Pre-K is a HOOT! : Weather

This week we began our Weather Unit. We began the week by discussing different types of weather. During morning meeting we came up with a great list of "weather words" that include: tornado, rainbow, rain, cold, hot, blizzard, cloudy, fog, humid, thunderstorm, snow, windy, lightning and "yucky."

This week we also spent a lot of time doing "process art." Process art focuses more on the process of art making than the final product, ensuring that the kiddos engage their creative sides. The kiddos completed three weather process art projects - Crayon Drip Rain Cloud, Wind Process Art, and Shaved Crayon Sun.

Crayon Drip Rain Cloud

The Crayon Drip Rain Cloud was so much fun to create, and the kiddos enjoyed each step! First, the Pre-K kids glued down the crayons at the top of the canvas. We used different shades of blue to represent "rain." With teacher supervision, the children used the hairdryer to melt the crayons. Next, the kiddos added cotton balls to represent "clouds" and added buttons for more texture!

Wind Process Art

The children used straws to blow the paint in all directions - just like wind blowing! The kiddos learned that they had to take a deep breadth and blow the air out quickly for the paint to move.

Shaved Crayon Sun

Using fine motor skills the kids first sharpened the crayons to make crayon shavings. We used shades of yellow, orange, and red. Then they decided where to put the shavings on the canvas to create a shape that resembles the sun. With teacher supervision, the kids melted the crayons using the hairdryer. The kiddos learned that they could move the melted crayons in different directions depending on where they pointed the hairdryer. As the shavings melted, the kiddos decided to add more so they could change the color and shape of the sun!

Thunderstorm Art Project

Practicing scissor skills, the kiddos cut out lightning bolts and raindrops and then glued them onto a grey storm cloud. The kiddos made the cloud by mixing black and white paint.