Educational creativity

Changes, Changes is a book by Pat Hutchins This book has no words and I was amazed at how it kept all the children's interest.  We predicted what the people would build next.  At the end of the story we recalled all the different things that were built.  They did great with it.  Some even asked to read it again.  Since we share all our books from Creative Curriculum with another class, we had to give the book up for the day. I decided to let the children make their own structures like in the book. Like the book states, plans change. My lesson plan shows the intent of the activity below. First, we worked together to watercolor paint a large piece of paper.  I then cut out shapes from the paper, and I added some other paper scraps from other cutting projects.  Next the kids were asked to glue some shapes down to make something.  I recorded what they made on each page along with their name. We turned it into a book we will keep in our library....

Every teacher will say "It's the process not the product."  So why do we have such cute art projects? They go with the theme.  They help with following directions.  The parents like them.  Okay, but what about the child?(It hit me when we saw a real jelly fish at the beach, and it looks nothing like the streamer ones we always make during our ocean theme)  Shaving cream rainbow fish I have been torn many times over the art project in my own classroom. So my decision was to offer a project bu not force the child to do it.  I provided many other types of activities that would attract children and focus on learning skills through play.  Then the parents complained they didn't have anything to put on the fridge. markers on coffee filter then spray with water butterfly So I have tried to come up with ways to give the child the process but also give the parent a product.  String printing ice cream cone Using materials you would like children to exper...