Fine Motor Friday: Giraffe Edition

FINE MOTOR Leads to FINE ARTS!!! 

Part 21: The Giraffe Edition! 

FRIDAY!!! Oh, Happy FRIDAY, FRIENDS!!! 

From a bubble wrap print (always a classic: open-ended + ubber successful strategy) to a preschool 'thank you' card following my recent Author Illustrator school visit..... let's really stick our necks out and s-t-r-e-t-c-h!

Yes folks, G is for Giraffe.......... and "Tall Giraffe -- makes me laugh." 
Those six syllables are the crux of the lyrics for my song, which morphed into a traditional picture book. So I 'see' giraffes in my travels. Sometimes the giraffes have been loving crafted in anticipation of my arrival and sometimes they are just there in the general mix and hubbub. In any case. They do indeed 'make me laugh.' Let's start with the littles and move our way up to the bigs. 

Each of these painted giraffe projects were created in the preschool setting -- in anticipation of my arrival. Notice that each are created by allowing the child to 'stamp' the spots into place. From Michigan to northern OH, these creatures have been cut out by staff members so that the young hands can focus on applying the spots. Then the finishing touches are added. 

Each of these 'stamping' projects were activities in programs serving children with special needs. There's a LOT of fine motor control necessary to hold a crayon and ultimately a pencil to write one's name. Activities such as this give a lot of 'bang' for your fine motor buck. There's a LOT of immediate gratification with the stamp process. Motivational in nature. Theme based. Attractive on a jungle bulletin board!!

Imagine my excitement -- arriving at St. Paul Catholic School for our annual end of the year Author Illustrator school visit in kindergarten. This A.MAZ.ING bulletin board was outside the k-rooms in the public hallway. The students have traced around their shoe to create the giraffe head and around their arm to create the neck. How clever is that?

I just checked Wikipedia and they suggest that there are several terms to be used for a group of giraffes. You have your choice of herd, corps or tower when referring to the group traveling together. This herd of giraffe become quite three dimensional emerging from their home in the tall towering trees. LUV LUV LUV it!!

Take a closer look at these individual pieces! Even within a 'craftivity' such as this, I hope that you can see how there is such a range of interpretation and expression on each face. Details that each student brings to their work make a novel completed project. Again, the lyrics of my song (the text of my picture book) begin with, "Tall giraffe -- makes me laugh." That is the 'haunting refrain' that concludes each of the cumulative verses.  

By the time I've gotten these collages together, there's not a whole lot of 'Friday' left in this week's Fine Motor Frolic. I think that I'll save the older elementary kiddos work for another installment. You'll have the "Giraffes Can't Dance" response to look forward to PLUS giraffe style masks. 

Tonight's sunset is calling my name. Remember to always let the children see YOU in the process of writing!!

In order to support fine motor development in children, we need to give them the time and opportunity to 'write.' What better way to do that than having them keep a journal? A treasured keepsake at the end of their school year, a document of their experiences and thinking plus a commemorative document of their progress: win, win, WIN!! 

Here's the 'tag' to the first 20 installments of Fine Motor Friday. Just click right here!!  There's a couple of installments that have made it into the TOP 10 list over there in the left hand column! WHOOP WHOOOP!!

If you're looking for even MORE giraffes, I have a Pinterest board with a couple hundred more ideas -- awaiting your investigation! LUV the coloring page housed over there!! I'm now up to 18,000 P followers!! Yup. It's the one social media that I 'get.' 

Have a great weekend everyone. Come back on Sunday to see the article I've been compiling for the last three weeks. It's a hum-dinger! If I do say so myself. 

-- Debbie --