Spring Hyacinth

Spring is around the corner! Here's a sweet and simple project for your art shelf.

Click photo:

from meetthedubiens.com

Chinese New Year

2012 - Year of the Dragon. Chinese Lunar New Year is the largest annual festival celebrated by Chinese and Chinese descendants around the world. The New Year celebration begins on the 1st day of the Chinese lunar calendar (this year: January 23rd) and ends on the 15th day with Lantern Festival. To help celebrate, here is a festive craft idea that is simple enough for a preschooler to make on his/her own, yet fun for all ages.  

1-Provide precut rectangular paper, with a dotted line in the center to indicate where to fold:

2- If necessary, draw lines for cutting:

3-Unfold. Use a stapler, glue, or tape to secure the bottom and top edges:

 4-Provide a pre-cut 6" strip for the handle and staple on top of "lantern":

 

5-Hang additional on a string in celebration! Don't limit yourself to just one color!

 

"Gung hay fat choy!" 

Green Crafter Ethics: Is it Okay to Collect Seashells?

Summer is here and we are seeing all sorts of interesting and fun craft ideas utilizing sea shells and other beach objects. Before you start picking up those shells...click photo for an informative article:

250 

Melted Crayon Art

Don't throw out all those used crayons. Recycle! Here's a simple idea you might want to incorporate into this year's Mother's Day craft. (Click on heart...it will direct you to the "Tired, Need Sleep" website - a wonderful resource for the Montessori classroom.)

Art - Balloon Painting

A student project out of archives: Submitted by Ann Mannie of Greenville, NC, entitled Balloon Painting. 

The following is a conversation Trudy (UMA evaluator) and Ann (UMA student) had about the use of balloons:

Ann: My question to you is a safety issue. The project uses partially inflated balloons as a tool for painting. The children loved the bright colors and the squishy, bouncy feeling of the balloons and enjoyed mixing primary colors. I used helium balloons and only partially inflated the balloons so that they were less easy to pop, but I started to get concerned about balloons as a choking hazard with young children (and that they can be inhaled and not easily dislodged) so I have taken up the project for now. What are your thoughts about balloons in the classroom with young children?

Trudy: I am aware of the standard warnings on latex balloons for children under 8 years old. I am very big on safety, however, I believe this balloon Art exercise poses no threat to children. First, no primary-aged child is going to be tempted swallow a balloon with paint on it. Second, the Montessori classroom is all about observation. An adult is always aware of who is working with the balloons and observing. Any child working on this particular Art exercise will have had a proper demonstration, which could include a “safety warning.” Naturally, you would not put this activity out until the class was normalized. If we carried each “safety issue” to the extreme, then certainly we would have to remove all knives, sewing needles, magnets, marbles, small beads, scissors, sharp pencils, glassware, etc. from the Montessori classroom. In this case, the three balloons sitting in paint are just fine!

Ann: Thanks for your reassurance about the balloons in the classroom. My daughters agreed with you, saying that if we have knives and pin punching tools in the classroom, we should be able to handle balloons also! That said, I feel comfortable with the balloons and will use that as my art activity. 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

So, readers...what do you think? We welcome your comments!