Today I welcome, Lini Ecker, the teacher of the twos program at our school, to be my first guest blogger.
My class has been observing the life cycle of the butterfly. Our caterpillars started out tiny, got nice and fat and then suspended themselves from the top of their sealed cup. We got to see them form chrysalises, but unfortunately they did not emerge as butterflies before our last day of class. That did not stop us from talking about the butterflies they would become and indulging in one of my favorite butterfly art projects.
I set out manila folders, paint cups with tongue depressors and foam rollers (which are fun, but completely optional).
The children used the tongue depressors to splatter paint spots around the inside of the folder, then they closed the folder, smoothing it first with their hands and then rolling over it with the roller.
The exciting part is opening the folder to see the symmetrical pattern the colors made as they spread and blended together.
Usually the children like to go back and forth a few times adding more paint splatters, then closing and rolling it until they are satisfied with the results. The folders are sturdy and can stand up to a good amount of paint without ripping as paper would.
After the paint dried I cut the folders into butterfly shapes and hung them all around the room. Older children can cut them with a little assistance. I buy manilla folders from Costco, they are very inexpensive and great for many art projects.
Thank you, Lini, for this great idea!
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