Our theme this week is Dr. Seuss. We chose to use One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish for our stART project this week.
My original plan was to use Michelle the Muffin Tin Mom's idea for a project for this book. While I was stapling the fish together for her project, I realized that D is in a minimalist phase and that she probably would not want to stuff enough paper into the fish to make the project work. I definitely suggest checking out her project!
What I decided to do instead was to use contact paper instead. I traced the fish onto the contact paper and taped to contact paper sticky side up onto a cookie tray, and gave D red and blue tissue paper for the fish.
After D was done putting the tissue paper on the contact paper, I cut the fish down and put the contact paper on construction paper.
To see what other people were reading and doing this week, go to A Mommy's Adventure.
I was an Early Childhood teacher for a 3 year old class, and the parents never understood why the year before it was very clear what all of their projects were, and the year I had them, it wasn't as clear. Eventually, they began to see that it was because I let their children do their own work and didn't manipulate it to look like something else. I have to admit it's not as easy to do with my own child, and maybe in part it is because she is only 20 months and needs a little more direction.
What do you think? Please, let me know in the comments. I would love to know as I plan future projects.
Cute project! To me, art is all about creative freedom, which builds esteem. How much esteem does it build for a grown up to be hovering over your creation? LOL
ReplyDeleteLetting the kid's work stand, as they make it, is one of the more difficult jobs of motherhood. But, I think you showcased her work nicely, while still connecting it to the story.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your thoughts. How do you think this project faired in terms of "creative freedom." I feel like I was walking a very thin line, and can't decide if I crossed it or not.
ReplyDeleteThanks!
ReplyDeleteI think you did a fine job of showing her the expectation and letting her go with it. :-) At least that's what "I" do, whether it's with algebra or art. LOL
ReplyDeleteWe are doing a Dr. Seuss theme this week too! Great project.
ReplyDeleteYou did an EXCELLENT job modifying this project and making it age appropriate!
ReplyDeleteThank you! Though I taught for many years before having my daughter, I feel like a newbie with all this, and I really appreciate the feedback.
ReplyDeleteHow can we resist doing a theme on the most famous children's author?
ReplyDeleteIt gets even harder when you work with two different skill levels. My son wants his projects to look like his older sister's. Last week we made handprint elephants and my daughter drew a sun at the top of her picture. My son wanted a sun just like it and refused to try making one himself.
ReplyDeleteI think that you described honestly what your child did and what you did. I was just writing my StArt post for tomorrow and musing how some 3 year old appear to produce very nice works of art while my daughter is content to produce brown blobs when she paints and experiments with color mixing. I swear that there is a bit of "correction" going on in perfect projects that is not always explained in the blog posts. As for "correction" itself - I think it depends on whether you are trying to do a directional piece or an open-ended piece. In this StArt case I think that your daughter benefited from seeing the end result of her collage - she might not be able to produce it now, but hopefully will "file it for later".
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