Allison McDonald suggests thinking outside the box when painting with your preschoolers. Paint brushes are great and allow your students to practice properly holding a writing utensil as well as strengthen fine motor skills, but introducing new tools and styles will boost creativity and help them make connections between lesson concepts and the world! One of her favorite activities is print making with unconventional tools!
Print Making
Print making is a wonderful art concept that will help you teach your students about precision and accuracy, as well as textures and relationships. As just one example of how you can incorporate printing into your curriculum, McDonald suggests having your students make prints of various cups and jars during your unit on circles. As students attempt to dip their unconventional art tools in the craft paint and create designs by intentionally placing them onto their paper, they will strengthen their coordination and other fine motor skills. Exploring the look and feel of the raised paint rings that are created when everything dries will provide a new and exciting sensory experience for your students. Additionally, this exercise will help your students become more aware of their surroundings, directing them to make the important conclusion that "circles" are not just a classroom lesson, but can be found in everyday objects.
For more great toddler ideas, be sure to check out the rest of McDonald's blog!
Cup Prints Mom's Parenting Blog by Allison McDonald - FamilyEducation
