Week two of back to school and Immy was home sick for two days with what I suspect was a mild virus. As I wanted her to rest as much as possible, I looked for activities that kept her interested and engaged without consuming too much energy. She has been enjoying two new sets of oil pastels (a more traditional oil pastel from Micador and a set of Colorix silky crayons) and I had the idea to introduce her to scratch art – a creative process I remember from my own school days. You can also use regular crayons to make scratch art but the softness of oil pastels makes the process easier and quicker for young children.
Making Scratch Art
You will need:
- Art paper
- Oil pastels
- Toothpick
To make:
1. Cover your entire page with blocks of bright, oil pastel colour.
We used both the regular Micador oil pastels and the Colorix silky crayons.
2. Now cover the entire coloured page with black oil pastel, a process which takes both faith and perseverance for those who have never made scratch art before – it might look wrong but it will be so worth it. This part can be a little messy so keep a wet face washer or packet of baby wipes handy.
3. Use the toothpick to scratch your image onto the page and watch the colours beneath magically appear.
4. Sit back and enjoy your finished creation.
Did you make scratch art when you were a child? What other art processes do you remember from childhood?
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Christie Burnett is an early childhood teacher, presenter, writer and the editor of Childhood 101. More importantly, she is a Mum who believes wholeheartedly in the value of children learning through play, the importance of quality early education, and the togetherness of family.
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