Article 2
As parents we think of so many things we would like our children to accomplish and dream of them doing great things. When my teens were little and I would drop them off at school I would say “Do Great Things”.
They knew that I felt that the little, kind and thoughtful things they did each day were “Great Things” to me. We are the teachers of great things. We know when we are presented with a teachable moment. We have the gift of a wonderful connection with our own children. They hang on our words and actions. They hold moments close to their hearts and pull them out of a hat when they need them. When they are toddlers they are retaining memories that are tactile and more of the visual. It’s a time to feed the visual memory by supporting it with tactile connections. It’s a time to share with them how their little hands can be creative and hearts thoughtful at the same time..
Valentines is a time to show your little ones visual ways of expressing what is in their hearts.
The heart itself is a great first shape to teach. Using their own hands they can form a rough shape of a heart. They can stamp their hand in finger paint or have you paint the bottom of their hands with a washable paint. You might want to have a bowl of soapy water and a towel ready. Once the heart is stamped as many times and in as many colours as they like, they can fill in the shape.
You could offer them some decorative sticky foam or other embellishments
that are easy to apply to decorate the artwork or card. You can cut
shapes out that they can stick on. Ask them what they would like to say
in words on their gift, and who they would like to give it to. You can
use dots for letters they can trace over or write the words for them.
This will help them to reinforce connections with others through a
creative channel, while learning about a special shape and their
abilities.
Happy Valentine’s Day Everyone!
Janine G-Z .
Janine’s school of Fine Arts.
Newmarket, On
905-952-0806
www.jzartstudio.com
