Go Big!

Sometimes a simple change in supplies can really interest a child.  Purchase a few bristol/poster board sheets to create big drawings!

Materials

• Poster/ Bristol Board
• Pencil, eraser

Extras:

• Coloured markers
• Outlining markers (thin & thick)
• Felt, faux fur, fabric etc.
• Beads, buttons
• Glue or a glue gun (To be used by an adult or with direct adult supervision, based on the child’s age and abilities)
• Paint
• Paintbrushes
• Scissors

We also always find these items helpful:

Directions

• Go with your child’s energy/interests.  Our son is currently interested in animals as they are studying this at school and he offered to make his former Kindergarten teacher a Woodland Animals bulletin board set for her camping theme.  (Which by the way is awesome!)

• Sketch out your ideas in pencil.

• If you like, colour in some areas with marker or paint them (or both!)  We used a combination of tempera and craft acrylics.

• Allow to dry overnight.  Cut out your work if you like.  At first we just trimmed it down to make it more manageable.

• We then cut out and glued on items to enhance our animals, using felt, faux fur, beads, buttons etc.  Arrange your embellishments and then glue them on.  Allow to dry overnight.

• Once everything is dry, go over your lines with a black marker.

• Wouldn’t this be fun to use to enhance your play, creating a backdrop scene?  Or attach some paint stir sticks and make puppets!

Purpose

• Discovering how to draw on different scales
• Expressing your interests
• Working with various materials and developing one’s fine motor skills

Safety Notes

• Small items such as buttons and beads can be a choking hazard, therefore be sure to keep them out of reach from children ages 0-3 years of age or those that tend to put things in their mouths.
• Be sure to use scissors with care and adult supervision.
• We suggest that you use a smock and craft tray or craft tablecloth to protect work surfaces and one’s clothing.