Painting with flowers

We do a lot of group art in the Wonderers classroom. Group art creates opportunities for the children to work together on something big. Everyone puts in a contribution that adds to the total effect. This also helps build a sense of community in the classroom. 

I recently moved from an apartment to a house in March. I have this huge pile of unpacked boxes that are sitting in my would-be dining room that have been waiting for me for the past 6 weeks. Last weekend, I decided to chip away at the pile, and discovered a beautiful flower pot that I never used in the previous apartment, because my place was too small. Inside, were some fake sunflowers

I like sunflowers...but while I was unpacking, I also found some other really pretty flowers that fit my current color scheme. I didn't want to toss them, so I put them in a re-usable bag to take to work. I figured we could use them to decorate the room, paint with, or add them to the dramatic play center. When I got to work, I asked my coworker, Ms. Leslie, what she thought, and she immediately took to the idea of painting with them. 

We pulled out the big butcher paper, the last remnants of our fluorescent tempura paints, and of course the flowers.

I don't know why I thought we could get some nice prints from the flowers...I should know better by now. Young children don't make PRINTS. They spread, and mix, and layer the paints until it's impossible to tell what they painted with in the first place. And that's ok!

The flowers looked so much prettier with a little color.

Rodney showing me his painting tool.

 The kids asked for the colored glue, and for fun, we brought out the glitter as well:

Chloe found a cardboard napkin tube from the supply shelf, and covered it with green glue and glitter...while the other children move on to mixing with their hands!

Robert figured out that he could add glue from the top of his head:

No, we didn't get perfect flower prints. As a matter of fact, the only reason you can tell we painted with flowers is because the children glued the flowers to the paper! But look at how beautiful it turned out!