Welcome to the June Teach/Learn Blogging Carnival, ‘Kids and Learning.’
The Teach/Learn Blogging Carnival hosted by Science@home is for anyone, because we are all teachers and learners all the time. This month our theme is “Art” which doesn’t just mean doing craft – it includes music, performance art and appreciation as well! Our bloggers have come up with many different thought-provoking takes on this theme. Please read through to the end to find links to the other participating blogs.
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Hey guys! I’ve done a little experiment with my kids and videotaped the results for you to watch. It’s all about structured art activities versus open-ended ones. Please bear with me, as, apart from my sponsored review videos I’ve done and little home videos, this is my first ‘put together’ video, just for you. In a few places, it’s wrongly cropped, in many places, my hand is unsteady, but I’m please to have finally built up the courage to give it a go. My kids and I also had a lot of fun doing this. I look forward to your reactions, so please share!
I hope you will go check out all the blog posts in this great carnival.
Flowers are red from Hear Mum Roar on Vimeo.
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Visit Science@home to find out more about the Teach/Learn Blogging Carnival. 
Please take the time to visit the other participants and check out their posts on “Art.”
- CatWay at Adventures With Kids is getting the most out of a trip to the art gallery with ideas of how to prepare children and interest them while they are there.
- Mamapoekie from Authentic Parenting argues for the importance of art and why we should be encouraging it as our children get older.
- Miss Carly from Early Childhood Resources talks about how to create an environment that encourages young children to explore art.
- Sharon at Hear Mum Roar has done a fantastic video post by getting her children to do an activity two different ways and letting you see the very different results.
- Amanda at HomeAge has been admiring art with her daughter since she was a baby, taking her to several art exhibitions and reading books.
- Kate from Picklebums talks about why art is important for little people and has a huge list of activities you can try.
- The Planning Queen from Planning With Kids has tips for visiting the art gallery with kids, including links to different galleries and some ideas for activities afterwards.
- Colin Wee at Super Parents is thinking about his son’s musicality as he learns to play the violin.
- Deb from Science@home has her children investigating materials while making sculptures and bravely let the 2 year old use a hot glue gun.
- Leechbabe from Stuff with Thing started out looking at patterns in nature, but the activity changed because she followed her children’s lead.
- Monique at Your Cheeky Monkey has used an indoor activity, giving her children magazines to cut out and create collages.
Thanks for visiting, we hope you enjoy some of the posts in our carnival.
[...] at Hear Mum Roar has done a fantastic video post by getting her children to do an activity two different ways and [...]
[...] at Hear Mum Roar has done a fantastic video post by getting her children to do an activity two different ways and [...]
[...] at Hear Mum Roar has done a fantastic video post by getting her children to do an activity two different ways and [...]
I admire your tenacity with the red flowers. When I see people doing that, I always wonder why they are making things so hard for themselves. There is a place for following directions, but I don’t think art is the place.
Catherine´s last post ..what I want to do in the school holidays
I am in complete agreement with Catherine!
Miss Carly´s last post ..Why Teach?
Your son did a great job keeping in the lines! Princess is nearly 4 and still hasn’t quite got that concept (she also likes to do a whole page in one colour, but she does love pink!).
I’ve noticed that at this age Princess will want to copy other people’s work. She is always given free reign with her art (at home at least), but recently when she has created with friends around (usually older, 6-7) she will copy their painting, almost perfectly, of her own choice.
I love how when they create their own works there is always a narrative for it, sometimes being spoken the whole time that they are working. It shows how creating gets their imagination working on so many different levels.
amandab´s last post ..Bump in the Night
Fantastic video, I love your ideas and the promoting of “free” art for kids.
Monique´s last post ..Cutting to Collage
Lol, Catherine, I know! My heart really wasn’t in it, and I was going against everything I believed in. Hopefully my kids will forgive me. When I was filming it, I couldn’t notice everything, but on watching back, everytime I told my poor daughter how to do it, I realise now she was just putting the texta down and not bothering. Giving up. Also, it looked as though a few times she might’ve been just asking me to do the whole thing for her. It’s a shame I couldn’t have had someone else hold the camera, lol. I agree with everything you’ve said
Hear Mum Roar´s last post ..Flowers are red
Oops, I didn’t realise I needed to approve some comments, lol! So I’m not ignoring the rest of you:)
Miss Carly, I agree too, lol
Amandab, yes, there was a really good narrative in this video in the second activity, wasn’t there? There was very little in the first. I also love how to my son, it’s almost if the art was continuing right off the page, as he pushed an invisible train away that was sitting on the tracks on the paper.
Such a fab example of why kids need freedom to express their creativity!
PlanningQueen´s last post ..Tips For Visiting The Art Gallery With Kids
Thanks, Planning Queen:) It’s actually something we did at TAFE all those years ago. The teacher split us into two groups, each doing these two separate activities. The group doing the flower activity were really unfocused, chatting, not really making much effort. The other group was quiet, focused, and came out with some amazing creations and stories of their work.
What a wonderful entry to the blogging carnival! It’s very refreshing to see a post presented like this. And I’ve got to admire your use of the video cam whilst getting the children to colour those templates in!
I’m not sure I would get the children to colour within the lines at such a young age, but I guess they can only do what they’ll do and no more. But yes, I appreciate the experiment and your results.
Cheers for a good entry!
Colin
Colin Wee´s last post ..Hear Music Play Music
I’m glad you liked it, Colin:) I deliberately gave the flower activity to both kids, even though it was out of the reach of the youngest one. The reason being, is that I have seen many parents over the years attempt this sort of thing, without really taking into consideration the child’s abilities, interests, or anything. It’s the sort of activity that is not for the child. Often adults make the big mistake of presenting an activity that will make them feel good about themselves, or that they think will turn out looking impressive. And then you’re left with a piece of art that the child really contributed nothing to.
I’ve been at playgroups where the activities were not only heavily structured but also outside of the child’s realm of abilities, and the parents have sat and done the whole activity whilst the child gives up, and goes away and does something else! All because the parent wanted to make sure it was done ‘properly’ so their child didn’t ‘miss out’. Argh! It’s like a world gone mad! lol
Hear Mum Roar´s last post ..Flowers are red
Yeah, I think the best posts so far are like yours … allowing the child to reflect on what they’re doing long after they’ve forgotten about the specific event altogether. So you really do get the thumbs up for helping them explore this activity like you have.
Yes, some playgroup parents have no clue. I used to run a Montessori playgroup and had a huge task of indoctrinating parents and re-training them to allow their children to focus on their activities by themselves. If you interupt them, instruct them, help them … what’s the point? Might as well not let them have a childhood altogether.
Colin
Colin Wee´s last post ..Hear Music Play Music
That’s where I think this carnival and these discussions are great though, we can help new parents to think about it in a new way:)
[...] at Hear Mum Roar has done a fantastic video post by getting her children to do an activity two different ways and [...]
Your kids are cute. I was laughing at the breakdown of the “control” over colouring in a specific manner. My son rarely wants to participate in crafts so I haven’t ever tried to tell him how to do a craft. I’m just so happy he’s actually being crafty for those 2 minutes.
Interesting experiment.
Marilyn´s last post ..An Interview with my Son
I agree completely. Art should be about creativity, not restrictions.
That’s right, as long as they are enjoying what they’re doing, it doesn’t matter what it looks like. At the moment Muffin’s favorite part about drawing and painting is being able to ‘wrap them up’ (she folds it up and sticky tapes it closed) and being able to give it to someone. She also loves having her pictures on the wall/fridge. Even the cruddiest pictures of just scribble go up on display, because it makes her feel proud and happy, and makes her want to do more.
One time when I picked up Monster from daycare, the carer handed me some artwork he had done, that all the kids had been doing, and she said “it looks like that (meaning not like everyone elses) because he didn’t want to put X on here or X on there, and I thought, Well that’s a good thing, to be expressing yourself. It’s ok to have different ideas.
Good post
MuffinMonsterBB´s last post ..Medical Receptionists – Whats the deal?
Oh Marilyn! I really don’t like myself when I watch that ‘controlling’ part, lol! And yeah, it’s important they just get to have a go, isn’t it?
I think so too, Mrs Mayhem:)
It’s sad Muffinmonster, because people working in child care aren’t supposed to be that way. In fact it was during my childcare training that I learnt this stuff, lol! But it is still out there in some daycare centres, and that’s why it’s good if we can foster it in the home or wherever we can.
Hear Mum Roar´s last post ..Flowers are red
This encapsulates what I worry about with my daughter’s preschool class. They have to follow everything the way the teacher has done it, including green grass when we live in the desert and a blue sky no matter the weather outside. Even their doctors and nurses had green grass and blue sky! There are some good reasons for it, but I don’t see any balance.
I think you’re very brave doing such a long video! I only do snippets and generally cringe as I edit them – all my comments and things I didn’t realise I said or did. Good on you for really putting yourself out there.
Deb´s last post ..Playground Science II – Slides
Deb, it shocks and appalls me to hear that is still going on in some preschools. It goes against the training, that’s for sure.
Thanks for the complement. Don’t worry, there was a great deal of cringing, but I thought I’d just dive in, lol. And, of course I cringed at the bit in the background where my fiance was muttering, ‘Jesus Christ!’ LOL The video camera does not lie
Hear Mum Roar´s last post ..Our new playroom