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Painting with Cars at BestStart Brooklyn
After the Summer holidays, many of our friends have come back very interestsed in transportation - cars, trucks, diggers, trains. In the art area trays of coloured paint were placed on the table, with different vehicles. Each child chose which coloured paint they wanted and which vehicle they wanted to drive.
At first the children were hesitant about driving their painted covered cars and trucks on their paper. It didn't take long for them to realise that the more they drove their car or truck on the paper, the more paint that was left behind. A teacher was close by with words of encouragement and discussion. She narrated what the children were doing and as well as encouraging verbal communication on the types of vehicles they were driving or the colour paint they had chosen.
During this activity, several learning opportunities arose for the children. Conversations between friends and their teacher during the activity helped them to see things from a different perspective. Practing mathematical concepts of colours of both the paint and the vehicle they chose. Finally, moving on the car from side to side, helps to strengthen their arms and hands as they prepare to write when they go to school, as well as helping their eyes move from one side of the page to the other side, before moving back across in a diagonal line. The eye movement prepares the child for when they start to read books.
A simple art activity can be full of fun, however it is also full of learning opportunities of skills that each child will need for when they go to school.