. Where should I set up an art invitation? Think about how your child works, how your home is set up, and what the materials will be. If the materials have potential to get messy, I like setting up invitations outside, or in the bathtub, where clean up is easy. You can use (and reuse) a plastic tablecloth to protect a table and designate the approved work space. If your child needs lots of check-ins or reassurance, try setting up at the kitchen counter, or a small desk by your big desk, where they can work while you work nearby. Why art invitations? • Open-ended art time allows children to express their own ideas and interests. • They help children see materials in a new way, and build knowledge of materials through exploration and experimentation. • Children build confidence and feel successful. • Working with materials in different ways develops fine motor skills. • Children develop cognitive skills by problem solving, comparing and contrasting, predicting and planning as they work. • They encourage independent creative time. • Working without an end product to “accomplish” can be more relaxing for children. • Curating and narrowing down the supplies available to the child helps to avoid overwhelm. • They can be fun to brainstorm and put together! This sounds like a lots of work, is it worth it? Invitations can be as simple or as complex as your energy or schedule allows. Some kids will dive right in and explore, others might be more hesitant or dependent on parents at first. And sometimes, the kids just aren’t that interested in the invitation you present (this even happens to us at Preucil sometimes!) It’s just another way to think about a preschool activity while away from preschool - another tool for your tool belt. I’ll offer some specific ideas and more tips this week. If you have any questions, please contact me at [email protected]. Invitation Ideas: Branches + Chalk + Water Just before spring break, we were learning about and making shapes in the art studio. Each preschooler painted both side of a square piece of cardboard. Then we drew a shape on each side with oil pastel. I hung them all in the Art Studio windows, and the result was a
|
It was a joy to celebrate and share some of our artistic creations from this school year with our friends and families. ”We want to show the world our art. It makes people happy and inspired.” - L, age 5 ”Sharing art makes joy in people’s hearts.” T, age 4 “Art is my way of letting you know my world and who I am. Making art is who I am.” J, age 5 ”When people see our art they will see our world.” C, age 5 Many thanks to Public Space One for providing a great gallery space for our artwork and for all the families that came to support the show. |
We had a few extra wooden blocks hanging around, and we decided to work together to transform them into city buildings. First we chose colors and painted each block. Then we added windows and doors by cutting up colored paint chips. We cut out people and animals from magazines to collage onto our windows. Finally, we painted all the blocks with mod podge to seal them and make them more durable. Now our city buildings were ready for playtime in the classrooms! |
Art Studio teacher
January 2022
December 2021
November 2021
October 2021
August 2021
May 2020
April 2020
March 2020
December 2019
September 2019
November 2018
October 2018
September 2018
August 2018
May 2018
April 2018
March 2018
February 2018
January 2018
October 2017
September 2017
August 2017
July 2017
All
All School Project
Clay
Collaborative Art
Drawing
Fabric
Famous Artists
Harvest Preserve
Invitations
Multimedia
Nature
Painting
Painting Stories
Printmaking
Process Stories