School-Age
FromMore Than Painting,
Sally Moomaw and Brenda Hieronymus
What to have
- 1-inch-diameter dowels, cut in 4-inch lengths, with two ¼-inch holes drilled through them so that the holes are perpendicular to each other (1 dowel piece per child)
- two 12-inch lengths of ¼-inch-diameter dowel inserted through the holes on each 1-inch-diameter dowel s thin-gauge wire (22–26 gauge)
- colored pasta in a variety of shapes (rigatoni, penne rigate, rotelle, wagon wheel), colored with a mixture of food coloring and water
- screw eyes or cup hooks to attach to the top of each mobile
What to do
Mobiles are three-dimensional art forms that move. For this activity, children use dowels, wire, and colored pasta to create mobiles. They can experiment with balance as they add pieces to their creations.
Helpful Hints
Invest in wire clippers. Although scissors will cut the wire, they will soon become damaged.
Why
Children will experiment with different materials to build three dimensional structures that move They will experiment with shape, color and balance and explore movement.
For more activities check out
More Than Painting: Exploring the Wonders of Art
By Sally Moomaw and Brenda Hieronymus Copyright 1999 School-Age