The Wonderful World of Kindergarten

Welcome to our Reggio Emilia inspired classroom at Dr. David Suzuki School.
JoAnne Pizzuto, OCT & Jocelyne Brent, RECE, BASc (Hons)

Tuesday, 17 December 2013

Creative Christmas Cards

A pop-up book became an inspiration for so many activities. Children 'ooohhhed' and 'aaahhhed' over the images that popped off the pages.  Moose with golden rings adorning their antlers.  Fox safely tucked in their den.  "The squirrel's are having an acorn party!"  Each page held it's own surprise. Some of the children took the book to the writing centre and immediately began to draw.  


Then the children thought they would try to make their own book. They began by taking their pictures and trying to glue them together.  They liked their 'collaboration' but it wasn't quite what they had in mind.  We talked about how we could make the pictures 'pop', like in the book. So off we went to the art studio.  We studied the book and the way it was made. 


Mrs. Brent showed the children how you could take a strip of paper and fold it like an accordion.  One side would be glued on the page, and they could create a picture or cut out a picture to glue to the side that would pop out when the card was opened.



Another way to make pictures pop out was to make 2 slits where the paper was folded and to push in between the center of the slits then close the paper and press the fold again, with some of the fold on the inside of the page. When the paper was opened, it looked like there was a step in the middle.  The children glued their own pictures and cut out pictures from cards to the 'step'.  When the paper was closed and then opened, the picture popped up!  This idea took off!


It took a while for some children to get the knack, but they persevered.  Children were helping each other.  Holiday cards came out and the art studio became a Christmas Card making centre.

Many teachers, friends and families received the most unique cards this season!  

Shhhhhh - The teachers were also very happy at the scissor skills, logical thinking, creativity, sharing, peer modelling, friends helping friends and printing that they saw!

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