sea shells in the sand

This simple beachy craft can be done right on the sand. At home, school or take a box of plaster of paris along to the beach. Form about a 3 X 3 inch square about 1 1/2 inches deep in damp sand. Use petroleum jelly to grease up the inside ridges of a scallop shell. Press the outside of it into the sand in the bottom of your square. If the sand has bits of shells and seaweed in it, that's fine. It'll make an interesting surface. Now fill the sand "box" with plaster of paris. Let it sit for an hour, then carefully remove the block of plaster of paris. Let it sit for several more hours to fully harden. Pull off the shell to see the cast underneath.

If you use a clam shell, grease the outside of it where it has ridges. Then put it in the sand hole with that side toward you (up). You can use a ruffled, rough oyster shell this way, also.

Scratching in the child's name and date makes a nice memento.

painting flowers

Except during the winter, there is always something blooming around our school. Narrow gardens border the building, the edges of our small parking areas and the corners of each playground. Perennials are mixed with vegetables and tomato plants. Often, upon bringing in a fresh bloom, one of us will demonstrate painting the flower. We talk about the shapes we see in the flower, the part of it we choose to paint first, the thickness of the brush we choose and the colors we see. Upon completion, the demonstration painting is set to dry away from view. The bloom is left in its vase, close to the easel. The children go back to their work. Those who choose to paint the bloom use what they have learned to help them record their observations. The interpretations always vary. Unlike many Montessori schools, we take pride in displaying everyone's work. We encourage the reluctant artist and easily find beauty in all of the results. We feel it is important to take advantage of this age before children decide they "can" or "cannot" draw.

The past nine months have flown by. But while circumstances took me out of state, the classroom buzzed on. The children grew intellectually and socially. The school's founder had her 89th birthday this past spring. And as she blew out a candle on her cake, a seasoned first grader silently exclaimed, "Whew, eighty-nine, and she can still blow out a candle!"

cicadas ?!

Two lovely but deceased creatures captured everyone's attention and sparked the school year's first book making project. Examining the cicadas with a magnifying glass, each part of the insect is colored and pasted into the book with its matching name.

Science lessons in the classroom are meaningful and vibrant when they grow from daily experiences. After a while, children look forward to each day with anticipation, wondering what new discovery will be made or what question will be answered.

Back to School

I'm always amazed how the first day of school always brings the appropriate weather. Suddenly the mornings are crispy, the afternoons are sunny and warm and the darkness of the evening creeps in earlier each day. As you can see, the children are already preparing for the fall apples. Not shown here, but shown in one of last year's posts, is Mrs. T's apple matching activity for several varieties. Many of the children already know the names of at least 5 different apples. Drying prints of apples cut both crosswise and lengthwise cover every horizontal space in the art corner.

a little Jackson Pollock

I walked into my daughter's home 2 weeks ago and spied this painting above her fireplace. Admiring its flow and colors, I was surprised to hear that her 3 1/2 year old son had painted it.

She prepared him by showing him some Pollock paintings at www.kaliweb.com/jacksonpollock/art.htm . Click on Shimmering Substance 1946, Autumn Rhythm 1950, Number 7 1951, and Convergence 1952. They are good examples of his drip style. Then she showed him a video of Jackson Pollock painting at www.youtube.com/ . Do a search for Jackson Pollock action painting, then click on Pollock Painting (1950). I must warn you, though, the video shows Pollock with a cigarette in his mouth. There doesn't seem to be one of him without it. But the video is important to stress the free style. In it he tells of using no preliminary sketches and the freedom to let the painting evolve and change. Nothing is regarded as a mistake. Just the way a young child naturally paints.

Then, just as Pollock worked outside, my daughter laid a fresh canvas out on the lawn. She dressed little Matty in an apron and old rain boots. Using little plastic flip top bottles of craft acrylics, she showed him how to drip and squeeze and spray out the paint. He chose colors and got to work. At a moment when her attention was directed away, he swooshed his hand through the paint, creating what artists call a "happy accident". Then he placed some dried bits of flowers on the wet paint and declared his work completed.

the portrait artist

Of course, school has ended and the summer session is on. But this happened just after Fair Day. One of the treats given by PoDS was the presence of an artisit who tirelessly drew a portrait of every single child in the school. Each child took their turn sitting in front of her as she drew child after child. The scene inspired one of our young men to do the same. His classmates were happy to sit for him. It's always a renewing affirmation to see children of this age (five and six years) with enough confidence and minimal experiences to be unafraid of the outcome or the criticism of others. It's equally pleasing, then, to see how uncritical and accepting the class was with his efforts!