Homeschool Theater

Did you know that letting your preschoolers draw on the wall is a really good way to get them ready for writing? If done on a regular basis, activities worked on a vertical surface provide many advantages for them:

* Children gain strength in the back, shoulders and arms which increases stability for fine motor activities.
* The wrist is correctly positioned for pencil-holding, and grasping strength is enhanced.
* Good posture is developed.
* Finger dexterity is increased and fine motor flexibility and accuracy is developed.
* Eye-hand coordination is improved.
* Not only do these help build physical readiness for writing, but also for tasks such as using eating utensils, picking up small items such as coins, using art materials and even getting dressed!

So what are some activities preschoolers can do on vertical surfaces, if you don’t really want them drawing on the wall? Try these:

* Tape a large piece of paper to an outdoor wall or fence and supply large markers, crayons or paint and have your child make a mural. You can write large block letters to make a sign, such as “Welcome” or “Happy Birthday,” and ask your child to decorate it.
* Use a chalkboard or whiteboard.
* Children’s stand-up easels are excellent.
* Try a flannelboard, or make your own by attaching a large piece of felt to a piece of cardboard or plywood, or tacked on a bulletin board.
* The refrigerator is a great place to play with magnets, including magnetic letters. Try turning magazine or photo cut-outs into play magnets by adhering the paper onto cardstock, laminating or covering them with clear contact paper,and gluing on a magnet.
* On a warm day, give your kids a large paintbrush and a bucket half-full of water. Let them pretend to be house painters and paint the outside of the house or a fence.

* At bath time, let your child decorate the tub walls with shaving cream, bath soap-crayons or foam letters. When the bath is done, your preschooler can wipe his art off the wall with a clean sponge or rag.
* Give your preschooler a sheet of stickers and a piece of paper taped to the wall or clipped to an easel.
* Kids love painting on windows, such as sliding doors. Make sure they have washable window paint, or make your own by mixing powdered or liquid poster paint with clear dishwashing soap in approximately equal amounts. Be sure to spread newspaper on the floor beneath the window and cover the windowsill. Perhaps they can make holiday designs.
* Tack a piece of clear contact paper on the easel or bulletin board, sticky-side out. Let your child make a nature collage of feathers, leaves, seeds, flowers, etc. You can also use magazine cut-outs, torn strips of tissue papers or gift-wrap shapes. When your child is finished cover the art with another piece of contact paper, pressing it smooth.

Whenever you are preparing supplies for your child to create art or work on writing, take a moment to see if any part of this activity can be done vertically. The more often it is done, the stronger the results for your child.

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Michelle B. is a veteran of 20+ years of homeschooling. She likes affordable homeschool materials.

Setting up a special crafting zone for your homeschool material can be a wonderful boon to a child’s imaginative creativity and self-confidence, and a place to nurture family relationships. Why a special place? Rather than just getting started on a craft at the dining room table and Mom calls out that it is time to set the table for dinner, an unfinished piece can be left on a crafting table until it can be worked on later. Stray paint or crayon marks on the craft table are fine, as we don’t have to worry about them. And it is beneficial to have our supplies stored nearby, so we don’t have to run to the closet for paper, then to the kitchen drawer for a pair of scissors, and where is that box of crayons? Having a prepared crafting area means one can get crafting when the creative urge hits!

So, where will we put our crafting station? Although it is not required, one of the best places will be near a sink, such as the kitchen, or a laundry room or garage washbasin. Crafting frequently requires water for activities such as painting or papier mache, and of course some washing up. The floor will get messy, so carpeting is not a good idea. If the room is carpeted, spread out an old shower curtain liner or paint tarp, or cut a piece of vinyl flooring to lay over the rug.

The size of the room will dictate the size of the work surface. The larger, the better. It can be a card or kitchen table, a wooden work table or folding banquet table, a desk, a piece of thick plywood or particle board or a counter top cut to size over a pair of end tables, shelving units or filing cabinets or even sawhorses. During crafting sessions, the table can be covered in newspapers or, better yet, butcher paper or newsprint for a quick roll-it-up cleaning.

If space allows, a folding screen of some sort can be placed between the craft station, your homeschool material and the rest of the living space to keep a work-in-progress or a mound of craft supplies on the table out of view. Perhaps the screen can be used as a gallery of finished art.

Tissue paper has many crafting possibilities, such as collage, suncatchers, papier-mache, paper flowers, decoupage, and so on. It comes in many colors and designs, by the single-sheet or in quantity. Some tissue paper colors bleed, which means that when wetted by glue or water, the colors will run together. This can produce an artistic effect for your project, but if you need the colors to remain stable, look for paper that says “color-fast,” “non-bleeding”or “bleed-proof.”