Sewing with Toddlers

This week in our parent/child classes we did some sewing. We made these whimsical hanging sculptures using fabric, felt, wire and beads. It's a great exercise in fine motor skills and eye hand coordination.

        

These were made by children ages 2 and 3 along with their parents. It's such a great way to work together, choosing colors and patterns of fabrics and talking about the different color of beads.

Each child chose a larger piece of felt for the sewing and  a colored wire. Before class started I cut little holes in the felt and pieces of fabric for the children to weave the wire through. I then gave them patterned fabrics and little pieces of cut up foam (which I hole punched). Some of the children loved choosing which hole to push the wire through, taking their time. Others used the pieces of fabrics like beads, quickly placing each fabric onto the wire. I then gave them beads to string on the wire which many of the children were more familiar with, as well as, more comfortable with.

This is one of those projects that pains me to see go out the door as the kids take them home. They are so beautiful hanging in the studio.

Art Education for Children

I was interviewed by Kristen Whitehurst, who teaches at Pathways, an early children's education center, for an article she was writing about art and early childhood education. We, at Purple Twig, are proud of the article she wrote. It's a good way to start the new year. We take early childhood education very seriously. It's important to us that each child has a positive exploratory experience when they come to the Purple Twig.

http://www.examiner.com/article/los-angeles-art-space-provides-unique-experiences-for-children