Once again the time has come for the "parent assisted" project. In second grade the kids learn about penguins. When A. was a second grader 'she decided' to make a life-sized paper mache penguin. Let's see if I have a picture....
A balloon for the body, tinfoil inside the legs, the feet made of Sculpy clay, the wings had an armature of wire, the head was a smaller balloon and everything carefully covered with two layers of paper-mache. Yes, "parent assisted". She did paint it herself, but I had to leave the room so I wouldn't interfere. It was so much work that I wouldn't let her throw it away. It is gone now though, the kids had a fun time tearing body parts off over time.
This year J is in second grade and so it's his turn to do a penguin project. I did not want to do the "parent assist" this time. J went back and forth about what project he wanted to do. He decided on a life sized poster, but then I found out that he's doing that in class already. So this morning on the way to school he decided to sculpt something, either the penguin or the island they live on.
As my part of the project I made salt dough clay. I used the ol' Kitchen Aid and it only took a few minutes.
Salt Dough Clay
1 cup salt
2 cups flour
1 to 3/4 cup water
Mix the flour and salt together. Then slowly add the water until the mixture forms a ball. The kiddos can play with this like play dough (add food coloring if you dare) or you can mold something, bake it at 200 degrees and paint it.
J's plan is to bake and paint. So today after school we went to work. Really he did most of it. Really really he did! I drew the island outline on the cardboard and he mushed the clay on. Then I showed him step by step how to mold a penguin. (roll a ball, then thin it out at one end, making it resemble a bowling pin, add a small ball of clay for the head, a small cone of clay for the beak, form two cones of clay and smash them flat for the wings) I made one and he made two. Now they're baking in the oven. I think the little guys turned out pretty cute.
Jon will paint tomorrow. And again, I'll probably have to leave the room.
What's really fun is to go to the Penguin Parade, where the kids show off what their parents have done.
They do a Dad's Night at my kid's school and they brought home salt dough ornaments in December. They sat on the counter for a couple weeks and never dried (very humid here in December). I'm realizing now that we should have baked them. I gave up on them and threw them away. Oops.
Love the penguin, but it looks like a lot of work. We just finished a parent-assist prject (love that term!). My oldest is doing a space project and we had to make a paper mache helmet. I was not a fan of the assignment but I guess they thought it was fun.
Posted by: Amanda D | January 24, 2010 at 01:19 PM
Music is like a little girl, which can soothe our wounds. So let us feel the music, it's just one of our family members.
Posted by: Air Jordan | August 03, 2010 at 10:47 PM
Beauty is indeed a good gift of God; but that the good may not think it a great good, God dispenses it even to the wicked. Do you think so?
Posted by: Air Jordan | January 26, 2011 at 09:33 PM