Art and Craft - Colourful Ornaments

As the holiday season approaching, we made some colourful ornaments this week!

The children used aluminum foil, string, cardboard and Sharpie markers to create this shinning colourful decoration.  

Art - Tint & Shade of Blue

Last week, the Water group children and I found it challenging to mix and to reproduce the right colours we wanted from Nature. Therefore, we decided to break down the steps and explore tint and shade. To make it simple, we chose only one colour, blue, to work on this week. 

Working with the Colour Tablet Box 3 again, the children explored that by adding white, we create a lighter blue; on the other hand, we can get a darker blue by mixing black and blue together.

The children enjoyed mixing and creating their own tints or shades of blue!

Art - Leaves Colour

The Colour Tablet Box 3 from Montessori Sensorial area were introduced to the children today for our art activity. I demonstrated how we can grade different shades of colours from light to dark. 

Then, each child had a turn to observe and to match the colour of the autumn leaves that were collected from outside. The children were encouraged to take their time to look at the colours carefully and to compare the different shades.

The children noticed that some leaves had more than one shade of colour that match. Look how carefully our little ones focused on finding and matching the colours!

We tried to used the paint to reproduce the leave colours we see. All the children were so eager to mixing and create the colour we  see from the leaves. After the process of trail and error, the children and I found that it was pretty difficult to reproduce the same colour from Nature! We will keep explore about different shades of colour next week.

Art - Sky Colour

Today, we began with study the cover of "Sky Color" by Peter H. Reynolds. "What colour is the sky?" I asked the children. "Blue" the children said. "Is there other colours in the sky?" I wondered. Some children looked at outside of the window and said "white and grey, it's cloudy!"
As we read through the story, the children explored that the sky could change colour depends on the time of a day or on the weather. 
Some children also shared their knowledge about that we see colours because of light and the rainbow colours within the light.

The children were encouraged to try a new art technique to draw with white candle upon the paper first.

 Then, we picked different sky colours to put on our paper. The water colour helped us to see the candle marks we made at the beginning. 
Having practice using water colour during our art time, the children were capable controlling the amount of water they applied with the water colour on paper. The children learned to stop adding water upon the same spot and to wipe their brushes to reduce the water.

 It was exciting to watch the children's gradual progression of water colour art technique. Moreover, the children enjoyed the process and carefully observed the colour-mixing happened on the paper. 

Art - Colours of the Season

Today, the Earth group children enjoyed reading the book "Bear Has a Story to Tell" by Philip C. Stead. The children were invited to look at the illustration carefully in the book as the seasons change through out the book. The story starts from Fall how the bear encounters his friends who are getting ready for winter time. 
The children shared their observation about the colours were used on the pages of Fall. We stopped to look at the illustration on each page; the children describe the different shades of a colour. Moreover, some children noticed how the colour fades on the page, which was the artist, Erin E. Stead using her water colour painting technique.

The children were invited to paint with their fingers and water colours. The children created their own story on a piece of paper. 

Making dots!

The children noticed that on the pages of season Fall, the illustrator used the colour orange, yellow, red and brown; there are the colour grey, blue and white on the pages of winter in the book.

Rub on he water colour pallet 

Art - Autumn Colours

We had a chance to work together to create a piece of collaborative Autumn artwork.

First of all, the children were encouraged to wet the paper with a spray bottle.   

Then, we explored how paint would slowly spread out upon the paper. The children were amazed by how the paint mix and travel through the water on the paper.

As an open-ended art project, the children created their own way of painting. Some painted on leaves and print on the paper; some sprayed more water on the paint to explore how the water would affect the paint.

Art - Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving Creative Minds families!

Today the children shared their thankful messages in the groups. It was so sweet to hear the lovely and thoughtful messages from the children. The children used their handprints and footprints to make turkey cards!

Thank you all for sharing the Thanksgiving feast with us!

Art - Autumn leaf

Water group children were invited to observe the arrival of Autumn. The story "Leaf Jumpers" by Carole Gerber was read to the children. We discussed the colours of Autumn leaves. 

Using masking tape to cover the part we do not want to paint was the technique we used to create the veins on a leaf. The children carefully taped out the veins.

The children were encouraged to mix food colouring with eye-droppers and paint brushes on their Autumn leaves. 

Art - Salt & Water Colour Painting

For the art activity today, the children explored some new media, white glue and salt, to go with the water colour. First, the children painted white glue with a brush or a squeeze bottle on their paper.












Then, we moved to the next station to put some salt upon the white-glue design we made. 

The children gently apply water colour upon their designed patterns. The children enjoyed and fully engaged in this art activity.

Moreover, it was impressive to watch the children moving along through the stations in their own pace, politely asking for art supply and waiting for their turns patiently.

The children had a chance to test and to combine multiple media in art to create this interesting pop-out texture upon their paper!  

Art - Hello, My Name is ...

The story, "Hello, My Name Is Ruby" by Philip C. Stead, was read to the children today. Ruby, a fearless little bird in the story, looks for a friend and starts her adventure in a very big world. Along the story, this little bird keeps introducing herself to make new friends.

"What is a name?" one of the birds in the story wonders. The children in the Water Group pondered as well. The children understood that our names are for others to call us; also, we can introduce ourselves by our names.

For art activity today, we used crayons to write down our name. Then, the children were encouraged to paint and to decorate their name with water colour.

We explored these two art media and observed how crayon and water colour interacted upon our paper.

Art - Mid-Autumn Festival, Moon!

The coming Monday will be the Mid-Autumn Festival in Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese cultures. It is a harvest festival held on the 15th of the eighth month in the lunar calendar. People celebrate and admire the beautiful full moon the Mid-Autumn Festival with family members and friends.

Water group children used multi-media (pompoms, coloured tissue paper, felt and construction paper) to make a collage full moon together.  

The children drew themselves and talked about what they want to do with friends on the moon festival.

A collaborative art work water group made 

Experiment Day - Colour Mixing Fun

The children enjoyed our science experiments outdoor today.
Having observed some children showed interests in colours when I prepared food colouring for the water table and play dough, We decided to let the children explore and have hands-on experience with colour mixing.

The children were invited to mix three primary colours (Blue, Red and yellow) water using an eye-dropper. Squeezing an eye-dropper can be an great movement to enhance fine motor skills and pre-writing skills.

As well, our children were fascinated by the various different colours they made. Alfie and Cameron were satisfied with the different shades of emerald colour! How wonderful to hear the children described colours with such enriched language.

 I invited the children mix colours on a piece of ice. As the coloured water dripping upon the ice, the children said "the ice is melting!" 
"I wonder what makes the ice melt," Ann asked.
"Coloured water," William said.
"The Sun," Esme said.
"Would the ice still melt if we move it inside our school away from the sun?" Ann wondered.
Cameron said "the ice would melt inside our school if we touch it."
What an interesting conversation I had with the children!

We put our mixed coulour water in the freezer after the activity. We can explore more about the diffrent for of water (Solid, liquid, air) next.