By Cathy Abraham

1 By Cathy Abraham All young children are great artists. The importance of their art is in the act of creating with confidence and in using their imaginations. It is our sacred trust not to take away this gift from our children, but to encourage and nurture it at every opportunity.. ~ Susan Striker Finger Paint Art Recipes 1 cup elastic dry starch 1 cup cold water Non-Hardening No Cook 3 cups boiling water Playdough 1 cup Ivory Snow Flakes 2 cups self-rising flour oil of cloves (few drops). 1 T. Alum vegetable coloring 2 T. Salt 2 T. cooking oil Dissolve elastic starch in cold 1 cup plus 2 T. boiling water water. Smooth lumps and add boiling water. Stir constantly. Mix and knead. (Due to Thicken but do not boil more boiling water, cannot be made than 1 minute.)

2 Add rest of with the children) ingredients. Use on glazed paper or wrapping paper. Dry Salt Paint 1 cup salt Soap Bubbles tsp food coloring 1 cup water 2 T. liquid detergent Spread in pan to dry. Put in 1 T. glycerin shakers. Shake onto paper tsp. Sugar brushed with glue. Mix all ingredients. Use bubble wands to blow Cooked Playdough bubbles. 1 cup flour cup salt Sawdust Modeling 1 cup water 4 cups sawdust 1 T. vegetable oil 1 cup wheat paste 1 tsp cream of tartar 2 cups water. Heat until ingredients form a Mix. Add color. ball. Add food coloring. ca00. Easy Playdough Clean Mud 2 cups flour 4 rolls of toilet paper (torn). 1 cup salt 3 bars Ivory Soap (shaved). tempera paint 1 gallon warm water water tsp. bleach large tub Mix flour, salt and paint with enough water to make Place torn toilet paper in the correct consistency.

3 Tub. Add grated soap. Add warm water. Mix and water when dry. Sally's Playdough Recipe 1 cup flour Gak 1 cup water Mix equal parts white glue 1 T. oil to liquid starch. (Gak has 1 T. alum the texture and consistency cup salt of Silly Putty). 2 T. vanilla food coloring Goop cup cornstarch Mix all dry ingredients. cup water Add oil and water. Cook food coloring over medium heat, stirring constantly until it reaches Mix in media table. Let the consistency of mashed children explore texture it potatoes. Remove from is wet, but feels dry to the heat, add vanilla and color. touch. Divide into balls and knead in color. Puffy Paint Mix equal parts of flour, Paste salt, water, liquid tempera cup flour (for color).

4 Put in squeeze cup water container. Use on heavy paper. ca00. Scribble Cookies Pixie Dust Put old stubby crayons in Glitter muffin tins (lined with Confetti cupcake papers) Place in Flour warm oven. Let melt. Pop Sugar out of paper when cool. Mix together. Sprinkle! Sparkly Salt Paint Potters Clay 2 cups salt cup flour cup liquid starch cup cornstarch 1 cup water 1 cup salt tempera paint or food color 3 cups boiling water Thoroughly mix liquid Dissolve salt in boiling starch, salt, and water. water. Add cornstarch, Slowly add food coloring mix, cook until clear. or tempera powder. Use as Cool overnight. Add 6-8. paint. Pictures will sparkle additional cups flour when the salt paint dries. until not sticky.

5 Dry Sand Paint Soapsuds Clay cup sand (washed, dried) cup soap powder 1 T. powdered paint 1 T. warm water Mix. Put into a shaker Mix well. Shake onto glue on paper Modeling Goop Face Paint 2 cups salt 2 T. cold cream 1 cup water tsp glycerin 1 cup cornstarch 1 T. cornstarch 1 tsp dry tempera paint Cook salt and cup water 5 min. Add rest, cook until thickens Colored Glue Baked Salt Dough 2 cups flour Mix food coloring, tempera or 1 cup salt glitter into glue bottles. Enough water to make a dough-like mixture. Cloud Dough 1 cup salad oil Flat objects can be baked at 6 cups flour 300*F. for 1 hour. Paper 1 cup water clips in back before baking food coloring or tempera will serve as a hanger. Paint designs after baking.

6 Use just enough water to bind mixture. Knead. Cloud Hard-drying Clay dough is soft, pliable and oily, 2 cups Baking Soda but provides an unusual tactile 1 cup cornstarch experience. 1 cup water Oatmeal Dough Mix cornstarch and baking 1 cup flour soda. Add water. Blend 2 cups oatmeal thoroughly, then bring to a 1 cup water boil stirring constantly. food coloring or tempera At consistency of mashed potatoes, cool. Sculptures Mix flour and oatmeal, then dry in 36 hours. add water gradually. Cornmeal may be added in Notes: place of oatmeal to vary the Store doughs' in texture. airtight plastic bags or containers. Sidewalk Chalk Children are to wash Plaster of Paris' hands prior to use of Tempera (for color) shared group materials.

7 Mix. Pour into cupcake papers Safety is paramount Pop out when dry. in cooking with children!! Growth and Learning through Manipulative Art Materials (doughs, clays and squeezables). Emotional Development Feelings of success and competency Sense of control Calming and soothing Stress reducing/ self behavior modifier Outlet for feelings Tension reliving Social Development Seen in all stages of play: Solitary Parallel Associative Cooperative Promotes sharing Builds social language Social icebreaker'. Cognitive Development Cause & effect Part/whole relationships Special relationships Matching/comparing Language development Properties Physical Development Lg and small muscle develop. Finger dexterity Pincher grip (pre-writing).

8 Eye-hand coordination Establishment of handedness Muscle strength Creative Development Open-ended Creative expression/exploration Mallable/ changeable Individualism Development of imagination Guidelines for Open-ended Art - Never alter or fix' a child's work - Provide a wide variety of interesting materials and choices - Add new materials weekly, incorporating your theme if possible - Never tell a child what to create - Emphasize the process, not the end product - Don't ask What is it? ; Say Tell me about it . - Ask the child if and where he/she would like his name put - Let children explore materials - Let children come up with their own ideas and use materials creatively - Provide materials for 3-D and on-going artwork projects - Encourage, do not force participation - Do not do models or samples for the children - Throw away any colorbooks or dittos in the room - All materials should be at the children's level, and accessible - Playdough and the art easel should be open the majority of each day - Encourage children to express feelings and personal experiences through art - Display art in a variety of ways it should not all match'.

9 - Talk about texture, color, smell, shape, etc and the experience - Let the children be as independent as possible, and encourage self- help skills and responsibility in cleaning up art - Educate parents as to the value and learning in open-ended art - Teach and model appropriate use and respect of materials - Allow ample time for children to create and explore - Incorporate books on fine art in your classroom - Children should be doing their own cutting it's okay if a circle doesn't remotely resemble a circle yet. This is how they develop these fine muscles and makes it their' work and experience. - There is no right' or wrong' way, or end product. - The art area should have lots and lots of a variety of different collage materials, and always be an open, available choice for children cabraham WHAT CAN YOU SAY TO.

10 CHILDREN ABOUT THEIR ART? . I see circles in your picture.. You filled up the whole paper.. Do you have a story you want to tell me about your picture? . Would you like me to write something on your picture? . Tell me about how you made the blue lines so smooth.. I feel happy when I look at your picture. The colors are very bright.. I can see you worked hard on that.. You used red, yellow and orange in your picture.. You've got all kinds of lines in your picture.. Remember when we say something very specific about a child's work, it is much more meaningful than an insincere That's beautiful! and shows that we are truly looking at what they did. How Creative is your Creative Art? . Is there a right way' or a wrong way'?