Days of Grandsons

Our days are defined right now by our grandsons; we plan all else around them, and they make us who we are. They are with us on most days of the week, rain or shine and in sickness and health. Our house is filled with toys and kid-friendly furniture. We schedule around them and for them. We are exhausted by them and miss them terribly when they are gone.

On Grandson Days we prepare for field trips, library visits, collection walks, and art projects. I think about how I will include them in my garden work and in my cooking. And I remember to be flexible, because I never know when they will be interested and when they will not. 

1. Read "The Creativity Book"

2. Teaching art

3. Collection walks

4. Acorn and pinecone rolly-polly painting

5. Seed medallion

1. Read "The Creativity Book"

A few years ago I started but didn't finish this book by Eric Maisel (one of my favorite writers). The subtitle is "A Year's Worth of Inspiration and Guidance." Who doesn't want that? 

I'm on to Week 18: Get Unacademic. This section is about surviving our uninspired, ill-prepared, and small-minded teachers (we've all had them). His advice is that we do it by making our own art and educating ourselves.

As an art teacher myself, who has made an effort to be prepared and inspired, I have nothing to say.

2. Teaching art:

Grandson #1, age 19 months.

One of my Grandmother Super Powers is teaching hands-on skills with art and crafts. They have both been painting since they could hold a brush. They started sewing using a square of stiff rug canvas (for latch hooking) and a tapestry needle, and the oldest started to use a sewing machine (with help) at age 2.

While I understand the concept and importance of "process art" (the fun of using tools and freely experiencing the medium), I also subscribe to the philosophy that we are learning actual art skills every time we paint or play with clay.

This year my grandsons are ages one-and a-half, and four. I usually make art with them one at a time.

 

Tips for art with toddlers and pre-schoolers:

1. Youngsters have a very short attention span. Expect for art-making in 5 minute increments, working on the same project over several days. I keep their art and sewing projects out where they can see them, ask once in a while if they want to work on something, and when they say, "YES", we drop everything to follow through.

2. Get prepared; put together a project bag or box so you have all your supplies handy and easy to grab when the mood hits. Right now I have a box with pinecones, string, and beads on the kitchen table, ready to work on whenever they show interest. We also have paper and paints waiting on a shelf.

3. One iteration of my painting set up is shown here: I whip out a plastic table cloth for the floor, set out the paper, and put a bottle or two of paint on the table out of reach. (The yellow stool is for me - I don't do floor sitting anymore.)

After I'm all set up I put on his smock and hand him one squeeze bottle. They are both practiced painters, and knows exactly what to do with it.

Be ready for paint everywhere, especially hands and face.

4. After about 5-10 minutes, when interest starts to wain, it's time to cheerfully ask "All done?" and start to clean up. First I take away the paint and brush and, before he can escape into the living room with painty hands, we play in water and wash hands and face. (Clean up is part of the fun!)

5. One final tip: Build layers - bring out the same paper or other project for several sessions and add more paint, or when its dry, add crayons, pens, or paint pens (tempera paint sticks are a wonderful invention!)

3. Collection walks:

We are in the habit of picking things up on our walks - pinecones, rocks, acorns, sticks, feathers, and leaves. Often these go into our nature box or into a craft box to use later in art projects. 

Pinecones are a favorite right now. We've been making a pinecone mobile for the last month, which is probably done now, and we've had fun with painting pinecones (see below).

We also collect in the garden, also known as harvesting!

4. Acorn and pinecone rolly-polly painting: 

We've painted pinecones with a brush in the past, but recently found an idea to use a box, and roll the pinecones around in the paint!

Supplies: Thick tempera paint (the thicker the better), a box, paper that fits in the bottom of the box, collected pinecones and acorns, etc.

1. Put the paper in the bottom of the box.

2. Drip some blobs and puddles of thick tempera paint onto the paper.

3. Then add pinecones to roll around - a fun process for both boys!

This week I decided to add acorns, because our youngest is so enamored with them. We tried rolling them in the box, and dipping them into the paint to use for drawing and stamping.

5. Seed medallion:

We've also been examining lots of seeds this fall - from a sunflower, colored corn, and our green beans. 

Next week I'm going to try making a seed medallion with my older grandson (our first foray into white glue). I'll let you know how it goes.