What doesn't bend, breaks. This was my theme for the week. Oh no, this wasn't a "creative unit" that I planned for the kids that I'm writing to you about, it was a lesson for me. The message was first sent to me gently and with humor when I fumbled into it while reading a post by Creative With Kids on how make sure to have an overall bad time doing craft activities with your kids. It made me giggle and I bookmarked it, thinking "Well, good thing I never do THAT!". I then ignorantly let the message float right past me as I planned every little aspect of the weeks ahead.
Thank goodness Wednesday came and my friends at Epiphany arrived or I may not have gotten the message at all! All day they reminded me. Sometimes it was quiet, sometimes is was loud, but they didn't give up until I heard. Every move they made screamed: "LET GO AND BEND, Ms. Stephani!!!". I couldn't hear them though and I held on rigidly until we started on our creative project and I watched my plans fall apart and bending made the most sense it's ever made!
After reading the book Swimmy I had planned an activity that I'd read about somewhere on the internet (if any of you find it please link!). It involved a simple mix of food coloring, water and a touch of dish soap and straws. The kids blow into the straws and this, of course, makes bubbles. Doesn't it look fun?
Thank goodness Wednesday came and my friends at Epiphany arrived or I may not have gotten the message at all! All day they reminded me. Sometimes it was quiet, sometimes is was loud, but they didn't give up until I heard. Every move they made screamed: "LET GO AND BEND, Ms. Stephani!!!". I couldn't hear them though and I held on rigidly until we started on our creative project and I watched my plans fall apart and bending made the most sense it's ever made!
After reading the book Swimmy I had planned an activity that I'd read about somewhere on the internet (if any of you find it please link!). It involved a simple mix of food coloring, water and a touch of dish soap and straws. The kids blow into the straws and this, of course, makes bubbles. Doesn't it look fun?
Bubble Painting
The tricky part is the next step: Neatly, place a piece of card stock (we used old file folders) on top so that the bubbles paint the paper. No one wanted to do that part. They tried for approximately 2.3 seconds with no interest in the bubble painting and then went back to blowing brightly colored bubbles- all over the table. Who wouldn't? This was when I realized I wasn't bending and heard what they had been trying to tell me all day. It was my "Aha!" moment from the kids.
So, we took it outside!
And I followed their lead, encouraging them do what they were drawn to do because they know what they need.
Without my interference, they negotiated turn taking, collaborated and worked as a team. This version of the activity allows for more physical movement, sensory exploration and oral motor development than the original. Together they were more creative and it was also much more child directed.
In the end our collaborative art project looked like this.
Our classroom now has more color and luckily, I didn't break!
