When friends arrive their excitement is contagious. "They're here! They're HERE!" bounces off the walls as muddy shoes race through the house.

Because who has time to take off shoes when bearing important news?

Three little bodies drape over my arms and legs to share the good news before racing back to the front door. We've begun trading monthly dates with good friends and their little ones had just arrived.

Related: The Year I Forgot to Date My Husband (And What Reminded Me)

Through babysitting and playdates, it's normal to have two or more extra kids running around. Since tonight was an extra four kiddos, we had considered something low-key and non-messy.

However, the kids really, really wanted a painting project.

I began to have second thoughts while assembling the supplies. But the kids already knew there was painting, and there's no easy way to disappoint seven kids. So we took it outside and minimized the mess through smocks and a large pile of wet washcloths. Which helped a lot!

The older kids understood the project best, but the toddlers had a great time too. It's a perfect multi-age art project and a fun way to introduce kids to Piet Mondrian.

Piet Mondrian Black Glue Grid Paintings

ART SUPPLIES:

• Sturdy White Paper
• Black Acrylic
• White Glue
• Paint Brushes
• Paint in Primary Colors (Red, Blue, Yellow): Tempera, Acrylic or Watercolors

SET UP:

1. Create Black Glue: Add black acrylic to white glue until dark. Squeeze bottle to mix and test on a spare piece of paper. (NOTE: You'll need to empty a bit first if it's a new bottle. We use a lidded container then use it later with old paintbrushes for collages.)
2. Squeeze a grid pattern onto the paper and let dry overnight.  
3. Review Mondrian paintings with students (Ex. Composition; Composition with Yellow, Blue and Red; Broadway Boogie Woogie) 
4. Pass out paint palettes (plastic lids work great) with red, yellow, blue & brushes
5. Paint! 

*TODDLERS: We've used these brushes for years! Perfect for little hands. We also use tempera since everything ends up in mouths.

*OLDER KIDS: Encourage them to use yellow first. It's the lightest color and picks up other colors easily. Cleaning out brushes well between colors will help them stay vibrant.

Happy Creating!

Just for fun: Your Brain Looks Like a Mondrian Grid Painting

 

 

 

 

We begin each month by setting goals and reflecting on the year so far. It's a simple habit that helps to add purpose to our days and focus to our weeks! Our word for the year is Thrive.

One of our big goals last month was adopting a two-week block schedule which we're enjoying so far, alternating new lessons in Language Arts and Math/Form Drawing. The best part so far has been breaking up math drills & writing for Isia's second grade, which are not her favorite activities. Even though writing is included in her math, such as writing down shape names today, it gives her a break from longer writing sessions and handwriting. I'm excited to see what latency gifts we'll receive as we move ahead with it too.

Here are our goals for the month:

• Begin working on our community garden plot
• Complete our hibernation unit for science, and move onto animal tracks
• Memorization work: "A Sun Like Thee" by Eileen Hutchins, Psalm 100
• Recorder/ handwork

• Our weeklyish newsletter
• Waldorf chalk drawing post on our weekly boards
• Complete two sewing projects

Personal/Home goals: 

• Finish reading: Disciple: The Glad Surrender by Elisabeth Elliot
• Mending: Hem closet curtain downstairs, Isia's doll 
• Organizing craft supplies & basement closet
• Knitting: Finish Isia's cardigan
• All photos off USB & computer onto Shutterfly

2017 Goals Completed So Far:  

• Adopt a two-week rhythm, alternating Language Arts & Math/Form drawing
• Blog series: Homeschool Art Lessons in Printmaking
• Mending: Broken kitchen shelf, curtain rods
• Marie Kondo photos off iPhone onto Shutterfly

What goals are you working on this month? Would love to hear in the comments below!

Some blog friends who are sharing their March goals as well:
Mary Anne at Mama Smiles finished a beautiful Metro Twist quilt and has magical party goals.
Cassie at 3 Dinosaurs has cute clean house wall art (free printable) and healthy goals.
Kate at Kitchen Floor Crafts organizes her goals into four monthly themes. 

Plastic Lid Printmaking

Why Printmaking Fascinates Kids

Hiking our favorite trails, we see a set of initials carved into a tree with a lover's heart.

A little girl bounces around, thrilled at the trail of boot mark prints behind her.

Small reminders of We were here. 

My oldest at three. Where does the time go?

The power of these marks isn't lost on children. When you hand a paint-filled sponge to a child then show them how to make the same mark over and over, you've not only made their day. You've introduced them to the wonderful world of printmaking too.

Printmaking's also a great way to explore cause and effect with kids. What happens if we add more paint to our sponge? What if we print it on a different color of paper? Let's dip our sponge into another color as well and see what happens!

These simple experiments build early science and math skills in kids, as well as language skills when we encourage them to talk about their creations. And they're fun too!

Printmaking Projects for Young Kids

Stay tuned this week for more printmaking experiments! We'll be exploring projects for preschoolers, elementary, and middle school-aged kids.

Small experiments to crack open the aqueducts of creativity that flow so easily within kids. It's harder for adults, which means we should create alongside our littles as often as possible. Following their lead can often teach us something new or remind us of something we've forgotten.

Like the thrill of small boot-prints on a sunny sidewalk.