Outside may have been a far cry from frigid, but the PTLL craft area was white as snow.Toddlers, Twos and Threes Art Groupgot fun and fluffy this week, experimenting with cotton balls and tempera paints. Never ones to fear a mix of textures and paint, our little artists got right into it.

Getting started is super fun. Make sure to have your kids feel the pile of cotton balls first. Ask them what they feel, them have them tear apart one of the balls to see how the texture, shape, and size changes. If they like, have them build a temporary sculpture out of the fluff and dismantle it one ball at a time as they use them for painting and other possible crafts.

The simplest painting method is to use the cotton balls like they would use a paintbrush. The kids dipped each ball in the paint and then smeared it around the page. Blending colors is especially easy with cotton balls, so encourage your kids to combine colors and see what new colors they can produce on their paintings. Point out difference in application – Where on the page is the paint heavier and where is it lighter? Where do the colors combine and where do they fade? Asking questions helps kids learn a vocabulary to associate with being creative.

Once your kids master painting with the cotton balls – and it won’t take long – have them explore the many ways to use the balls on the page. The fluff easily sticks to the paint, so have them use it in the work they create. They can even paint on top of the fluff for additional texture to their painting. Compare and contrast the brightness of the paint on the white cotton to the paint on the page.

Used cotton balls can be discarded or hydrated to use as texture for other projects. Kids don’t often like to use the same ball once there is already paint on it, but you can reduce the amount of balls you use by tearing them into halves before the painting begins.

As always, don’t forget to have fun and be a little messy!

Toddlers, Twos and Threes Art Group meets every Wednesday at 10 am and is open to all members and visitors (with paid admission to PTLL’s playspace). The group is run by Megan Spak and Elisabeth Moyer, with assistance by Emily Fear.

Before we started our penguin-centered story, we decided to build one for ourselves. The project is super easy and can be done individually or with a group. Using the following template, cut out individual pieces in the appropriate colored construction paper, then have the kids assemble the penguin, one part at a time.

After we had our storytime penguin assembled, we settled in for our featured book:

A Penguin Story
by Antoinette Portis

Edna lives with her fellow penguins in the article, and though the only colors she sees every day are white, black, and blue, she is convinced there is something… else. Exactly what, she is not sure, but she sets out to find that something else.A Penguin Story is beautifully illustrated, vividly imagined, and lovingly told. Readers will have fun with the frosty explorations of our plucky heroine and be delighted at the resolution, which finds Edna and her friends in awe of a tiny, but important piece of new information about their world.

When reading with younger children, focus on the color story. What do white, black, and blue mean to Edna and her fellow penguins? What other colors does she find in the end? What colors dothey like best and why? Use the room to illustrate different colors in their own environment. What colors dothey see most often?

With older children, have them consider the things that Edna might find on her next journey. Talk about the Arctic, the environment, and what other animals the penguins may come in contact with. Create a follow up story for Edna using the construction paper penguin, or try doing snow drawings with white chalk on black or dark blue construction paper.

And for more fun, try these other penguin books:

Storytime is every Monday at 10 am and is intended for all ages.

The latest issue of Martha Stewart Whole Living features a shout-out for PTLL. What a fabulous surprise!

The Toddlers, Twos and Threes Art Group has made a special habit out of re-using materials in fun and creative ways. Today’s project was no exception. Looking at the abundance of toilet paper rolls in the arts and crafts area, we decided to use them for further experiments in print making. Lots of paint, lots of cardboard tubes, lots of recycled paper. The results were nothing less than excellent.

We figured there would be a lot of stamping of each end of the tube, which results in perfect little paint circles on the paper surface. If pressed down quick enough and with enough pressure, the paint can even form a bubble on the tube-end, giving the paint print a distinct mark once applied to the page. Color-mixing is especially easy this way, either by dipping the end in multiple colors, or by layering different colored circles on top of one another on the page. Either way, a great pattern is merely a matter of repetition and color choice.

Of course our artists would surprise us by using the tubes in an unexpected way. Instead of dipping each end in the paint, many kids chose to roll the entire side in the paint and then roll it on the paper, leaving a varied trace of paint that could then be mixed with the circles… or by fingers!

Honestly, color mixing just seems more fun when done by hand. The texture of paint can be irresistible to young children, so don’t be afraid to let them handle the paint even when using non-fingerpaint paints, so long as they’re non-toxic. After they’re done painting with their fingers and hands, have them try using other paint tools to see what kind of textures they can add to the page. And make sure you’ve got those long sleeves rolled up tight!

Another quick reminder on painting with kids – encourage your kids to work on a single project for as long or as little as they like. As long as they are learning something from each project, it does not really matter how long it takes them to create. Some kids require a lot of time with a single work, some only want a minute or two. It’s okay to let them be done when they think they are done. There’s always next time!

Next week: We continue the print fun with cotton ball prints. Ooh, fluffy!

Toddlers, Twos and Threes Art Group meets every Wednesday at 10 am and is open to all members and visitors (with paid admission to PTLL’s playspace). The group is run by Megan Spak and Elisabeth Moyer, with assistance by Emily Fear.

Pigeon Wants a Puppy
by Mo Willems

Pigeon has moved on from buses and hot dogs to firmly declare his love and desire for… puppies! But can a little pigeon care for a big ol’ doggy? Can your kids stand up to his requests, demands, whines, promises, and bargains? Each turn of the page will have your kids yelling “No!” amidst delighted giggles.

Willems is a star in the children’s literature world and there’s little question as to why. His illustration style is both simple and enduring, graphically bold and developed with a sketcher’s fluid sense of motion, reaction, and animation. His characters speak to even the youngest children without sacrificing intelligence, humor, or warmth.

Need more Pigeon? Check out his other titles!

Need more Pigeon in your life? Who doesn’t?!? Check out this great animated video for Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!

Storytime is every Monday at 10 am and is intended for all ages.

]]> http://pghtoys.wordpress.com/2012/02/13/storytime-picks-for-monday-february-13/feed/ 0 pghtoysadmin http://pghtoys.wordpress.com/2012/02/09/art-group-wednesday-february-8/ http://pghtoys.wordpress.com/2012/02/09/art-group-wednesday-february-8/#comments Thu, 09 Feb 2012 21:06:57 +0000 pghtoysadmin http://pghtoys.wordpress.com/?p=275 ]]>

With the Toddlers, Twos and Threes Art Group, we’re all about being resourceful. In the Fall, we experimented with paint prints using Q-tips, string, fabric, and (my personal favorite) apples! We continued with this week’s project, utilizing something that might be familiar to a lot of kitchens: Cookie Cutter Prints!

The process is exactly what it sounds like. Lay out some paint in shallow trays – we used tempera – and let the kids dip each cookie cutter into the paint, then stamp it on the page to leave a print. It works just like stamps, only with more color blending and a larger variety of potential shapes and combinations. They can layer shape upon shape or make a pretty pattern all over the page.

Mixing colors is inevitable, especially when working on a project with multiple children. Make sure to call attention to the new colors formed out of the base paint colors used. As your children what colors they like to mix together and why. Do simple color equations with them: Yellow + red = red, etc.

Like stamps, cookie cutter prints are great ways to spruce up a simple craft project. Images can be used for cards, wrapping paper, collages, even on clothing and other fabric items. The same old print project can be easily revived by a simple change up of the surfaces used. Don’t want to use art or construction paper? Try printing on newsprint or recycled paper bags.

The importance rests with your child’s ability to be resourceful. Encouraging creative expression through household objects can enable thoughtfulness and open mindedness at a young age. Once their creative minds start to grow, you’ll be amazed at their inventiveness. The emphasis on the process (rather than the results) will foster an independence in their art-making.

Toddlers, Twos and Threes Art Group meets every Wednesday at 10 am and is open to all members and visitors (with paid admission to PTLL’s playspace). The group is run by Megan Spak and Elisabeth Moyer, with assistance by Emily Fear.

Sometimes, when the general volume of the playspace is that high, it helps to start off storytime even louder. We did our loudest storytime shouts yet, then played our percussion instruments at top volume. Sure enough, our group had doubled in size before beginning our story of the day:

Boo Hoo Bird
by Jeremy Tankard

What kid doesn’t get a boo-boo that just won’t feel better, no matter how many kisses, hugs, and cookies he or she receives? Luckily for our injured bird friend, he’s got a group of friends who will stop at nothing to make him feel better. In the end, what Bird needs most to feel better is to know how much his friends care about him. And maybe to lay off games of catch for a while…

If you and your kids are delighted by Tankard’s bold illustrations and quirky sense of humor, check out some of his other titles:

Want more Bird and friends? Check out this great book trailer!

Storytime is every Monday at 10 am and is intended for all ages.

Happy February, everybody! With the weather still unseasonably warm and our spirits super high, our Toddlers, Twos and Threes Art Group got to work on some fresh-from-the-kitchen playdough. We had so much fun squishing it, rolling it, shaping it, twisting it, cutting it, stamping it… pretty much everything except eating it (lots of fake eating however)!

There’s really no end to the kind of fun you can have with a big, warm ball of playdough. Three-dimensional molding is often favored, but also encourage your kids to try two-dimensional pictures. Can they make a flat crocodile with a bumpy tail? Playing with different perspectives gives kids an early lesson in dimensions and textures. Plus it’s a whole lot of fun!

Before you move onto sculptures and pictures, emphasize the tactile qualities of the playdough. Have your kids touch and knead and pull and stretch the dough. Roll it into long strings or tear it into little dough pieces. Have fun with shaping and re-shaping and encourage your kids to have as much fun smashing the dough as they have building into shapes.

You can also use it for early lessons on numbers. Roll some dough into a ball, then cut it in half. Ask your kids how many dough balls you have now. Then cut one of the balls in half again. Each time you divide, have them count the number of dough balls on the table.

Little hands may work best alone, but consider throwing in a few “tools” to use with the play dough. Simple wooden stampers, rolling pins, or cookie cutters go a long way in expanding the fun they can have. Don’t feel the need to get too elaborate or expensive with the kind of tools you use – just about anything works!

Speaking of inexpensive, store-bought playdough has its advantages, but compared to the homemade stuff, it’s expensive and dries out pretty quickly. Instead of shelling out money for small tubs of the store stuff, why not try making it at home?

Just assemble:
- 2 cups flour
- 2 cups warm water
- 1 cup salt
- 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 Tablespoon cream of tartar
- Food coloring or Kool-Aid (coloring, optional)

Boil the water. Once it is ready to go, combine with all ingredients in either a standing mixer or a large mixing bowl. Mix until dough forms. Allow to cool completely before handing. Once it is cool enough to handle, knead until the dough is smooth.

Next Week – Cookie Cutter prints!

Toddlers, Twos and Threes Art Group meets every Wednesday at 10 am and is open to all members and visitors (with paid admission to PTLL’s playspace). The group is run by Megan Spak and Elisabeth Moyer, with assistance by Emily Fear.

Old Bear
by Kevin Henkes

Old Bear features Kevin Henkes’s signature illustrative style: soft, yet vivid visuals, focusing on lush environmental landscapes and personifying characters with the most subtle of techniques. Coupled with the simple elegance of the text, the result is a book that is as lovely to read as it is to look at. And it’s great for both younger and older readers, as the story is easy enough for very little children to follow, but carries resonant themes that are best explained to older children.

With toddlers, twos and threes, focus on the colors of the illustration, the actions of the bear, the seasons and the changes in the setting. Ask them what each season brings to the page. Is there rain? Is there snow? What colors can be found in each season?

Children age four and up can consider the larger themes of the book. Why does the old bear dream about himself as a cub? What part of his dreams are realistic and which parts are fantastical? How much time passes before the old bear wakes up into Spring? Talk about the seasons and which months fall into each season. What are your children’s favorite seasons and why?

Kevin Henkes has a great library of nature-focused books, so if you and your kids love Old Bear, be sure to check out these other titles:

Storytime is every Monday at 10 am and is intended for all ages.

]]> http://pghtoys.wordpress.com/2012/01/30/storytime-picks-from-monday-january-30/feed/ 0 pghtoysadmin http://pghtoys.wordpress.com/2012/01/27/art-group-wednesday-january-25/ http://pghtoys.wordpress.com/2012/01/27/art-group-wednesday-january-25/#comments Fri, 27 Jan 2012 15:29:48 +0000 pghtoysadmin http://pghtoys.wordpress.com/?p=228 ]]>

Our Toddlers, Twos and Threes Art Group had so much fun with tissue paper last week, we thought why not try it again this week? So we got out some construction paper, some glue, some paint brushes, and tissue paper and let the kids go at it. The results were fantastic tissue paper collages!

The process to make the collages is as simple as painting. The kids could take the paint brushes and “paint” their papers with the glue. After getting as much or as little glue on the paper as desired, they could then apply the tissue paper in various ways: patterns, layers, pictures, just about anything would do. There were markers on each table, so if a child wanted to add a drawing to the collage, he or she was able to. Just be careful not to get the markers in the glue! We had a few sticky marker tips to clean off before Art Group was over.

A few musts for this activity:

- Use heavy construction paper or other thick art paper. The wetness of the glue coupled with the tissue tends to break down lighter weight papers.
- Absolutely cover up any work surface. The glue is far harder to remove than finger or tempera paints.
- Water down the glue a little. About a tablespoon or two of water per 1/4 cup of glue should work. It makes the glue more spreadable and easier to work with, as well as more washable. Good to know for when those sticky fingers need cleaning off.

Remember that the tissue paper will stick to the glue regardless of how it is applied, so encourage your kids to experiment with texture by balling up the tissue paper, crumpling it or ripping it into smaller pieces. Once the paper has been applied, let them run over the pieces with more glue and apply more paper on top. Explore the color combinations that can be created by layering color tissue on color tissue.

The ease and variety of tactile experiences make this a great activity for even very young children. Best of all, the collages can be used to support other art projects. One little girl used her tissue paper collage to make a birthday card for a relative. How can you and your kids re-purpose the artwork once it comes down from the fridge?

Toddlers, Twos and Threes Art Group meets every Wednesday at 10 am and is open to all members and visitors (with paid admission to PTLL’s playspace). The group is run by Megan Spak and Elisabeth Moyer, with assistance by Emily Fear.