artsy fartsy: part I

First of all, I'm not sure if "fartsy" is an appropriate term in blogland. It would definitely not go over well in preschool - "Potty words belong in the bathroom," as we like to say around here. Oh well, you can't blame a girl for rhyming!

Anyway, we have a few totally splendid art lessons out in the classroom right now, and I can't wait to share them with you!

Wouldn't you love to have something hanging in your house like this?
It's almost more fun to make than it is to look at,
can you believe it?

What you'll need:
paper
liquid water color
eyedroppers
straws cut into 3in lengths

FYI: The straws are kept in that spice shaker that you see on the tray. The child shakes one out of the large opening side without touching all of the other straws - always trying to prevent germ contamination around here!

The child uses the eyedropper to apply tiny pools of liquid water color to the paper.

He then uses his straw to blow the watercolor across the paper, and in the process creates a beautiful mix of colors.

Please note:
I also wanted to tell you that this lesson goes beyond strengthening fine motor control. I wish I could be more specific, but I'll give it my best try. We've had people certified in H.A.N.D.L.E. work with children in our classroom in the past, and they've suggested activities that involve blowing things around with the mouth.
I copied this description of "blow soccer" from the H.A.N.D.L.E. website:

Because it works on so many different areas, this activity helps to develop numerous functions, among them articulation, facial affect (expressions), reading, copying skills, listening, mental focus, balance, language acquisition, bowel and bladder control, and endurance.
Read more here.