I love where I live in Santa Barbara because we are five minutes from a butterfly preserve. Monarch butterflies come here in droves during the winter and they hang in chandelier like formations from the trees. It’s magical. I especially love that we get to see them flying around, stretching their wings on a warm and sunny day.
It always encourages me to grab the books: The Crunching Munching Caterpillar by Sheridan Cain and The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle.
These books lead me to one of my favorite art activities. When I do this activity in the classroom, my kids want to do painting after painting after painting as if their brains just need the repetition to figure it all out! My daughter was the same way so I gave her a large stack of paper. She was able to paint several artworks in a row!
I start by folding the paper in half and have them paint on one side only (for younger children, you can always fold the paper backward so only one side is visible). I encourage them to use lots of colors so that the end result has more contrast.
Then, we fold and press:
This is my favorite math activity (or, more specifically *geometry* activity, but in the preschool years it’s about exposure to concepts). I love that they learn by doing in this activity– it’s the about the process. Let them soak it in and use some language that incorporates the mathematical concepts.
I like telling them when they open the paper for the first time that the two sides are symmetrical. In fact, you don’t really need to say much at all because it’s such a visual experience, but I often say something like, “see how the paint looks the same on the other side? It’s symmetrical.” Then, after they’ve done another painting, I ask: “What is that word again? When one side is reflected of the other side?” They might stumble, and you might have to prompt them, but asking helps them to remember the new word.
After the art is done, I bring it back to the butterflies. We examine the pictures of the butterflies in the books and notice how the wings are symmetrical and mirror images of one another. The last picture in The Very Hungry Caterpillar is perfect for this discussion. We also do our butterfly puzzle to reinforce symmetry.
Vocabulary words and concepts
- Symmetrical
- Reflection
- Mirror Image
- Half/Whole
- Same/Different
What’s your favorite math activity?
Next post: Follow up – Block play and symmetry
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