Sometimes I will have an idea for a creative project that I am not sure about ~ will it work the way I imagine it to? And this project was definitely one of those! I wanted to find a simple way of creating mosaic with young children. Something more substantial than paper or fabric on paper, an experience which engaged children in the process of creating by fitting together small pieces. Colours, shapes, textures ~ experimenting with 3D materials in a mosaic type form. The answer it seemed was hidden…
…in a tub of freshly dyed egg shell.
I rolled out a flat slab of clay onto a baking tray and then Immy worked away quietly to fit together the bright, colourful pieces of egg shell, pushing them into the surface of the clay. Sometimes they crushed slightly as she pressed, after all egg shell isn’t flat. The trick seemed to be to apply firm, even pressure. It really was a quiet, focused activity.
The finished piece looks quite spectacular…interesting even…
I am not sure how durable it will be. I imagine it would need to be lacquered in some way if we are to keep it, to help keep all the pieces in place. But it really isn’t that important, as this experiment was really about the process ~ doing, experimenting, touching, exploring. Seeing how materials work together. Looking at colour. Talking about textures and processes. Which is really what is most important about children’s art making experiences anyway.
If you are looking for more inspiration for engaging children in open ended art making experiences,check out my award winning book, Time to Create: Hands On Explorations in Process Art for Young Children.
Christie Burnett is a teacher, presenter, writer and the mother of two. She created Childhood 101 as a place for teachers and parents to access engaging, high quality learning ideas.
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