Besides for another particularly early morning wake up on my part (this morning), the rest of the family is up early every morning. It seems to be our natural rhythm around here. So by8:30 on summer mornings we've already zoomed through several activities and accomplished plenty. Sometimes they're inside, sometimes they're outside. Sometimes there is play that has evolved from their imaginations. Their favorite "game" is some form of playing puppy where one takes care of whoever is the puppy. This game has endless variations on the theme, but they usually play nicely for long periods during this one. I love it when this occurs because I can get tons done. The glitch is when they start fighting to the point that intervention is needed. Still, it is really pretty amazing to see how far they've come this summer in terms of playing together... and so sweet.
Other times they request an "art project" (their term) that is directed by me. So I scramble through my brain. Hopefully I've had enough coffee at this point. Lots of time we collage fabric scraps, paint, draw... you know the bread and butter. This time they brought to me a butterfly my little guy had made in Montessori. What a relief! We had clothespins, filters left over from the beach last year, paint, and of course, fishing line to hang them. (This family has got plenty of fishing line.) What amazed me about this project was how long it entertained both age ranges. An almost 3 year old and a 6 year old wear both totally into it.
Now I just need to hang these beauties!
4 comments:
I am going to do these with the kiddos tomorrow! Easy and I have the supplies. I'm always searching for art projects too. What do you do when 'collaging with fabric scraps?' I have tons of scrap fabric.
We made these all the time when I ran summer camps at the Children's Museum. They are even better if you buy those pipecleaners that are like bumps separated by straight parts. You then cut one section and bend it in half to make antennae and clip it into the mouth of the clip.
You can also make the rest of the life cycle. Crumpled up paper eggs glued to a cut out green paper leaf. For the caterpillar cut out three bumps of a styro egg carton and draw a face on it and add pipe cleaner legs. Then wrap it in pillow stuffing for the cocoon part of the life cycle. Then of course the adult moth is last. I say moth because a butterfly would necessitate a hard chrysalis instead of a cocoon, and that's more difficult! Enjoy.
I love these butterflies! Since we are all in various stages of a nasty flu I reckon it's going to be the perfect weekend project for us. It should take us the weekend to do the life cycle between all the other activities going on.
Thanks for such inspiration...as always,
jennifer
My girls made these last year at Easter - so much fun and so simple!
Have you thought of hanging them up in a mobile? we only had 3 left after the girls gave some to their cousin and friends, but we hung them from the ceiling in their room, and it was a big hit.
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