Example of an article about Free-Form Design.

Want to ear mark this article. Love it.

MEANINGFUL LEARNING with 

ORGANIC MATERIALS

http://prekandksharing.blogspot.com/2012/03/organic-materials-and-learning.html#comment-form

Excited by Free-Form Designs

I am expanding my Free-Form Design Pinterest page to include ideas I hope to be inspired by this new school year. I have all the nature objects and will give them a new format to be enjoyed with help of these very creative pins.

http://pinterest.com/inspiredprek/loose-partsfree-form-design/

Here are Free-Form Designs Dundee Montessori has done so far.

http://inspiredmontessori.blogspot.com/search/label/Free-Form%20Design

Born good? Babies help unlock the origins of morality

http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=50151800n

Extremely interesting study of baby behavior on 60 Minutes. 

Bubble Painting

 2013 Summer Arts Program has come to a close with this last project. Look at our other cool Summer Arts Program curriculum on the many arts posts below. I have a BFA in Art Education and love using my love of creative arts with the children. 

Bubble Painting 

Another perfect project for toddlers and children who 

cannot draw yet.

In a Styrofoam bowl add a good squirt of dish washing liquid soap, a big squirt of black tempera paint and some water. Mix. 

The child will blow bubbles into it with a straw.

Lay the paper on top of the bubbles

Then we painted around them

Fairy Village in a Montessori Classroom? Yes!

I know fairy villages are very popular now and I do love looking at outdoor ones on Pinterest.

If you look at my Estate Sale posts

http://inspiredmontessori.blogspot.com/search/label/Estate%20Sale%20Works 

you will see that I re-purpose garage sale items into lovely works for my Montessori classrooms at my school. A sale brought these little houses into my life and I could not resist.

Out of my rock unit box came the polished rocks. 

 http://inspiredmontessori.blogspot.com/2012/01/rock-unit.html 

Out of a my nature boxes came the nuts and seeds. From my craft closet came the wooden pieces.

I do believe in play. That takes guts for a Montessori teacher to say. We offer periods of play at my school.

So, I have no problem adding this to our selection of play options.

Do the kids love it?  They are children, you know, and children do love to play. 

Swirly Paintings. Great for Toddlers!

The next three posts are toddler painting projects

Scribbler age children can make beautiful 

art work without being able to draw!

This is so simple and gorgeous.

You will need a plate to paint on.

On the back dob some paint.

Turn the plate over and 

"Turn the plate like a steering wheel."
It will leave a swirl of paint. 
Turn the plate over and do it again.

Do the same with a smaller lid.
This is a laundry detergent lid.
Dob paint on the top.

Turn the lid to make smaller swirls.

Does not have that finished look so...

Now paint circles around the swirls.

Last, paint the background.

A very dynamic looking project that a two year old or much older child will love to do!

Scribbler Painted Template

Here is a proven successful art project for a scribbler aged child who can only draw circles.

You will need a template.

Sponges pre-loaded with paint and clothes pin handles.

Let the dobbing begin.

Needs the personal touch!

Scribbler age child now paints the "circle 
becomes a sun".

Finished toddler art project!

Older children need more of a challenge. We add three components: spirals, stars and balls.

And the fanciness is very becoming! 

Scribbler's First Drawing

The first thing I teach a very young child to draw is a circle. That is the universal first shape any child puts on paper. Demonstrate making a circle while they watch. I chant while they do it. "Round like a ball. Round like a wheel. Round like the sun."

If a very young child can do that we go on to the "sun". That is the second object a child can draw. Here we take these first impressions on paper to a finished art project.

The universal first drawing a child will do.

Next we add stripes inside the suns.

Then we add balls.

A thin wash of paint can be added over the crayon.

A child's first drawing becomes a masterpiece.

Birds in an Apple Tree

Perfect art component to any study of birds!
The next 5 separate posts show excellent examples of
art work done by varying ages of children. 

This is a winner project and my idea. 
Easy for very young children.
You will need an apple cut in half with a fork handle, a simple bird template, red, green, yellow, brown and blue paint and brushes.

Stamp the apple many times.

Next paint on a green stem to each apple.  Then paint brown lines to connect the stems to a branch. Next paint a trunk on one side. Then using the template paint in a blue bird.

Last paint on the yellow beaks. 
Adorable Birds in an Apple Tree!