Once or twice a year I like to have my students work together to create a class collage to display in the classroom. The children really enjoy expressing themselves. Rarely do I have anyone turn down the chance to participate.
This outer space collaboration turned out to be a creative and fun experience for everyone. I provided a large, curved piece of Styrofoam that had been spray painted black and quickly sprinkled with a dusting of glitter. I also provided a tray full of sparkly decorative items. I found glitter foam at Walmart that made perfect stars and moons. Plain foil stars also work well. My students were drawn to the various materials, and loved choosing which ones they wanted to use.
This collage turned out to be 3D, but you can use poster board or cardboard and a variety of collage materials of your choice. Some may choose all the materials you provide, while others will use very few.
This open-ended activity provides the children with an opportunity to use their imaginations, express their creativity, and practice decision making. Additionally, when working collaboratively to create a piece of art, the children develop social skills and learn to work interactively.
Earth Day is April 22nd, and what better way to celebrate this important event than by making 3D recycled collages.
Now is the time to get those notices up in the classroom and into parent mailboxes; ask for help in donating “creative junk”, as I like to call it. Donations can be from offices, businesses, homes, or other sources in the community. If you are a homeschooler, start a mini bin of recyclables.
The list of items that can be used for this activity is infinite. Just make sure that the pieces used are clean and undamaged. Use your imagination and watch these throw away items turn into artistic pieces of wonder!
MATERIALS USED:
– Cardboard
– Packing peanuts
– Bottle caps
– Jar lids
– Spice lids
– Foil
– Egg carton
– Wine corks
– Pieces of Styrofoam
– Scraps of paper
– Old craft sticks
Art is always a hit with my kids, but especially 3D collages. They seem to inspire a higher level of creativity, allowing the children to build on, up, and around. In addition, 3D collages look amazing when displayed on bulletin boards, and they help to meet the art materials requirement on the Environmental Childhood Environmental Scale Revised (ECERS-R).
I was ready to present another type of this art form, and Zoey was ready for something Easter. We were deep in the aisles of Hobby Lobby when Zoey spied these little guys.
Chicks, eggs, and buttons..oh, my! That’s all it took – we knew we had to have our students make 3D Easter collages. To introduce this activity, we will be reading There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Chick!
We're Gigi and Zoey. We teach a two-year program (preschool and pre-k), and we're passionate about Early Childhood Education and the philosophy that children learn through play. Our goal is to prepare children for kindergarten while making learning fun.
We hope that our resources inspire you, and that you will share them with your little ones.
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