stamping with farm animals

This activity is more about the process than the product (as it should be). The kiddos in my classroom really enjoyed this activity, spending a lot of time pressing the animal into the stamp pad, examining the color on the feet and then pressing or stampeding across the paper. Cause and effect in action.

 Here is the invitation to investigate. Set out paper and have extra sheets available for the next kiddo or for your kiddo to create another stamping. We limited the ink pads to Fall colors and had many discussions on the colors, their names, what objects in nature match, how they were warm colors, etc.

The kiddos knew exactly what they wanted to do. The other stamps were cleared out in favor of the farm animals. We spent time talking about the different animals, naming them, and making their sounds. Many of the children in the classroom have farm animals at home. Chickens mostly, but one other had a goat and a pig. A lot of conversation surrounded the rooster and chickens.

She thought the stand the goose's feet were on was hysterical. We talked about why the goose figure had a stand while the cow did not. She learned new words such as balance, stand, and leverage.

Have you ever watched a kiddo make art? There is a lot of dialog, even when there is no one else there. I love the sound effects. Here she began with honking but ended with a silly song she made up.

When the rooster came in to play, it was a down and out barn dance! I think this young lady spent all of her discovery time at the table here. Trying out each animal, examining the differences in the prints, mixing ink colors, and learning, learning, learning.

Here the cow makes an appearance as he decorates this young person's paper. I was both surprised and not surprised by all that was happening and learned at the stamping table. Don't let the farm animals have all the fun! Try using cars, dinosaurs, reptiles, or insects! Have fun!

investigating vinegar and baking soda

Back when we did our bubble print trucks, we found we had a lot of leftover watercolor paint in our happy rainbow bowls. I added a hefty dose of vinegar to each cup then gave the kiddos access to baking soda. Minds were blown! There was dumping, scooping, eye-droppering, and of course pouring. It was a spectacular mess and the children loved every minute of it. I am happy that I managed to cover the table top with butcher paper. Our junky clean up towel mopped up the floor. The children went home with fingers tinted in all sorts of colors. Absolutely spectacular!

impromptu scissors work

 

On the day I had planned for us to begin our sprouting jars I realized I had forgotten to bring tulle to use on our jars. Standing in our classroom kitchen I spied our container of bath scrubbies I had an a-ha! moment and pulled one down. I sat myself down at one of our wee tables and was about to begin cutting when the door opened and the first kiddo of the day walked in. He immediately walked up to me and asked what I was doing. When I told him what I was doing and why he decided he wanted to do it too and so off to the art center he went in search of scissors. He sat there quietly cutting and exploring the plastic mesh for more than 30 minutes. So involved was he that he attracted the attention of another student who wanted to do it as well and so we brought down the scrubbie container and set up a cutting station at the art table. I love it when things like this happen!

investigating cornstarch and shaving cream

One box of cornstarch, 1 can of shaving cream. Add some eyedroppers and liquid watercolor and a small spray bottle or two and watch those little minds at work. We used cookie sheets as work stations. Four sheets for four kiddos. They could go as long as they wanted or they did not have to investigate at all.