UNIT 8

Introduction

• There are many ways teachers can enhance children’s creativity using varieties of materials and tools.

• The varieties of materials used will help with the development of their gross and fine motor skills, and enhance their sensory experience.

• Some of the products that they can produce are greeting cards, models, collages, masks and mobiles.

Outline

Two-dimensional Craft activities

Objects or models that have length and breadth.

Techniques associated with the two-dimensional craft activities are Picture making/drawing and Collage.

Picture making/drawingGreeting Cards• Greeting cards are the simplest type – can be

in different sizes.• Children could use their creativity to express

their feelings and ideas - Children could be encouraged to use their language skills together with their artistic creativity to produce a card expressing their feelings.

• Involve amalgamation of skills - the usage of graphic art, painting and printing.

• This project could be carried out to coincide with various events and occasions.

Greeting cards

Greeting cards

Picture making/drawing Discuss briefly the steps you would plan

to use in class in order to teach your students to produce greeting cards.

Materials? Techniques? Composition? Model cards? Groups or individuals?

Picture making/drawing

Creating Mask • Another simple craft that can be produced.• Masks are produced in a variety of designs from the

simplest form made from manila card to the ones with movable parts and hidden faces.

• Different types of materials are used like wood, metals, shells, ivory, fibre, clay, stone or leather.

• Children are naturally intrigued with masks. They have the capacity to design and come up with very interesting masks to suit their imagination

A simple mask

A Halloween mask

Brown-paper bag costume masks

Masks

Masks

Collage

French ‘coller’ – to paste / stick A picture made by applying various materials

to a flat surface. Helps children to use their sense of touch,

helping them to be sensitive to shapes and texture.

It gives them the opportunity to create new forms and images.

Collages

Collages

Suggestion on how to begin collage making

• Introduce to the children the different types of materials, allow them to touch and feel them.

• Discuss the qualities of texture like hard, soft, fuzzy, sharp, course, grainy and so on.

• Show a readymade collage to motivate the children to start and plan their collage work.

• Decide on the materials to use as the base/background: manila card, cardboard or construction paper.

Materials for collage

paper, cloth, wool, yarn, beans, ribbon, lace.

natural materials like twigs, leaves, feathers, stones, shells.

Provide the tools such as scissors, brushes, paste, glue, stapler, staples.

Useful tips

Limit the usage of materials when working with beginners. Children should be encouraged to choose their own materials

and use it their own way. Demonstrate how materials are cut and pasted and shaped. Help the children to create volume and depth to give a three

dimensional effect by crumpling flat pieces of paper. Use of buttons, ribbons and yarn to add interest and accent. Display the collage in an old picture frame or a shadow box.

Three-Dimensional Craft Activities• Refers to any art form that has at least three sides a

person can see. • Modelling with clay, working with play dough, making

creations with paper boxes and creating sculptures are examples (Mayeska, 2012).

• Encourages the overall development of children – they use their hands, fingers and arms to feel and enhance their hand-eye coordination.

• Children can practice use of words and increase their vocabulary to describe their models and the materials they use. It develops self-confidence and positive self-concept in children.

Puppet

Puppet• Puppets are a great tool to stretch one’s imagination. • Can be made using almost anything like socks, gloves,

and household packages. • Children use them to express themselves freely.• Puppets can help young children learn social skills. • Teachers can use puppets to show how some

troublesome behaviours can affect other children and thus help children see the behaviour from a different perspective.

• Can be used in dramatic play to help stimulate story telling which promotes positive socializing behaviour.

• Great with special needs children. Teachers can help these children overcome their communication and interaction difficulties by using puppets in their lessons.

Types of puppet

Stick puppet Finger puppets Wooden spoon puppets Styrofoam puppets Cardboard cylinder puppet

Stick puppets

Finger puppets

Wooden spoon puppets

Styrofoam puppets

Cardboard cylinder puppet

Mobiles • Mobiles are structures in motion. • They produce movement with changing

patterns.• Creating mobiles involves several different

activities, namely decisions about balance, design, sculpture, form, space and colours (Mayeska, 2012).

• The finished structures are suspended using various tools such as wire hangers, wooden sticks and plastic rod.

Mobiles

Mobiles

Models

Making models from clay and other different materials help children appreciate texture and form.

They are able to touch, feel and shape objects to express their feelings and ideas.

This activity promotes children’s sense of aesthetics especially in older children.

Models

Models

Conclusion

End of Unit 8