Let's Sculpt Something Together!

 My mom's the one I look up to for everything. I feel like I'm a lump of clay and she's molding me into a woman.

~Chloe Moretz

The sarcophagus post is going to be put off by a day.  Today we worked on clay figures!  Kids love to touch and mold so clay is one of the best options for an one or two hours of creative activities.  You have two options with clay, and one of them is not play-do. Play-do is a cruddy sculpture medium.  It smells funny, and when it dries out, it cracks.  It's made to be temporary.  Let's take a look at good clay. Both types are available as kits that usually include sculpture tools, and single packs of color.  I'd go with the kit.  It usually has ROY G. BIV.

Play-do cleaning tip: If your little ones gets Play-do in the carpet don't panic.  Let the Play-do dry solid, and then simply pick it, or scrape it off.

The first is regular molding clay.  This clay is superior to Play-do because it stays moist no matter how long it's out.  I'm sure it'll dry out eventually, but I haven't been able to find that cutoff.

The second is molding clay that bakes solid. This is the kind we used because my daughter can permanently keep what she makes.  This is great for future crafts like dioramas, or puppet shows.

Step One: You have to work the clay soft.  If your kids are young, you'll have to do this for them.  After working with two colors, your fingers are going to hurt.  I won't kid you.  The best thing to do is to work smaller amounts, and only the colors your child requests.  Squeeze and roll the clay until it's soft and pliable. Now it's sculpting time!

Step Two: lay down plastic, or tin foil.  If you'll notice from the picture we started with newspaper.  Bad idea.  As you roll and mold your clay, it picks up the ink from the newsprint.  Live and learn. Use the newspaper to set down tools.

Most clay kits have molding tools.  If you purchase clay without a kit, and you have no tools, you can improvise.  Pencils, plastic knives for cutting clay (only parents should use this), spoons, chop sticks, and fingers.

 
Step Three: GO!  The easiest thing for little ones are snakes.  They help them get the feel of working with clay.  You'll need to learn the snake roll anyway, as that sort of shape is important for arms, legs, the curled shells of snails, etc.  Also, make sure to roll up balls of all sizes for eyes, heads, bodies, etc...  You'll quickly get the hang of it.  If you have a little one, don't be tempted to "fix" anything they've made with the exception of making sure parts are stuck together tightly.  Be proud of what they made, even if it doesn't quite look like, uh, well, an airplane.  Make sure you make a few things on your own as well.  This is quality together time.

Step Four: BAKE!  Of course, double check that your clay is bake clay (the other clay will melt in your oven and smell bad).  Pre-heat the oven to 275 degrees.  When the oven is heated, carefully place your creations in a glass baking pan or dish. Bake for about 15 minutes (thicker pieces may require 5-10 minutes more.  Take out of oven and cool.  If any pieces fall off once the creation is completely cool you can glue the pieces back on.  You can also use acrylic paints if you want to change the color of any creation.

Here are out creations!  I made the bowl of fruit and the cupcake.  My daughter made the rest.

Happy sculpting!!

"You came back from the desert with a new friend. Didn't you, Beni?" Mummy Making Part One

Day Two: Summer Vacation.  All is going according to plan.  Maddie has been neat and tidy, helping me clean her room, and so far the crafts she's chosen have been neat as....Oh, no.  Plaster of Paris.

Meet our new craft. Make your own mummy.

I got this kit at A.C. Moore on clearance.  It was $19.99 and I bagged it for $5.99.  Never underestimate the power of the clearance aisle and always look for those "discount" stickers.  On a good day I can pick up at least three or four craft kids for about $20-25.  That's not bad.  And each one is a big chunk out of your day.  Not only that, most of these crafts are powered on imagination.  A word of caution on crafts: If you are going for crafts that stretch your child's imagination, skip the ones that are prefab, and put together with just a little glue (those foam stickers on foam paper things are the worst).  Where's the stimulation in that?  Go for crafts that rely on imagination: those that require painting, glitter, beads, mummies, clay, weaving, building, etc...While the mummy might seem to be sort of cut and dry and boring, your child is introduced to an artistic medium she may have never used before.  Exposing children to as many forms of art, in this case sculpture, is vital to their Humanities and artistic education.

But I do wonder why these mummy kits were on discount (and why there were so many of them). I wonder why they weren't selling.  Is there an underground mommy boycott?  Is it just too messy?  To heck with messy!  I have an "outside" and I have a hose.  I'll be using them both.

Step One: Protect your clothing and surfaces.  Smock.  Rag tee-shirt.  Apron. Make sure to put down plastic.  A section of a regular garbage bag will do.

Step Two:  This kit comes with a little pliable skeleton.  You can pose him anyway you want.  One of the examples is a walking mummy. We chose to make a mummy that was laying down.  We'll be making a sarcophagus so we need Imhotep in the proper position.  If you want to do this without a kit, get masking tape and newspaper (paper towels work, too), and mold, crush, and tape, creating a form into anything you like. You can make a cat shape (the Egyptians mummified cats), for example.

Step Three: The plaster of Paris strips come in a roll.  You'll need to cut it into workable strips about 6-8" long and 2" width.  Again, if you aren't using a kit, you can get rolls of plaster of Paris at local crafts stores like AC Moore and Joann's. They have them; I checked for you.

Step Four: Get a shallow bowl (the kit provides you with one), and fill with cool water. The kit comes with gloves, but if you're brave, you can do this without.  Just make sure to clean your hands immediately after you're finished.

Dip the strips in until wet. Don't soak them or they will lose the plaster.  Wrap the strips around the form.  Work somewhat quickly, as the plaster will begin to set.  Make sure you smooth out wrinkles.  I suggest you cover the mummy head to toe at least twice.

And voila!  You have a mummy!  Let it dry for several hours.  The outside might be hard, but the inside might still be soggy, and that can compromise the shape.

This craft took up about an hour.  YAY!  It wasn't as messy as I thought it would be, so I think you could actually do this craft at a kitchen table.

Tune in tomorrow for Mummy Making Part Two: The Sarcophagus

Why Your Child Needs the Summer Reading Program at the Library

Since I can remember, I have been involved in the summer reading program at my local public library.  When I was a little girl I remember taking out books and returning them read so that I could earn prizes, and I have enjoyed every moment of being a parent of summer reading program participants. My library still has the awful orange hard plastic oval 70s chairs that I loved when I was growing up. But it wasn't the prizes that that were important....and it wasn't even reading the books.  The most important part of the summer reading program was reporting books to the librarian, and being present in the library for all the programs they offered (and spinning until dizzy in the awful plastic oval chairs).

The summer reading program is free (and so is the air conditioning...).

Programs

Most, if not all, summer reading programs have more than just book reporting.  Many have special events and visitors.  Please take them up on the invitation. Not only does it teach and engage children, but I'll give you a hint...it eats up at least two or three hours a week.  Every Friday morning my library has Books and Bagels.  The kids munch on bagels while the world's coolest kid's librarian reads stories. He's awesome...he has an awesome goatee, plays guitar, and looks like he's the front man in a grunge band (it's great to watch "Kurt Cobain" sing Laurie Berkner's We Are the Dinosaurs).  The books might be for young children, but it engages all the kids for the entire half hour (and if bribing them with bagels and juice gets them there, so be it!).  Listening to someone read teaches children how to read themselves.  It teaches tone, inflection, pacing, and fluency.  I don't care how old your kids are...READ TO THEM and let others read to them.

Our library has visitors.  Below is my daughter in her bee suit (her father is a beekeeper and she helps) when a representative of a Beekeeping Association came to talk to the kids about the importance of bees.  They brought observations hives, honey, and a lot of information. Your kids will learn so much from visitors AND they will learn to be good listeners and good audience members, lessons that are sorely needed in today's society. 

Book Reporting

Reading is the most important skill all children need to master, but being responsible for analysis, comprehension, and the ability to discuss what was read is more important than most realize.  In my opinion, mastering these skills is what gave me an edge in school...even all the way to college.

The key to this is having both a good library program and a great librarian.  A good librarian will ask you what your favorite part of the book was.  A great librarian will ask you why it was your favorite.  A good librarian will ask you what the plot was.  A great librarian will ask you if you've ever read a book that had a similar plot.  A good librarian just writes the titles of the books down and sends you on your way.  A great librarian suggests additional books that have the same subject as the books you liked.

A great librarian realizes that a child might be reporting on information he/she doesn't know, and asks the child to teach him/her.

We are fortunate.  We have great librarians.

What do you do if you don't have a great librarian?  Fill in.  Below are some fabulous questions to use when discussing books with your children. And remember, do NOT ask close ended questions, questions that can be answered with a "yes" or a "no."

Universal Questions for Book Reporting

1. What did you enjoy about this book?
2. What have you read that is similar to this book?
3. What are some of the major themes of this book?
4. What do you think the author was trying to accomplish with this novel?
5. Who was your favorite character? What did you appreciate about him/her?
6. Consider the main character: what does he or she believe in? What is he or she willing to figtht for?
7. At the end of the book, do you feel hope for the characters?
8. What is stronger in the book: plot or character development? Why? Do you think this was intentional on the part of the author?
9. Have you ever experienced anything similar to the action of this novel?
10. Did you find this book a quick read? Why or why not?
11. What are your concerns about this book?
12. How did you feel about the main character?
13. What are the most important relationships in the book?
14. What makes a minor character memorable?
15. What are the most revealing scenes?
16. Are any of the events in the book relevant to your own life?
17. What did you think of the style of the writer?
18. Was the story credible? The characters credible?
19. Did you find any flaws in the book?
20. Compare the hardcover and paperback covers. Which one do you like better? Why?

Created in part with funds granted by the Oregon State Library under the Library Services and Technology Act, administered by the Oregon State Library. Send feedback to Katie O'Dell, School-age Services Manager

READING TIME!!

Make sure to have your children read silently for AT LEAST 15 minutes a day (a half an hour is better) and it won't hurt for you to read to them for another 15.  That's a half an hour out of each day!