We Created a Mobile!

We noticed a large stick suspended in our classroom and were wondering what we could use it for! The teachers put out different shapes of cardboard, tinfoil, glitter glue, pipe cleaners and beads to inspire the children.

The children created beautiful sculptures that we hung on clear string from the wooden stick. As we watched the children's sculptures spin in the air, Josie explained that we had created a mobile! Come visit and see the beautiful mobile hanging in our classroom.

Imagination in the Shamayim Classroom

Today in the Shamayim classroom,  Josh, Ilan, Grayden and Bennett, decided to turn our chairs into a dragon.  This dragon was a very friendly and hungry dragon.  

Introducing Mr. and Mrs. Magnifying Glass

 On Tuesday afternoon, Jacob decided he wanted to play with a new material. He and Eliza headed with the teacher to the art supply closet to search for something inspiring. After surveying the shelves, they selected Floam. When they returned to the classroom, Jacob began touching and squishing the floam. Then he retrieved a magnifying glass to closely examine the floam, explaining that there were tiny balls or spheres. After taking a closer look, Jacob used the magnifying glass to create. He sculpted the floam directly onto the magnifying glass and exclaimed, "It's Mr. Magnifying Glass!" He then added some hair to the top and said, "Now, it's Mrs. Magnifying Glass!" with a huge smile. Putting the  magnifying glasses with floam inspired imaginative and creative play. Thank you Jacob for introducing us to Mr. and Mrs. Magnifying Glass! 

Inspired by Daffodils

A fresh bouquet of Daffodils, water color paints, and cut water color paper was an inspiring provocation last week. Almost all of the children visited the science table where the daffodils were placed. Each child used the water color paints to represent the flowers on their blank canvases, each with their own variation. Come look at the wall of the children's paintings in the Kohavim classroom! We plan to continue bringing in fresh flowers as inspiration. Over the next few weeks, if you and your child are gardening or come across some striking flowers at the market, please bring them in to share with us! 

Creating with Fruit!

Building structures with toothpicks and grapes was quite treat! One grape went into their mouth and the next grape they attached to their creation. Eli and Eliza built a radio tower and Hannah built a playground.

The children also had the opportunity to make jewelry by stringing grapes, blueberries and strawberries with a real needle. Molly spent a lot of time creating a colorful tasty necklace!

Creativity with Floam

We tried a new modeling material: floam! Floam is used like playdough, but yet is like no other dough you've used. It is made from tiny colorful styrofoam beads mixed with a non-toxic adhesive, creating an intesting texture and allowing children to create scultpures that are not possible with regular dough. It can stick together and be modeled in all sorts of shapes.

It was interesting to watch the children approach this new material. Abby worked on creating a flat design with a variety of colors. Maddie loved the feeling of the floam and dug right in, burying her hands in a huge piece. Max took a green piece, still formed in a block shape straight from the package, and carefully created tiny snakes to stick on the bottom. We weren't sure where he was going until he held it up and announced, "Look, it;s Spongebob!" and in fact, the profile of his creation did look exactly like Spongebob himself.

I worked with Drew to make an enourmous snack, which he was delighted he could pick up in one piece. Harper used her entire upper body strenghted to flatten her pile of floam, alternating between patting and pressing. And Olive slowly kneaded and shaped her floam. It will be interesting to watch this group as they continue to explore the floam and find new ways to use it.

What to do with a GIANT piece of cardboard?

Today we presented the Tel Aviv class with a HUGE piece of cardboard and a lot of cardboard boxes. We were so excited to create an open-ended project that could be based on the ideas of the children in our class. When I presented them with the board and said what do you guys want to make and there was a overwhelming response of, “SUKKAH!!!” So, Sukkah it is!

The class is SO excited about creating our new class sukkah and today everyone started decorating the cardboard wall by either drawing designs or by cutting shapes and gluing them on. Dylan was the very first one to start drawing and brought many the other boys with him, and then the girls were quick to follow. They colored on complete side and then decided that they wanted to also color on the other one! Jacob drew lots of zig zags and then Eliza also added some zig zags next to Jacob’s in another color. Eliza also added an “M.” It was so neat to watch the children’s excitement about having the freedom to create and draw anything they wanted. Then they even decided to add some other media. Max and Eli were the first to start cutting. They decided they wanted to use scissors but they didn’t know what to cut. They tried to cut a milk carton and cardboard but found that that was challenging. Then they cut up newspaper coupons and found out that the paper was much easier to cut. Once they cut the paper up, they excitedly glued it to the sukkah adding a new layer to our creation. Rachel found some glitter paper and cut it in a circle creating a section of different layered paper. I was so pleased that every single child added something and I am excited to see how this project will grow and evolve in the upcoming week.

Apple Art!

Some members of our Tel Aviv class decorated an apple mural using real apples as stamps! There are so many wonderful uses for apples and wonderful ways to create art! Come in our classroom to see our creation!

A chance to be creative with glass

This morning I invited the children from the Unicorn, Scientist, and Tel Aviv classes into my office in small groups. Settling on the rug, I presented an array of colored glass pieces. A plate of hues in reds, oranges, and yellows and another plate with shades of blues and greens.  Each child chose a piece for a base.  We discussed the safety parameters for working with glass- never put your hand in a pile, always pick it up carefully, and never rub your hand along the edge.  Then it was time to get creative.  The children studied all of the tiny pieces of glass in a rainbow of colors and chose the ones that looked just right.  There tiles are in the kiln now, melting away.  We'll combine them with those created by parents, teachers, and other children into a stunning masterpiece for the front vestibule. 

A Carousel

During lunch bunch yesterday, Jay finished creating his carousel. He had been working on it for a very long time. It spins around the horses. It is very colorful. The carousel is going to be displayed in the Haifa classroom if anyone wants to come by and see the amazingly intricate work that Jay did to build his carousel!

Introducing Tailor Noah

This was Noah's first sewing 101 class. He was an eager participant, pinning, cutting, and patiently waiting his turn for the sewing machine. We had one technical difficulty, the "bobbin" ran out of thread. He watched patiently as we re threaded the bobbin and told us when it was pretty full again. Thanks Noah....

Noah was making his pillow for his dog "Bosco". Noah, we hope Bosco enjoys his comfortable pillow made with love !

Wooden Sculptures for Tu B'Shevat

Jacob and Ezra created woodern sculptures for the holiday of Tu B'Shevat, the birthday of the trees. They carefully glued a variety of small, colored pieces to their long wooden base. This activity takes thoughtful planning and design which can be clearly seen in their finished work.

Busy Scientists

During free play today Naomi and Alison were very busy creating beautiful art work which they decided to make into necklaces. Alison tied the "necklace" on Naomi and Naomi gave Alison a great big thank you smile.

Today we had a visit from Dancing Nancy, and she spoke to us on the importance of personnel space. It was so much fun, we each got a hula hoop and had to sit inside the hoop. We also got to dance and do other creative movements inside our hula hoop without touching our neighbor. That was hard!!!

The other day the Scientists played in the block room. Jayden got very creative building a home with lots of people living inside the home together. They even have a car that they share and a hospital close by in case anyone gets sick.

Some of our Scientist boys decided to build with the big blocks out in the hallway. You can imagine the negotiating and team work it took to create their huge structure. "Alex, can you pass me the slanted block." "Watch out guys I am coming with a really heavy one," says Jonathan.

Designing a Spider Web

During choice time today, Isaac spent a great deal of time creating this spider web. He was precise in connecting various colored lines in different straight and curved patterns.

When he was asked about the web, he told us that Spider Man had helped him build it and was going to live there. Spider Man worked on the edges of the web design and Isaac informed us that he had created the design in the middle. Isaac says that Spider Man is going to be happy living in his new web home!

Really getting into the process

Eric started out tracing an etrog, coloring it in, and cutting it out. However, he quickly became so absorbed in the cutting process that he cut fringe all along the sides of the paper! It was fascinating to see his hands take on a life of their own as he cut and cut and cut until his hands became too tired to continue. The creative process at work!

Melissa Bogdan