We're Going on a Bear Hunt: painting and washing rocks

For our week of We're Going on a Bear Hunt we filled our classroom with a plethora of natural elements. On one of our tables I set up a basket full of natural objects along with paint for the children to explore. There were sticks, pieces of bark, and of course...rocks. The first kiddo to hit up the center painted up a rock then asked for some water to wash it off. Soon we had a washing center and the children turned their art table into a tactile experience. This is truly process at its best. Once one kiddo began the investigation, the others followed suit. They were really surprised to find that unlike with the rocks, the paint did not wash off the branches and sticks. We talked about absorption and the kiddos really embraced it. It was really cool!