Waldorf dolls

These are a couple more clumsy attempts at Waldorf Dolls. I used a combination of instructions from my beloved Creative Play for Toddlers book, and Toymaking with children. 

For the hair on the purple doll I followed these instructions from the Crafty Sheep Blog. 

Easter Eggs

Finn was getting into the easter spirit this week, drawing endless amounts of eggs and rabbits. 

He worked into a dry watercolour painting with coloured chalk. I think the effect is wonderful.

Happy Easter. 

Worms for Dinner

I gave Finn a bowl of left over noodles, and some food colouring. He had great fun mixing, stirring and pouring the noodles into muffin trays and other small containers. 

It did get messy- so I recommend this for outdoor play, or putting a plastic mat down if it's a covered or indoor area. 

If you add a bit of glue to the pasta, children can also arrange noodles and make patterns onto a  piece of cardboard. Allow to dry. 

Painting with Water

Mark making is such a strong instinct for children. My 10 month old enjoys painting with water and watching the marks it creates. 

My 3 year old loves 'painting the fence' with a large paintbrush and small bucket of water. 

The way in which the water changes the colour of the wood (or bricks or stones) is something quite magical for children. 

collage

I like to give children a variety of materials for collage. If you display and store the material in a clear craft box- it gives the children an attractive choice, without overwhelming them.

 Today Finn was working on a nature-based artwork using paper bark and bird seed. Cutting or tearing up unwanted dried paintings also creates lovely textural materials for collage. 

clay

"Prehistoric humans discovered the useful properties of clay, and one of the earliest artifacts ever uncovered is a drinking vessel made of sun-dried clay" ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clay ) 

Even children as young as two enjoy manipulating clay- a material that has been around for thousands of years. 

 Clay is an inexpensive material, and if stored correctly can be used countless times. There is no need to fire it unless you have access to a kiln, children will enjoy building and creating objects which can be shelf dried, or squashed down to be re-used. 

In these photos I was working with some 4 year olds who were using a small block of air-drying clay. We used metal and plastic spoons and cotton buds to create texture and detail, and a heavy rolling pin to flatten to clay. 

Remind children to join pieces firmly as if they are too thin they will fall apart when dry. 

Glass Jar Music

What You'll Need: 

 different-size glass jars with lids

•  glass jars or drinking glasses
• Water
• Metal spoon 
• Food colouring (optional)

Fill each jar or glass half full of water and add a few drops of food colouring. Use a metal spoon to tap the jars and listen to the sounds they produce.

Let the child experiment with making different tones by adjusting the water-levels. 

 

Drawing into Wet Paint

Today Finn was experimenting with his paintings by using a dry paddle-pop stick (or you could use the dry end of the paint-brush or a stick from the garden) to work further into his wet painting. 

He was able to create more detail and fine lines than he could with the paint brush alone, and it creates a lovely effect when dry. 

Encourage children to press gently into the wet paint as the paper could easily rip.