Pumpkin Patch Paintings (Balloon Prints)

I have never been a fan of "cookie cutter" projects. I do understand value in children understanding how to follow directions, but I also try to make sure that even with the craft projects we do, children have lots of choices in order to use their own creativity.

I always think more about this concept when it is nearing Halloween. One of my undergraduate professor's at Northern Michigan University always used the example of Halloween pumpkins/Jack-o-lanterns as a very common cookie cutter project. I even remember one year a group of students covering the door to her office with identical looking paper cut-outs. I don't think a year has gone by where I have not thought about her and the cookie cutter pumpkins this time of year.

Art of course, it about the process, it is an opportunity to learn through exploration of materials and to find your own personal way to express yourself. There are no rules, no limits..... in art, anything is possible.

In art, pumpkins can be any shape.

They can be any color.

Your pumpkin patch can be green, or pink, or white.... or any color you choose.

Today, we painted pumpkin patches. We did not make "cookie cutter" jack-o-lanterns. We made a mess, mixed colors and even popped a few balloons.

Balloons make funny paintbrushes.

If you plop them down just right, you can make a circle.

If you swirl them in enough colors, you get very colorful pumpkins.

When you squeeze them too hard, they pop! It makes a loud noise and the pieces and paint go flying! This post was linked up at:

Comments

Ticia said…

And if you read "Spookley the Square Pumpkin" you learn that it's good to have different shaped pumpkins.

October 27, 2010 at 4:36 PM

Amy A @ Child Central Station said…

YES! Ticia- We love that book!

October 27, 2010 at 5:42 PM

A Few Ideas With Marker Caps (As Promised)

Yesterday, I hope I convinced you not to throw away your markers that "don't work." Today, I will share with you a few ideas for what to do with all of the caps. The possibilities are nearly endless, but here are a few of our recent creations: 1) A Leprechaun/Fairy Ladder/Rope Ladder: 2) #1 if not permanently secured can also double as a rope bridge: 3) #1/#2 can also be made into a train track for your homemade trains :). (No photo available) 4) You can use them as beads for a necklace: 5) You could make them into a wind chime. (No photo available). 6. You can use them as small manipulatives to count, sort, and make patterns with. (No photo available). 7) You could use them as playing pieces in your own homemade board game. (No photo available). 8) You could put them on a wire and glue them in place to make a twirling whirly-gig. 9) You could top them with a lid from a milk jug to make tiny tables or toadstools. 10) You could make them...

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"The Markers Don't Work!"

How may times have you heard, "Ms. (fill your name in here), this marker doesn't work!" I know I hear it all the time. Sometimes it is because our little friends forget to replace the caps, and sometimes the markers have just been "all used up!" What do you do with all those markers that just don't work? Please don't tell me that you throw them out, try this instead: First, sort your markers out. Put the caps in one container ( save those too, I'll show you what you can do with them in tomorrow's post) and the markers in another. I have a box for the markers that "don't work" for the children to place them into every time they run across one. You can also have the children help you test the markers periodically to sort out the ones that need to be removed from the "working set." When it comes time to use "the markers that don't work," we use a small sponge paint roller to roll water onto our card...

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