Painting Day
On this day, we had two types of experiences.
1. Flyswatter Painting - Dip flyswatters in paint and hit the paper.
I've always wanted to do this but really didn't have the right situation. Until now. Kids enjoyed this.
My takeaway: Set up several stations so more kids can do it at a time.
2. Spray Painting - Pour liquid watercolor in spray bottles and spray away.
Kids enjoyed this, too. I've done this once before indoors. Never again. Or now without lots of surrounding structure. Outdoors, this was perfect.
My takeaway: Fill up the bottles with paint and bring more for backup.
Overall, we just wanted more.
Drawing Day
An old stand-by was the feature for us - drawing with chalk. We drew on the floor of the picnic pavilion outside the playground. We also had spray bottles of water and paintbrushes with buckets of water to make our drawings "disappear."
My takeaway: Chose a "canvas" that will be exposed to the rain or that no one will care has lots of chalk lines. Our art left some residue behind. (And I was out painting with water for a while after camp was over.)
Collage/Sculpture Day
We made a collage/sculpture on the fencing around the playground with plastic cups. It really looked like an art installation after we were finished. I liked the "come and go" nature of this activity. Kids would place one or two cups and then leave; later they would come back and add another one. Other kids would play on the playground for a while and then try the art. And others stayed with the art for a longer while.
My takeaway: Try the materials first! (I tell people this all the time and then I didn't do it.) The cups we had were a little too large for the fence. Kids had to work to get them to stay in. It was a great motor activity but a little frustrating for some of them.
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| Removing the "evidence" |
Art belongs outside as well as inside. What art experiences have taken you into the great outdoors?
