Painting on Rocks…It’s not Just for Kids

Posted by: Lori Laniewski

      They come in all different shapes and sizes.  They’re free, and fun to find, skip, and collect.  They’re also perfect for painting on! 

      Who would have thought that rocks would make such an excellent canvas for the imagination?  Klutz, that’s who (okay and maybe grandma, too)!  

      Made up of crystals and minerals, each backyard treasure, with its own unique shape and size (and a little imagination) has the potential to become a painted masterpiece.  In their book, Painted Rocks, Klutz provides “tips, techniques, and inspiration” for painting on one of nature’s most abundant resources.  The book comes with paints, a brush, and even a rock as well as a few googlie eye accessories…The rest is up to you!

      I purchased my copy of the Klutz book a few years ago, and found myself completely inspired by all the colorful examples of rock art!  Since then, it has become a family-fun favorite activity.  Over the years, we’ve used this craft as an inexpensive addition to birthday parties and backyard picnics.  Our rock painting booth was an especially popular addition to the Country Fair themed birthday party we threw one year.

Nice Clean Rock: Before

From dinosaurs and monsters to pirates and frogs…the rock painting possibilities are endless.  So gather up the kids, your paints, brushes, some water and rocks (of course), then get out your creativity and begin!  Before you know it, you will have a beautiful collection of painted rocks to share or keep.   

For us, searching for the perfect rocks to paint was as much fun as painting them.  I hope you enjoy it, too!  

Check out these sites to learn about rocks:

Geology for Kids 

Mineralogy for Kids

Check out these rock themed books:

 Do you know of a good book or website about rocks or rock painting?  Please share it with us!

Owl Talk

A Barn Owl

This blog post is inspired by both Owl Talk (our factual song about owls) and my own somewhat freaky fascination with owl pellets.  

Extraordinary adaptations of vision (similar to the night vision of a cat), hearing (acute enough to pick up a mouse's footstep under the snow), and silent flight, make owls an especially interesting topic for classroom study.

A few summers ago, while doing research for our song, Ted and I spent some time observing and learning about Barn Owls.  A Barn Owl (as shown in the photo to the left) has a scream-like call and often nests in abandoned buildings, church towers, and barns.  

During our time with the owls, we learned how their dish-shaped faces help them to pin-point the direction from which a sound is coming.  We also learned a bit about the legends and myths that surround the owl.  We've all heard of the saying, "Wise old owl, " which comes from the owl's large round eyes that make it look so wise.  Apparently, in addition to looking wise, its mysterious nocturnal habits caused even the ancient Athenians to regard the owl as an astonishing creature.  They chose the owl as a companion for their patron, Athena, the goddess of wisdom. 

From reading stories about owls and their powers to actually observing these amazing creatures, one of my favorite experiences was dissecting an owl pellet and labeling what I found inside.  From this hands-on activity, I learned that owls usually swallow their prey whole, sometimes eating creatures almost as large as themselves.  They digest the edible parts, and the rest—bones, fur, and teeth is compressed by the owl's stomach into a pellet, which the owl then regurgitates.

Although Ted was not quite as excited about dissecting owl barf, I know that most kids are!  This is why I was completely thrilled when I found the Kid Wings website which invites kids (and adults like me) to virtually dissect owl pellets.  How exciting!! The latest version of this site makes pulling apart and sorting the pellet simple, educational, and fun. Interactive instructional pieces along with teacher resources make this site a terrific addition to any lesson on animal adaptations and owls.


Snowy Owls

Snowy Owls: Photo taken at Zoo America in Hershey, PA

According to National Geographic, "These magnificent owls sometimes remain year-round in their northern breeding grounds, but they are frequent migrants to Canada, the northern United States, Europe, and Asia."

 

Do you know of another good site,  book, or song with interesting information about owls? We'd love to hear from you!  Please, leave a comment below!

Simple Tips for Supporting Literacy at Home

         

     ~Let your child see you reading and writing everyday. 

Reading and writing activities happen all day long!  Whether you are writing out a grocery list or reading a recipe, allow your child to participate in some way.  Let him choose a snack that he would like to include on the grocery list or cut out pictures from the store ads and glue them to the list.  He will quickly learn that reading and writing have a purpose.

   ~ Create a literacy-rich life.  

• Have different types of books, magazines, and newspapers available throughout the house.
• Expose your child to high quality children's literature.
• Establish “reading time” everyday…even if it is just for 5-10 minutes.
• Listen to books while riding in the car.
• Share silly poems, jokes, and songs.

~Enlist the help of an older sibling to read books with your child.

  

       ~ Provide repetition.

Repetition is important because it…

• Provides opportunities to practice new skills.
• Allows your child to anticipate the sequence of the story.
• Builds background knowledge.
• Encourages participation.
• Develops a love for reading.
• Builds confidence and fluency.

~Know what is going on at school.

If you know what type of literacy activities your child is doing at school, then it will make it easier for you to carryover some of these same activities at home.  Ask your child’s classroom teacher for ideas.

   ~Explore different book media.

Not all children are motivated by paper books.  Look for other ways to introduce print to your child.  You may have more success with electronic or talking books.

~Make special visits to your local library and bookstores.  

~Help your child learn about his favorite author. 

   ~Don’t forget about writing!  

• Give your child a writer’s notebook and encourage him or her to jot down ideas and thoughts.
• Spend time writing together.  Create a family scrap book complete with captions, or put together a cookbook of your family's favorite meals and desserts.  Invite your child to illustrate the recipes with his or her own drawings or photos.
• Set up a writing corner with different types of stationary, stamps, pens, pencils, and markers.

Illustration by: http://www.cartoonaday.com/cartoon-boy-reading-national-geographic/I

Imagination in Education

 “I am an astronaut!” seven year old Neil beamed as he pulled a paper-made helmet over his head.  “I am a scientist!” exclaimed young Albert as a purple liquid oozed over the sides of his tube.  Is it a coincidence that these students share their names with two of the most famous men in history, or did these events really take place while Neil Armstrong and Albert Einstein were young boys?  Whether preparing to walk on the moon, developing the Theory of Relativity, or simply participating in pretend play, imagination is central to the creation of new ideas. 

“All human beings, even small children, are creative and that creativity is the foundation for art as well as for science and technology.  This creative ability Vygotsky (1995) called imagination” (Lindqvist, 2003, p. 249).  “Imagination is a form of knowing that children, by the indigenous nature of their childhood, use as an active way of understanding—of being at the very heart of theirs’ and others’ aliveness” (Lewis, 2007, p.23).  However, in the educational world of standardized curriculum and tests, imagination in the classroom often seems left out.

    A young boy once became fascinated with the old saying, “No two snowflakes are alike.”  During each snowfall, he wondered what the tiny white flakes really looked like.  He went on to capture the first photograph of a single snow crystal.  In his lifetime, he photographed more than 500 snowflakes and found that the saying he heard as a child was true.  Just like the children in a classroom, no two are alike.  The boy became known as Snowflake Bentley (Briggs-Martin, 1998). 

            “I have a dream,” Martin Luther King said.  As it turns out, he is not the only one.  In classrooms where teachers value imagination, are students more likely to realize their dreams? In the past, imagination and creativity in education were often associated with the arts (Claxton, 2006).  But, how is imagination in education perceived in these modern days of the 21^st century?   As rapidly changing technology and innovation become society’s focal point, one has to wonder, how would a young Neil Armstrong, Albert Einstein, Wilson Bentley, or Martin Luther be viewed today? 

If children are to have the maximum opportunity to learn, strategies and techniques must be partnered with approaches that best do so.  Could gaining a clearer sense of imagination and bringing imagination to the forefront of education lead to better classroom instruction and deeper learning for all? 

                             

         © 2011· Lori Laniewski * All Rights Reserved 

Illustration by: Cartoonaday.com