During this session, we are focusing on 3-D art and ways to build-up with our materials. 

In our first class session, we opened with the challenge of making paper stand up. We noticed that our friends tried many solutions to meet this challenge, making adjustments as they observed the successes of other friends. Below are some examples of how our paper was changed to make it stand up.

Continuing with folding and manipulating paper, our friends have tried making many origami shapes. This activity requires skills and precision and it's amazing to see how the children persist in their small groups. Now our folded shapes are becoming integrated into mobiles. The mobile art integrates physics, as the children test different ways to balance their designs. 

Our other group is working on wire sculptures with the initial challenge of building up.  As we have explored using wire and integrating other materials, our friends have begun to design people, animals and even a playground. Some of our friends have realized that their designs are gravity-challenged because they are too tall, heads are too heavy, or the sculpture base is too narrow. All of these are important generalizations the children have learned from tinkering and working together.

There is a lot of process oriented work going on!

In our late winter session of our Materials Playgroup, we are exploring 3-D art and design. There are many reuse materials that our friends have been using to explore this concept, and we have provided opportunities for children to acquire and fine-tune new skills.

Each week, we gather around exploring clay.  Then, the studio is open where we have a sensory bin full of lids, balls and tunnels, cutting, gluing, taping, mark making and painting. We are also exploring wire and stringing.

We have been working on a project that builds on the work done in previous weeks. First we glued cut cardboard tubes on canvas and cut additional materials for the mixed media collage. After two weeks of gluing, we added paint. Stay tuned for updates on where we take our project next!