Hello all,
This week we are using different types of clay everyday. Monday we started with a little (Model) magic. The children rolled, squeezed, squished, stretched, and patted it flat. Everyone got to choose a color to add to theirs and then after breaking it and sticking it back together repeatedly, they mixed the color in. Some decided to share pieces of their Model Magic so they each had two colors. In the end everyone made a sculpture.
After setting them out to dry, we played in the big room. Block building, tricycles, and jungle gym were the top choices.
We mixed glue, water, and Borax to get our second non-clay-ish medium. The children helped mix and chose green and yellow food coloring to add. They noticed it was white and then greenish, that it felt cold, and moved slowly. We played with it for a bit before snacks. Some children rolled it into worms, some made thick islands, while others held it up and watched it s l o w l y fall to the table.
Wednesday we used modeling clay. The children said it was harder to shape. It is a great hand strengthening tool, as are all these mediums. We counted the number of people in our class, and broke the clay rectangle in halves, counting and recounting, until they equaled the same number as students. Four rows of four. We started with red and added yellow. Some people kept the colors separate, some twisted them together, and two kids mixed it so well, they came up with a new color.
Thursday we used gray clay. The children surmised it was heavy, moist, and hard just by looking at it and listening to it drop. They used strong hands to manipulate the clay into snakes, mountains, snowmen, dinosaurs, and caterpillars. While the sculptures dried we played in the big room. The next day we painted them.
Sightings in the big room: children were playing Mary Poppins, using the cash register, pushing grocery carts together, pretending to be dinosaur/cannonballs on trikes, ROARING, hopping on “those blue things” (bean bags), pretend eating, wearing goggles and helmets, sharing the computer keyboard, hiding keys in high places, wearing construction hats, playing ball, and caring for babies. Whew! Lots of activity.
We continue to talk about and remind friends of the Golden Rule: do unto others as you would have them do unto you; if you don’t like it, don’t do it. This includes thinking about not hurting friends’ feelings or bodies.
Next week we work on wood sculptures.
Shoeboxes please. More shoeboxes.
Stay warm,
Therese