As we love encouraging youngsters to engage with the natural world through art, we used the theme of butterflies to help celebrate 'The Big Butterfly Count', which is taking place this month.
We put an assortment of collage materials on a table that included sticks, sheets of acetate, washi tape, beads, buttons and wool. Using images of butterflies, the children could get creative making their own sculptures. This was a very absorbing activity, through which colour, shape, pattern and materials were explored.
Clay butterflies were made from rolled out slabs and templates. Colour was applied if wanted and pattern indented into the surface. Clay work continues to be the most popular activity; there's something very fundamental about squishing it between your fingers and making something beautiful.
It's always fun to use different applicators to paint with. Cotton buds produce a great range of marks and make the process a bit more interesting. Black butterfly templates were provided and the children enjoyed painting on one side with acrylic paint. They then folded the paper and squashed the paint flat to create a symmetrical pattern.
These unusual butterfly prints were made from assorted leaves. Leaves such as cherry, ivy and sycamore. Ink was applied onto the leaves and then the latter were flattened with a roller. The edge of a piece of card created the butterflies abdomens and antennae were painted on with a fine paint brush. The prints capture the delicacy of the butterfly really well.
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