Busy Bugs

Learning Through Play

Navigation Menu

Exploring Fall Colours

Exploring Fall Colours

Posted by on Oct 7, 2016 in Fall Crafts and Activities, paint printing, Painting, Picture Book Activities, Science Activities | 0 comments

Fall is such a beautiful time of year: the crisp, cool air; pumpkins swelling on serpentine vines; the moon, luminous and full; and, of course, the patchwork of colourful leaves blanketing the ground. leaf-art-2Yes, fall is definitely my favourite time of year! I’m pretty sure my bugs love it too, judging by how many times we had to stop on our way home from the bus stop in order to inspect and collect leaves. When we got home, my bugs didn’t want to part with their leaf collections, so we brought them inside and put them in a bowl on the table.

The next day I read the books Leaf Man, and Red Leaf, Yellow Leaf, by Lois Ehlert aloud to them. I displayed the books on the table, along with the leaves they had collected, and set out some other fall inspired materials as well. I didn’t give my bugs any instructions, I just invited them to explore and create. The result? Lots of lovely and unique artwork, some discoveries in colour mixing and matching, and an hour filled with inquiring minds and busy hands.

Read More

Olympic Rings Painting

Olympic Rings Painting

Posted by on Feb 21, 2014 in Olympics, paint printing, Painting | 0 comments

The boys showed their Olympic spirit by creating these Olympic rings inspired paintings. I explained to my bugs that the colours of the 5 Olympic rings, and the white background, represent the colours of every national flag around the world. The interlocking rings depict the 5 inhabited regions of the world united together to celebrate our Olympic athletes. We then went to our world map, and talked about the regions of the world: North America, South America, Africa, Eurasia and Australia. I told the boys that there are actually 7 continents (North America, South America, Africa, Europe, Asia, and Australia/ Oceania, and Antarctica) but no humans live on Antarctica (besides scientists) because it’s too cold, and Europe and Asia are sometimes lumped together as Eurasia. (I ordered a great Melissa and Doug World Map Floor Puzzle through Amazon, which I’m sure my bugs will love, to help them learn more about the different continents. I also purchased this Giant World Foam Puzzle; it’s a bit pricey but I think it will be a fun and durable learning tool that my boys will enjoy for a few years).

Read More

A Color of His Own (Camouflage Art)

A Color of His Own (Camouflage Art)

Posted by on May 24, 2013 in Literacy Activities, paint printing, Painting, Picture Book Activities | 0 comments

M was so excited to wake up and find his cousin O here yesterday morning! It was a dreary, rainy sort of day (much like today) and I knew the boys would need something to keep them occupied after exhausting the majority of toys in the house. Being a teacher, and a lover of literature, my immediate impulse was to find a picture book and create an activity around it. M and I have been talking a bit about camouflage lately, and how it helps keep animals safe from predators, so when I spotted Leo Lionni’s A Color of His Own, I knew it would be the perfect book to devise a quick, hands-on lesson around.

Read More