This week, we continued to explore activities connected to our various curricula: paint and the alphabet.
We have been investigating different ways to interact with paint in our classroom. One way we approached paint this week was by painting over a plastic mesh sheet. The children realized that for the paint to seep through, they would have to apply a lot of paint over the sheet. Once the project was complete, the children were able to see the little checks that appeared when they took off the sheet.
A new and innovative way we approached paint this week was through frozen watercolor paint. A few children helped fill up small cups with paint and popsicle sticks which were left overnight in the freezer. The children were each given a different color and used the stick to guide the paint all over the page. Some friends chose to roll the paint with their hands, noting the cold and smooth texture. Other students also opted to throw the ice paint onto the table to see what would happen when the paint broke off into chunks. The children were enthralled by the activity, taking turns sharing the frozen paints and working as fast as they could before the ice melted.
We also began an art project that will incorporate paint next week. This week, the students used pastel crayons to decorate a poster board. Once the poster is covered by the pastel crayons, the students will use watercolor to paint over it and make observations about what will happen.
Another topic we have been exploring in the classroom, as mentioned in previous blogs, is the alphabet. This week we introduced magnetic foam letters and boards, which the children used to make words and names that they know. The students also played an alphabet matching game where they found pairs of letters that match. We read a new ABC’s book that gave more examples of words beginning with the given letters. Next week, we will start to explore new games and puzzles that incorporate the alphabet.
