Clay Creations
Date: Saturday, October 12, 2012
Time: 10-11am
Audience: 2-5 years old, with caregiver
Standards:
Clay Creations is part of a program series called Greenbelt Mini-Explorers, held at the Greenbelt Cultural Center in North Chicago. Its purpose is to engage the early childhood audience in the North Chicago/Waukegan area. This was one of the first programs to run because we had enough participants registered. We had 5 children and 4 caregivers attend the program!
Usually the format is to have some kind of gathering activity, teach a short lesson on a specific topic, read a few stories, and sprinkle in some activities here and there.
The topic of the day was Fall. So we discussed the changing colors of the leaves, the drop in temperature, and different holidays to look forward to. We read a few books about these things and made three creations.
We used model magic instead of clay because it doesn't create a big mess, and you can color it in with markers before it dries (you can color after it dries, too). Also, you don't have to bake it because it dries in about 48 hours.
The most important thing is to get the children to experiment with the material and use it in their own way. So some of them didn't create what they were "supposed to", but it didn't matter. The end goal is for them to enjoy what they're doing and be more capable in their ability to engage in active play and express themselves creatively.
Time: 10-11am
Audience: 2-5 years old, with caregiver
Standards:
- A: Demonstrate interest in stories and books
- 19.A.ECa: Engage in active play using gross and fine motor skills
- 19.A.ECd: Use hand-eye coordination to perform tasks
- 25.A.ECd: Visual Arts - Investigate and participate in activities using visual arts materials
- 26.B.ECa: Use creative arts as an avenue for self-expression
Clay Creations is part of a program series called Greenbelt Mini-Explorers, held at the Greenbelt Cultural Center in North Chicago. Its purpose is to engage the early childhood audience in the North Chicago/Waukegan area. This was one of the first programs to run because we had enough participants registered. We had 5 children and 4 caregivers attend the program!
Usually the format is to have some kind of gathering activity, teach a short lesson on a specific topic, read a few stories, and sprinkle in some activities here and there.
The topic of the day was Fall. So we discussed the changing colors of the leaves, the drop in temperature, and different holidays to look forward to. We read a few books about these things and made three creations.
We used model magic instead of clay because it doesn't create a big mess, and you can color it in with markers before it dries (you can color after it dries, too). Also, you don't have to bake it because it dries in about 48 hours.
The most important thing is to get the children to experiment with the material and use it in their own way. So some of them didn't create what they were "supposed to", but it didn't matter. The end goal is for them to enjoy what they're doing and be more capable in their ability to engage in active play and express themselves creatively.