Rubber Band Snap Painting

Oh today's art was messy - real messy. I did warn the families it would be but I didn't realize how much. I saw this on a website and I apologize for forgetting where and not writing it down to give credit.

We tried rubber band SNAPpainting.
I found these old wooden frames at a thrift store and wrapped thick rubber bands around them. With a piece of paper underneath they painted the rubber bands.
Now the really messy part - SNAP the rubber band.
It splatters beautifully.
ALL OVER!

So we had to devise a method to prevent the splatter up to our faces.

That seemed to work okay except it was difficult to hold down the frame, keep the bands covered and allow the child to see underneath to SNAP the bands.
This family was inventive...


The results were pretty.

Crayon Shavings Decorations

I found these wonderful little cheese graters at a dollar store and couldn't wait for little hands to try them.

Some needed help but most gave the shaving a really good try.They then sprinkled the shaved crayons on waxed paper, covered with another piece of waxed
paper then melted it using an iron.

It still felt warm when we were ready to cut it.

We used cookie cutters for our pattern, traced them and cut it out.

Gingerbread Sighting

I made a book about our Runaway Gingerbread Men so families that weren't at school the day the cookies ran away could understand how it all started.


Its just been a few days since our gingerbread men ran away and one has returned and another was spotted.
When this little guy was coming into school he spotted a gingerbread man with an umbrella on the outside of the door. His note read, "I've been out in the snow and now the rain. I want to come back to StrongStart again."

Then the mail arrived and we received a gingerbread from another local school.So now we are keeping track on maps of our school, community, province, country and hopefully the world.

Snowman Doily Prints

Today we used plastic doilies to make snowman prints.

I found pot scrubbers at the dollar store that work well to apply the paint. When the plastic doilies were well covered we placed another paper on top then pressed down to make the print.

Snow buddies.

Gingerbread Pirates

For the last several years we have participated in a fundraiser for our local Boys & Girls Club. It's so much fun because we can design, build and decorate our own gingerbread connection.

Last year we designed a playground with our grade 4 buddy class.
This year we were inspired by a book The Gingerbread Pirates by Kristin Kladstrup. Also last Christmas my daughter gave me pirate cookie cutters so we were set.

This year we have grade 3 buddies and they brainstormed and drew out their ideas and then we started baking. They were very creative when deicing how to make the cannon and trees.



















Our StrongStart little ones made and decorated the gingerbread men with their buddies and then we put it all together.It will be on display for the next two weeks so visitors can vote on their favourite and silent bid to win.

Splatter Painting

Screening, old picture frames and toothbrushes made for a simple but puzzling craft for the kids.

We placed a wooden shape on the paper under the screen so when we were done it left a blank shape with splatter surrounding it.

It was a nice surprise when the screen was removed.

Runaway Gingerbread

Today we made a gingerbread man.
We rolled and cut and put them on a pan.































Then we put them in the oven to bake.
And we went back to play to wait.




But when it was time to take them out,
We were surprised that no gingerbread men were about.








Until we spied a trail of crumbs





That led us to a note

"We've runaway to see the world,
We'll send messages about what we see.
Don't worry we'll be back by Christmas."




Do you think they ran away? Outside? Where do you think they went?

Can you help us?
If you see our gingerbread men, please send us a postcard or a note from your home town, telling us what seasonal event they were at.
We really want to learn more about our school, community, country and the world.
You can send your postcard to
Brooklyn StrongStart
1475 Noel Ave.,
Comox, BC
V9M 3H8

First Snow

This weekend was our first snowfall of the season. Everything is beautifully white outside. So I decided to make one of the play areas white too. I brought in a big white sheet and covered the riser by the block area. Set up a little town, added snowball pompoms and watched the play happen.

I added thin magnets to some of the poms so they could build snowmen.

Snowballs everywhere.