Bubble Wrap and Paint

When you think of bubble wrap, what uses do you think about? Packing materials for fragile items? Stress relief as you pop it? A fun item to add to a texture board? All are good uses. But we apply the rule "you can paint with almost anything" and use bubble wrap for painting! (And that may relieve stress, too.) I've used bubble wrap in two ways for painting.

ACTIVITY 1 - Stamping/printing with bubble wrap

Wrap blocks or small boxes with bubble wrap. Tape the wrap into place. Pour paint into a shallow pan. Dip the wrapped block in the paint. And stamp or smear away!

A hint: Fold a paper towel to put in the pan. Dampen the towel with water before adding the paint on top. The paper towel creates a "stamp pad" effect. If you do not add a little water to the towel before adding paint, the bubble wrap may stick to the towel and pull it out of the pan. (Trust me; it's true!)


ACTIVITY 2 - Painting with a brush on bubble wrap

Tape a piece of bubble wrap (about 8 by 10 inches) to the table or easel. Kids can dip a brush in paint and paint right on the bubble wrap. The textured surface gives a different experience than painting on smooth paper. Make a print to preserve the child's design. Pressing a piece of paper on top of the painted bubble wrap and carefully pulling it off. The design will transfer to the paper.

Bubble wrap is a fun way to explore and expand your painting horizons!

Inspiration from the Blogosphere: Art Ideas

I love art with preschoolers. Paint or crayons or stickers all give opportunities for young children to show their ideas and just explore "stuff" in new and different ways. A couple of years ago we did an art camp with some kids at our church. We're doing it again this year. As I plan and think about that, I also try to capture new or unusual ideas for us to try.

Here are a few ideas from around the blogosphere, some new and some not, that I'm thinking about.

Sculptures with chenille stems and paper shapes (TinkerLab)
I like the possibilities that this holds. And, if I give the hole punches to my kids, I see even more possibilities.


Paper Plate Stencils (Little Learning for Two)
We have used plastic stencils with colored pencils and pens. I like the idea of creating our own shapes - and maybe using paint instead of writing items.


Ball Shooter Painting (Fantastic Fun & Learning)
We've painted with balls in a variety of ways but we've never launched them at the canvas before!


Straw Mosaic Art (Picklebums)
I like the dimensional quality to these creations.


Tape Resist Paintings (Pre-K Pages)
Our new favorite art media are tempera paint sticks. I like the idea of using them here with tape to create resist art.

We will definitely repeat some of our previous ideas. (But probably no string painting!) As we refine our camp, I'll give you an update.


What are your favorite art experiences with preschoolers and kindergartners?


If you want to see other ideas I have collected, check out my Art Ideas Pinterest Board.

Paint Sticks: A New Favorite

My wife is the perfect match for me. We have taught together in early childhood classrooms in our church for a while. Now she even buys things for our classroom without my asking - or without even telling me until the box arrives. Recently she purchased some paint sticks - tempera paint in a "lipstick" type format. (We bought them from Amazon.)

We have been using them for the past couple of weeks...and I'm sold. I always like for kids to have similar experiences with different types of media. So we use (at various times and sometimes at the same time) crayons, markers, colored pencils, gel pens, chalk. We've even used charcoal pencils and pastels. While the drawing is a similar activity, each medium gives a different type of experience because the lines are different and the way the marks interact with the paper is different.

These tempera paint sticks are fun and easy to use. The colors are vibrant. And my girls enjoyed the ones that had glitter in them. (As you know, the only way I use glitter is encased in something else!)

The paint isn't wet like using regular tempera on a brush. Make a line and the color stays in place without running or smudging. Of course, if you rub, it may smudge a little. But overall it's very clean to use.

If you like to make wide swaths of color - like my kids - then the surface does stay tacky for a while. That means that if you press your arm on it or another piece of paper on it, it will stick. But you can carefully peel it off with no mess. (Well, maybe you'll have to wash your arm a little.)

Since my kids like to draw right on the edge of the paper, they got lines of the paint on the table. But it washed off quickly and easily with a wet paper towel. (And, yes, I enlisted some kids to do that, too.)

I'm glad we have added these paint sticks to our art collection. They are definitely keepers.

And, after we used them for the first time, I saw this post about using them for tape resist pictures (from Pre-K Pages).

Negative Space Collages

This activity is one we did in Vacation Bible School. The theme was a space theme so our exploration was similarly themed. But the "space" in this title doesn't refer to that theme but the space in the paper.

We cut moon shaped holes in paper. This space should be shaped in whatever way you choose. It could reflect another theme or just be a random shape...even just a wavy hole. Cut clear contact plastic to the appropriate size and cover the hole. 

Provide paper shapes for the children to place on the sticky paper. We had stars--some were cut from sparkly paper and some from just plain white paper. Children arranged stars as they chose in the opening on the paper.

Our children enjoyed exploring this different type of collage. Some covered the space fully while others arranged a few stars and were satisfied with the work.

When a child completed his collage, we placed another piece of clear sticky paper over the opening, sealing in the stars and covering all sticky areas.

We cut our shapes with scissors, freehand. But using a die cut machine or other cutter would speed up the preparation.

Try this different type of collage, mixing up the hole shapes and the paper that is used to fill it in.

Sticky Note Collage

Making a collage is a standard type of activity in preschool and kindergarten rooms. Assembling a lot of different materials to create a larger visual item is a time-honored art form. In fact it is so familiar that often we overlook it as a creative endeavor. But preschoolers still enjoy making collages and experimenting with this visual art form.

In our art camp last summer, we created a collage with sticky notes. These collages were group efforts with different colors, sizes, and shapes of self-stick notes. We got most of our notes from the dollar store.

We used our magnet boards as a base for the collages. But you could use large pieces of paper. Or even create the collage directly on a wall.

This activity is great for all ages of preschoolers. Since no glue or other adhesive is involved, younger preschoolers can easily enjoy doing this activity. And our pre-kindergartners and kindergartners really enjoyed it, too.

Just make sure you have lots of notes on hand!

If you leave the collage out for several days, preschoolers can add to it or rearrange it. They can take notes off and replace them later.

Add even more creativity with pens or markers. Children can draw or write on the notes before or after sticking them on the collage.

5 Ways to Use Straws

Straws are a great resource to have on hand in your preschool or kindergarten classroom. Here are five ways we've used them in our classroom.

1. Build with them.

Or at least use them in your blocks center. We've explored all kinds of things in the blocks center and straws make interesting additions to block creations or other construction play.

2. Paint with them.

We painted on a canvas with straws and balls. The idea was to blow the practice golf balls around on the canvas. The paint was too thick or the balls too solid so blowing was a chore. Instead we batted the balls around on the canvas using the straws as bats or paddles.

You can also put paint on the paper and blow the paint to create designs. Check out the "wind art" on this post on Pre-K Pages.


3. Play games with them.

Recently we tried some challenge games. We used straws to blow cups across (and off) a table. We used straws to pick up and move tissue paper squares; suck in to attract the paper to the straw, move it, and release onto the target.

Another game to play is blowing a pom-pom along a trail. Use tape to make a trail line. Place a pom-pom on the tape and blow the pom-pom down the trail.


4. String them.

Cut the straws into short lengths. String them on a chenille craft stem to make a bracelet or on a length of yarn to make a necklace.

Add some number practice with this activity. Roll a numbered cube. Add straw pieces or other things to the bracelet or necklace.

Note: Straws could also be a part of cutting practice. Place them (and paper and other items) on a table with scissors for kids to cut and cut and cut.


5. Fly them.

The kids created a tossing/flying game with the straws and cups. They arranged the cups in a group and tossed the straws like darts or spears, trying to land them in a designated cup.

Or make a straw airplane with paper strips, tape, and straws.

Straws are a part of our regular resource collection. What have you done with straws in your classroom?

Inspiration from the Blogosphere: Space Edition

Recently I have been leading training sessions for Vacation Bible School around Tennessee. The VBS theme for my training is a space theme. (You can learn more about that VBS curriculum here.)

One favorite activity in our training - and an activity in the kindergarten resources - has been the shooting star. Fill a baby sock with rice (not too full). I'd recommend using a funnel for this; I didn't and I made a small mess. Wrap a rubber band around the sock to keep the rice inside. Tie long lengths of curling ribbon to the sock. Now you have a shooting star (or comet) beanbag. They are fun to toss and fun to see flying through the air! The adults I taught enjoyed them and I'm sure my kindergartners will, too. (I'll let you know.)

So, since I'm in a space mood, I thought I'd share some favorite links related to a space theme. Here are some great ideas from around the blogosphere. 3-2-1. Take off!

Star Gazing Discovery Bottle (Pre-K Pages)
I always enjoy a good discovery bottle, tipping the bottles and seeing things move inside. And this star discovery bottle is beautiful, with the black background and gold stars. (And I don't mind the glitter since it is inside and not outside!)


Paint a Night Sky (Munchkins and Moms)
More glitter inside black paint. But the results look really great. And it's a great art exploration...with the child deciding how to paint and when the painting is done.


Glowing Glaxy Water Bin (Fun-a-Day)
Kids and water bins just seem to be a natural fit. This one - with glow sticks and marbles - seems like a really fun variation.


Counting Down Stars (JDaniel4's Mom)
I see this game could be played in lots of different ways. And, of course, tossing is involved so kids will enjoy it. (And maybe you could use your great new shooting stars!)


Galaxy Slime (Twodaloo)
Make two different colors of slime, twist them together, and you have galaxy slime. I can see kids playing with this for a long time.


Paper Bag Star (LifeWay VBS)
Click on the link above for directions in making a 3-D star with seven paper bags, a glue stick, and scissors. It's so easy that I did it correctly on the first try! (Results are very impressive.)

Check out this VBS Pinterest Board for more space ideas.

String and Paint

Have you ever said, "I'll never do that again?" Well I have. More than once. The most recent time was after our first day of Art Camp last summer. I said, "I will never do string painting again."

String painting - tie string or yarn around the end of a clothespin. (You can use anything for a handle. Or just use the yarn. But we've found that having something to hold is a good idea.) Fold a piece of paper in half and open it back up. Drag the string/yarn through paint, place the drenched string on one side of the fold, fold the paper over on top of the string, pull the string out, open the paper and look at the symmetrical design.

The kids loved this activity. I did not. Now, I've done string painting before. Several times before. The last time our kids made a pull with each color and were done. But not this group.

They went back to add color several times. Enjoyable process and fun result. So what was the problem?

Well, first I cut the yarn too long. The first girl to pull out the painted yarn pulled and pulled and pulled. When it came out, it swung back and made a wide purple swipe on the bare leg of another child doing another activity. I quickly trimmed down the yarn to a short size.

I had 10 (or more) kids moving around the room, doing 5 different painting activities at the same time. It was stressful (for me) to make sure everything was stocked and monitored and labeled with names. I had some great teenagers helping me, but I was still stressed.

And this activity is messy. I don't deny it. So cleanup was a little more than I planned, too.

At the end of the day, I said, "I'll never do string painting again."

But several kids did not have the opportunity to try it. So what happened? We had string painting out again the next day (even though it wasn't painting day). After all, I'm planning for what they need not what I need.

Maybe that's the best way. Get right back into that activity so the pain isn't too long. The second day was better. I placed the activity in a quieter corner with short yarn. It was still messy. And stressful (for me). But better.

But it's fine if we don't string paint again for a while.

My Kids Don't Do Art

Now, if you know anything about me as an early childhood teacher, you know that I think choice is important and that I want kids to follow their interests. We often have activities that have little or no interest on a particular day. And that's fine.

But this year I've noticed something interesting about my little group of kindergartners in my church kindergarten class. They are not really all that interested in using art materials.

I often have no one go to the art table to even check on what's there. For the first few weeks, we had out painting every week. No one painted.

My group likes to be creative in many other ways. They like to explore blocks and build interesting balancing towers.

They enjoy playing games together. One day we played a counting/math game over and over and over.

They enjoy working puzzles. And even trying to work them out of the frames.

They do like to write sometimes. Or draw. So the writing center gets some attention from time to time.

But the art table is often neglected. And when they do go there, they like to do it as a social activity. They will talk and interact with one another or enjoy an activity that is more cooperative in nature.

Having a group that is less interested in art means that I plan in different ways.

1. We still have an activity at the art table (even if no one does it). It's important to provide that option every week. You never know when a child will need that outlet. Or if something happens in the room that leads a child to go to the art table.

2. Sometimes an art activity will be available for two weeks instead of just one. If no one does it, I may not plan a new one for the next week. The previous one makes a return appearance, just in case someone decides to choose it. (But after two weeks, something new appears.)

3. I make sure to tell my kids what's at the table. They often head directly to blocks or games and may not look at the art table on their own. I will tell them what's there in case it sounds interesting to them. (I have done this in the past, but it seems more necessary with this group.)

4. If we are doing a painting activity, I don't pour out paint until someone is ready to do it. I have washed some paint down the sink by putting out a pan of paint that no one uses.

5. My activities are less elaborate but still engaging.

6. I look for ways to include some options for art sometimes in other centers (like blocks or dramatic play). By including art in areas that seem more engaging to this group, I increase exploration opportunities.

Each year I learn something new (or am reminded about something) regarding teaching young children. This year my group is reminding me that it's okay if something isn't done in the room. And that the room should be about them and not about me or a preconceived idea of what activities should be done.

My kids don't really do art. But they do create and they do learn.