The power of art and craft

I would like to share my reflections on the webinar about art and craft. The implementation of art and craft in the classroom allows for artistic and emotional expression. It also provides relaxation and keeps children focus on the activity for a longer time. Children can develop their motor skills including manual dexterity and hand-eye coordination. Besides, art and craft are natural follow-up stages after the topic, song or story, as well as a perfect introduction to the lesson. 

There are many ways of finding inspirations for art and craft activities, for example, seasons, unit of inquiry, famous people or role models, books, songs, stories, calendar and important events. The sky is the limit!

The presenter shared many creative ideas. For example, when talking about food groups, children could be asked to bring some food and put them on a paper plate. Then, they can make a picture of it and describe it in a written or oral form. Anything is an art. Then, they could write a recipe for this dish. The activity could be called: what is on my plate? Children could also eat the  food, at the end of the lesson. 

I am particularly inspired by one idea and I may include it in my lesson about recycling. Children could watch a video called Sibel the turtle - the plastic bag recycling song. The song tells a story about the path of the plastic bag and it is very captivating. The lesson could be called plastic is not fantastic and children could be involved in different activities to raise their awareness. They could use a bottom of the plastic bottle to create a turtle. Then, they could do a written work - a day in the life of a turtle, which will involve writing in past simple. The lesson could also include a discussion about types of water bodies and how plastic can affect marine animals. I really love those ideas and I am going to use them in my practice. 

To conclude, art and craft is inspiring and engaging for children. It can also change the world for better, as children can be involved in DIY projects and create, for example, something for dogs in the shelter. 

What are your ideas for art and craft activities about recycling?

Angelika :)