Month-To-Month Mural: January Paintsicles

Go visit Teacher Tom's Blog...

...especially this post. I don't know about you, but it is exactly what I needed to read to put me in the proper mindset to deal effectively with this group of Frogs who are working so hard at developing their social identities at the moment.

Wordless Wednesdays: January Curriculum Plans in a Nutshell

Month-to-Month Mural-December

Happy New Year!

We have big plans for 2011, but first, let's wrap up 2010 with our December installment of the Frog Month-to-Month mural!

We added to the mural on the day of the winter solstice. In a nod to the new season, we opted to stick with a muted color palate- lots of snowy white, mixed with tiny splashes of colored paint.

This was before our first big storm of the season, but as soon as they heard the word "Winter", the Frogs were asking where the snow was. In response to their queries, we spent a week cutting out paper snowflakes. We placed a bunch of these snowflakes on the canvas, painted over them, then removed them once the paint was dry, allowing the bright colors from last month's round of spatter painting to peek through the winter shades.

Of course, no toddler art project is complete without glitter. We gave the kids spoonfuls of silver glitter to sprinkle over the wet paint. One child watched the flakes drift down onto the canvas and pointed out; "It's snowing glitter!"

We painted with long brushes, fingers, dish wands, spoons...you name it! At first, it was hard for us teachers to let go of the bright, simple splatter painting that the Frogs started in November... ...But, in retrospect, I'd say it was worth it!

What do you think?