Thursday, April 5, 2012

Fine Motor Leads to Fine Arts (Part 8)

Fine Motor + Fine Arts

WELCOME BACK to my continuing series on Fine Motor + Fine Arts!!!

I look forward to creating these posts for you.... much of today's report will feature my own twin grand-children and some of the fun we've had together recently. Look at all of this delight we had last night!

bright colors design, foam sheets, shapes

Last night was 'pack up our world' night and prepare for our big-road ADVENTURE!!!


Our three weeks of Florida-togetherness has wound down and its time to return the TwinkeeZ to their Buckeye roots. Needless to say I had a few things on my mind to prepare for the journey..... and some packing to attend to.


In an effort to keep my budding artists 'busy' we went into my studio space to find something grand for them to explore independently.

 We emerged with two packages of untouched craft foam in shrink-wrap..... each pack had 6 pieces of foam in six colors -- precut rectangles a little larger than playing cards. Absolutely THE perfect size for fingers not yet four years old.  



The collage above are photos of the creations they made from stacking and sorting their colors.

Fine Motor and foam cards, preschool, bright colors, children hands

They had OODLES of fun 'playing colors': trading them, dealing them and counting them..... all the while their little fingers were busy 'managing' this new and intriguing material. Having so many pieces at their disposal was a great portion of the fun. [Interestingly the die lots of colors were just slightly different between the two sets -- and that added to their pleasure.]

young children design with color, foam cards, twins

Once I had the suitcases a smidge underway I could enter the fun.
I suggested we build a "Color-City" and showed how the pieces could sit next to each other.

child's hands against color, shapes


That led to a whole new array of fun.

twins, preschool, building with shapes, design, color, foam rectangles
It's been fun to watch fine-motor fun under my own nose!
child's hand, preschool, color, shapes, rectangles, design

Of course it wasn't long before they started their own ideas.

Favorites included variations on Twister and then soon it was American Bandstand.


twins, preschool, singing, dancing, quilted stage, colors, shapes, design

Which then led me into my photo files.

Seemed only fair to dig out some oldies of WonderBoy.
These next couple of collages are from my visit a year ago on "Special People" day to his Preschool.



preschool boys, trains, track, fine motor, sharing, playing, eye hand coordination

preschool boy, fine motor, markers, drawing, puzzle, color

This 'peg-shot' is from the way-back files!!
Provide LOTS of opportunities to refine that grasp....
all in the process of play throughout the day.  

toddler, colorful pegs, fine motor development, eye hand coordination

As Fine Motor skills are mastered there are possibilities for Fine Arts.
--or--
Is it that in Fine Arts mastery -- fine motor skills are developed?

Look at these glorious spring 'collages'. 
Cutting skills + design + drawing!!
spring flowers, children's art, bright colors, construction, collage

I had this scissor-snipping idea in my Spring Arts article.

Fine Motor, scissor snipping skills, spring flower, bulletin board

Talk about integrating Fine Motor + Fine Arts!

Speaking of flowers.....
did you get to see the guest author post here from Allison?
She has a very simple flower + painting idea for spring.
Can you guess the material used to create the 'bud'?
CUP CAKE LINER PAPERS!!!!!


Spring flower, buds, DIY craft, preschool, painting, blossoms, cupcake paper
Spring buds: DIY from No Time for Flash Card's Allison

Now from all of these gradual and humble beginnings of fine motor fun... let's take a look at spring flowers from the hands of mature children.

Children's Art, Van Gogh study, elementary, still life, flowers

Children's Art, Van Gogh study, elementary, still life, flowers

Children's Art, Van Gogh study, elementary, still life, flowers

These beauties were in the end-of-the-year Art-walk last spring at St. Paul's in Westerville OH.
Isn't it thrilling to see what an Art teacher can direct mature students to create?
These are obviously a part of a study on Van Gogh.

Children's Art, Van Gogh study, elementary, still life, flowers

Children's Art, Van Gogh study, elementary, still life, flowers


If we aspire to such incredible work at the end of the elementary years,
then we that work with young children need to build a strong foundation!

Preschool spring bulletin board, ladybugs, flowers, bumblebees, paper plates, insects
Paper plates provide the backbone for spring mural in Preschool

 I LUV'D these drawings I captured during my Long Island Author-Illustrator visit in Amityville.
Thought they'd make an awesome collage of capability.

Kindergarten family drawings, shape people, crayons, early fine motor

I am so intrigued by these four drawings.
Each artist creates their family in their own style.
A rectangle family. A triangle family.
A cylinder family and an articulated body part family.
Just makes me smile thinking of the capability of children!

Keep on creating.
Keep on strengthening those fine motor muscles --
in an effort to lead to Fine Arts!!


REMEMBER!!!!!
Always have the children see you in the act of WRITING!!

anchor chart, color blue, hand writing, children's response, fine motor


Anchor chart, bats, hand writing, brain map, fine motor

-- Debbie --
**To see all of the other articles in the series, click right here!

4 comments:

  1. So much fun and learning to be had!!!!

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    Replies
    1. :) Lorie! Thanks so much for your kind comment. Me LUV me supportive comments.... makes me work harder for next week's collection!

      Debbie

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  2. some fantastic ideas here. love the train track fine motor skills. I'd never thought about it before but it really is. Thanks for sharing at kids co-op

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Isn't the co-op the best? So grateful for the opportunity to link up with such amazing talent. Thanks for stopping by and supporting my efforts here.

      Debbie

      Delete

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