AN ARTWORK IDEA USING TWIGS

A masterpiece by Mr. Junior

Here is another simple, yet fun and educational activity for your young children or students. We made this a few months ago and the inspiration came during one of our walks.

It was a day when we had many days when the sun was much missed and was shining shyly that we went out for a walk as we usually do. Mr. Junior was on his bike and Miss Junior was sitting in her pram. As usual, we had quite a few stops when especially Mr. Junior stopped to look at his new discovery of something or examine a bug or collect some rocks or twigs. This time, he decided that there were many tiny branches on our way that were screaming to be used for arts and crafts. That is how they found our way home: all chosen and picked up carefully by Mr. Junior and travelled on top of the sun shade of his bike.

After he had his afternoon nap, he was excited to get started with his new masterpiece-to-be-born. He collected all the 'tools that he needed' (as he says it), put his smock on and sat down. He wanted to stick them on paper and I suggested that we make some shapes with them. He was happy with the idea and asked me to draw a circle for him. The rest was mostly his own work and he is still very proud of it and it still stays on the display area (on the fridge).

There are many skills that this activity requires and helps develop such as some mathematical skills, spatial skills, comparison, patience, focus, pre-school skills such as hand-eye coordination, decision making and more. Walking, recycling/re-using and collecting are only some bonuses of the activity.

Materials used:
twigs of various sizes (both length and width)
a piece of paper (we used recycled paper)
glue
a pen/pencil to trace a shape (optional)

We used a 'controlled' type of method where the shape was decided on and were drawn prior to the activity however, depending on your expectations from the activity and your child's readiness, skills or wish, you can choose not to include it. He can enjoy designing his own artwork. This can also be turned into a frame and you can use fabric instead of paper if you prefer to. The twigs can be painted too. The other possibility is that you can use this activity as a support to his other learnings (e.g. smallest to the biggest etc) or he can write letters (or writes his name) using twigs in the same way if he is working on the alphabet and so forth.

Enjoy something that the Nature offers today! (and you are very welcome to share your own versions or the masterpieces of your children once your little ones come up with them)