Friday, January 9, 2015

Brightify


I try not to say, "Don't do this, don't do that" when I lead activities with the kids and grown-ups (or with the grown-ups alone, either), unless it's something dangerous. 

[ Even then, if I have time, redirection works better. 
But I have been known to yell Don't eat that! at someone about to put cookie batter with raw egg in their mouth. It was too late anyway, but no one got sick. ]

Yesterday I put out tissue paper for people to tear up and stick onto a sheet of  contact paper. Hung on the windows, they make really pretty faux–stained glass. 

Pretty soon, some of the grown ups--the toddlers' teachers and a couple women with dementia who used to teach grade school-- were instructing the little kids, "Don't wad up the paper, tear it in nice little pieces."

Come on people, we're playing, we're not building Chartres!

I just kept repeating, "It's OK, everybody---you can't do it wrong: any shape will work!"

You can see the bottom of the 2nd piece > >
 really does look like pieces of stained glass---that's where the teachers were working. 
And wadded up sections--they look like things moving underwater or flying. 

7 comments:

Michael Leddy said...

I like them both. And the materials are much less expensive than Chartres! They kinda remind me of Thornton Dial, although someone who really knows about art would probably not say so.

The Crow said...

I am reminded of koi in a pond filled with water lilies. Beautiful!

Zhoen said...

No wrong way to play, indeed. But they were taught differently, which is just so sad, and then passed it on, and still do.

Fresca said...

MICHAEL: You caught me out--I did rather imply that I liked one better than the other... when I'd meant to say that all the shapes/styles are fine.

I went back into the post and changed the wording.

I didn't know the art of Thornton Dial--cool! Thanks.

CROW: Nice image, the koi & the lilies.

ZHOEN:
It's a struggle to stop those things flying out of MY mouth too, I find. Sigh.

bink said...

These look great. What a day brightener!

poodletail said...

These positively vibrate! I'm guessing they'd be fun any time of the year but wow - just the thing for a winter day.

Fresca said...

More colored light!