The snow is falling and my children love when we turn the inside of our house into a winter wonderland. Our Winter Texture Collages explore the chilly colors of winter and are a wonderful sensory experience.
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE WINTER TEXTURE COLLAGES
tinfoil (aluminum foil)
assortment of collage materials (cotton balls, q-tips, small pieces of white paper, silver tinsel garland, white doilies, bubble wrap, glitter paper)
white paint
silver glitter
glue
paint brush
small container (I used a yogurt container)
AREAS OF DEVELOPMENT ENHANCED THROUGH WINTER TEXTURE COLLAGES
sensory exploration (touch, sight, sound)
color exploration
creativity
artistic expression
language development (speaking about artwork)
fine motor development (painting, picking up collage pieces, gluing)
HOW TO SET UP THE WINTER TEXTURE COLLAGES
Prior to introducing the Winter Texture Collages to your children set up collage making stations with one piece of tinfoil (approximately 18 inches long) per child, a tray containing the different collages materials and a container with equal parts glue and white paint with a small amount of silver glitter mixed in. Tape the corners of the tinfoil to the table so that it does not slide around when the children are working.
Demonstrate how you can use the paint mixture to glue the collage materials onto the tinfoil. At 2 years old my daughters needed some reminding that if they didn’t use the paint/glue the collage materials would not stick. This was a wonderful learning opportunity. Give your children the time and freedom to explore the materials. There is no right or wrong way to create the Winter Texture Collages. Like with all artwork the process of creating is more important than the end product. Focus the discussion on your child’s actions. “Luca, look at the way you are using the paint to connect the white cotton balls together. You are working hard.”
“Charlotte, it looks like you are enjoying putting the paint on your hands. How does it feel?” Encourage your children to describe the different textures of the collage materials.
“Quinn, I hear a sound when you rub the tinsel in your hands. Let’s all be quiet and listen to the sound the tinsel makes when Quinn moves it back and forth. What does it sound like?”
An easy way to aid your child’s ability to discuss her artwork is to make a statement about what you see your child doing and then say “Tell me about it.” For example, I said to Luca “Luca, look at the way you are putting all the tinsel in a bunch. Tell me about it.” Because I kept the conversation about the process of the artwork this gave Luca the freedom to tell me her own point of view about what she was doing. If I had said “Look at the volcano you are making.” This would not have given Luca the freedom to tell me that she was making a bird’s nest for all the Winter animals. The child’s point of view should always be at the center of the project and conversation.
When your child decides he is done let the collages dry and then hang on the wall. My children love the wintry feel their collages give to our dining room!
