Diggin' Dinosaurs!

We've all entertained the perspective of those who believe toys and interests should be "gender-nonconforming" - i.e. traditional role reversal that introduces little ladies to the mechanics of fire trucks, their brothers to doll house keeping. Nope. I've tried. Doesn't work for me here. When offered a choice, grandsons grab for snakes and granddaughters glom onto butterflies - 100% of the time! And since social-psychological analysis is well above my grandma pay grade, that's all okay with me! 

I'm not surprised, then, when eyes that ignite like fireworks belong to the boys when dinosaur activities tumble from the mysterious confines of my grandma bag. Sisters enjoy the artsy aspects of each project, but brothers are the ones who linger for follow up research in picture books and ask the most questions. They're the ones who can identify an Apatosaurus. They're the ones diggin' dinosaurs! 

We tested our skill and explored the species on recent drop in visits!...

A stack of appealing books whets the appetite for what's ahead. Pop-ups are always a favorite, especially when fun facts accompany each reptile. This is where we discuss herbivores and carnivores, noting size, speed, habitat, and defense capability. It's where we choose the beast we'll learn to draw and paint!

The giant Brachiosaurus was our unanimous choice to immortalize in tempera and collage. We sketched in basic shape building technique: large horizontal body oval first, smaller vertical leg ovals next, etc. I used an out of print Usborne title as a guide, but Art Projects for Kids is an excellent resource for teaching kids this method. Use that blog link to see a curvy Diplodocus come alive before your very eyes, and then let art teacher/author Kathy Barbro lead you to other prehistoric era friends, plus many, many more subjects to successfully draw and paint! You'll love this site!

Now back to the studio!....

Completed critters needed spotted texture and a careful cutting out. At age just-three, little guys need grandma's aid for the latter. That skill is developmental, so we're working on the proper way to manipulate scissors. It helps when I hold paper in place while he chomps away until two-handed competence is achieved. 

Deep blue background paper was selected with a purpose in mind. Why not let our family of Brachios dwell in the swirling, twirling world of Van Gogh's Starry Night? Why not let the kids begin a learning journey into art history as well, combining that adventure with science facts and crafting skill? 

For that purpose, I employ a nice deck of Usborne cards, available at Amazon. The sturdy set of 30 depicts a significant number of fun-to-know famous paintings. We talk about this artist and the way his technique brings the canvas alive. Then, we reach for construction paper in yellow and orange, tearing orbs that mimic his turbulent night scene......

SUCCESS!

Doesn't this finished work just dance with the same energy as the original starlit sky?  

I like the tearing technique. Kids know results aren't supposed to be perfect, thus eliminating the anxiety of precise cutting on the lines. 

One more thing!

Can't get enough of being busy on Planet Dinosaur? Here's an easy way to keep a three year old anchored to a chair, enjoying an activity that's 100% done by him/herself. Offer a bright background sheet, scraps of contrasting paper for tearing, a glue stick, and a sheet of dino stickers. 

What a world of possibility lies within this deck of fine art! 

Munch's The Scream is dying to inspire a vivid Halloween painting! I see a little study in perspective there, too!

We might have to go wild outside with brushes and buckets of paint to capture the feel of Pollack's Number 6, (although I never could figure out the accolades afforded that guy and his mess of gloomy drippings!) 

When it's time to draw portraits the right way, (no eyeballs in the middle of the forehead!) we'll take a look at Picasso and da Vinci for comparing and contrasting. 

We'll employ soft pastels in study of Degas ethereal ballerinas, and "paint with scissors" the way Matisse described his work in collage......

Lots of learning fun ahead! Promise you'll come join us?

Notes: 

If you seek "go big or go home!" dinosaur activities, you might enjoy past posts of mine. "Hunters and Gatherers" details the dino egg hunting experience I hosted for my two oldest grandsons when they were four years old. Star of that show was a 9' home made paper mache T-Rex! This one brings us back to a more recent time when eight hunters stormed the woods, following clues to giant personalized eggs crammed with goodies! 

The pop-up book I've pictured above is the Dinosaurs title from a series of Sounds of the Wild volumes by Maurice Pledger. It is out of print, but National Geographic sells one I'm tempted to buy. The Dinosaur Museum features a huge T-Rex face that bursts out at book center! Great reviews, too! 

This is not a sponsored post. I share my purchases with readers only because I've been personally pleased with them.