Today I’m sharing a new twist on a project I shared a few years ago: Shape Monsters for Halloween. If this looks like a fun project for your child, I’d encourage you to check that post out as well to see how a 3-year old might interpret this prompt.
The set-up is simple (you may know that I LOVE simple), and the open-ended nature of this project encourages creative thinking, experimentation, and fun.
Supplies for Art Critters
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- String, approximately 24″ long
- Markers or your favorite drawing tool. My favorite marker for young children is Crayola washable markers. Crayola Super Tips were used in this project.
- Scissors. I’m a fan of Fiskars. They also have fantastic left-handed scissors.
- Card Stock or other heavy weight paper. Thin paper will work, too.
- Collage paper (optional)
- Glue stick (optional). Elmer’s Disappearing Purple is great for young children because they can see where they put the glue.
Steps
Start with a piece of string. Move it around the paper until you get a shape that you like. This could be a good time to introduce your child to the term organic shape. An organic shape is a free-form shape. Unlike a line, shapes close off at the end. In other words, a shape is a line that closes! You can look around the room or outside for example of organic shapes such as trees, flower petals, shoes, and squishy pillows.
Once you are happy with the shape. Draw a line around it with a marker or tool of choice.
Remove the string. Look at the shape for clues about how to build a critter. You might try moving the paper around to find the right direction for your critter. Add eyes, horns, tails, patterns, etc.
Be creative and have fun!
If you’re in the San Francisco Bay Area, I’m co-hosting a drop-in art making workshop this Saturday, November 7 from 2-4 pm with Ann McMillan of DrawPaintStudio.
We’ve met so many adults at our events who love to make and create, so we decided that this will not be just for kids. Kids are, of course, MOST welcome, but why should they have all the fun? All ages welcome!
Please stop by and say hello.
~Rachelle
[…] we’re exploring the theme of Art Critters. If you can’t make it, you can make the Art Critter project shared in the image below from the comfort of your own […]