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For the past two weeks we’ve had a few different gluing projects for kids to try. We started off with the glue in small cups and small brushes kids could use to apply the glue. Trays were set up with a piece of cardboard, a glue cup and a brush. In the middle of the table there were cotton balls, slices of paper towel tubes and wood pieces kids could choose from to put on top of the glue. Some kids enjoyed brushing the glue on the cardboard and then feeling done once the cardboard was fully brushed. Other kids spread the cotton balls, tube slices and wood pieces on the cardboard and then carefully carried their finished product over to the drying rack by the easel. Still others discovered they could layer the pieces, even fit the tubes slices around the cotton balls, and added some height to their project. This activity took some planning for kids who wanted to use the materials available to them from the middle of the table. Without the glue, those different materials wouldn’t stick, so kids had to make sure they first had glue on the cardboard before adding something on top.
On one of the days we did the gluing we added a side project in preparation for the auction. As you may have seen in the Friday Bulletin, Park West kids have been busy making soon-to-be platters using different kinds of glass materials and gluing them on a glass base. Two kids at a time took turns sitting at one tray to decorate a large square of glass. They used the same cups and brushes that they were using for the cardboard projects and then could apply glass “sprinkles” and squares on top of the glue. Kids were excited by these new materials, and we’re excited to see the finished product which will be part of the live auction at the Gala!
For our second week of gluing we used bottles of glue (with blue and pink glue), cardstock as the base instead of cardboard, wood pieces, cotton balls and cut up fabric. Just as some kids were most focused on applying the glue with the brushes, there were kids whose main interest in this new gluing project was squeezing the bottles and watching the glue come out. Other kids enjoyed the layering of the glue and materials. This was kids’ first time using glue at school, and it was a great opportunity for us to observe how they explored the different ways to apply the glue as well as the ways they utilized the materials to be glued.
We’re going to enjoy these glue creations for a while on our classroom bulletin boards, so kids can admire their work and the work of their classmates (plus the work of the 3am class!). We’ll be sure to send them home, though, so you can admire them too!