I Am an Artist ~ Clouds {Before FI♥AR}

I Am an Artist is a unique book about seeing "art" ~ line, shape, texture, form, color, symmetry, and more ~ in nature. Not what I was expecting when I opened this book for the first time and it turned out to be a delightful book about seeing the handiwork in Father's creation.

Our go-along books:

Day 1: Read I Am an Artist, nature walk/talk (observing shape, line, texture in nature), collect nature items, make sensory tub

Here are the items we collected on our walk for our tub:


We had more fun collecting items and putting the tub together and discussing the elements of art than exploring with it ~ they were not interested at all. So, I brought out the glue and encouraged them to make a collage with the items. A texture bark rubbing would be an ideal go along ~ but my little ones were not interested at the time.

Day 2: Read cloud books, Weather Challenge, Cloud Art, Cloud Sensory Tub, Designs in Fruit

Weather Challenge #1 {The Outdoor Hour}

"Spend 15 to 20 minutes outdoors this week with your children in your own yard or on your own street. Make sure to take note of any clouds in the sky and try to put into words what they look like. Use words like fluffy, wispy, thin, dark, high, low, and any other terms you can remember . . ."

Most of our weather observations took place from our front picture window. It was too cold {for me} to go outside. We tried to identify the storm clouds coming in. They brought lots of wind and some moisture, and I thought for sure it would snow. . .  (a few days later they did bring a light snow that melted the same day). We described the clouds as low, layered, dark, wispy ~ almost like a grey blanket covering the sky.

"It Looked Like . . . " Cloud Art ~ 

We made pictures with cotton balls clipped to clothespins ~ A Looked Like Spilt Milk go-along.



"It looked like an army car."
They made several ~ the first ones were:
  • "fluffy clouds in a row"
  • "spilt milk"
  • " a cloud"
I then told them to "try" to make a picture, :-)

Edible Cloud Art Sensory Tub

Making the whipped cream.

She is making a "slide" in the cloud. 

Our first edible sensory tub and couldn't resist! She played with the tub to dip and transform clouds.





During this time, Jordan stared at her for the longest time saying nothing ~ I looked at him and said, "What is it?" His reply: "She did wash her hands, right?" He didn't think she could eat all of that herself, lol. ;-)

The Star In An Apple

This is from a page in the book.

Strawberry Hearts and Fruit Salad

We cut up the apple and strawberries and made a fruit salad with the leftover whipped cream. :D

I needed a nice, simple, easy row this week, and this was perfect.

Delightful Links:

Tot School @ 1+1+1=1 (More ideas for ages 1-3)
Preschool Corner &5K too! (More ideas for ages 4-5)
TOH ~ Weather Challenge #1
T.O.B.Y Homes-Cool Highlights @ Hearts in Training
stART
Read. Explore. Learn.
PreKinders Weather Unit

17 comments

  1. Love that she used her imagination in making a slide in her cloud!! Kerri

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  2. Look at the "delight" on her face with that EDIBLE sensory tub!! So precious--and what a GREAT idea! I've been following your blog for awhile now, but I'm coming from the Homeschool Creations link up.

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  3. Thank you! and thanks for taking the time to stop by. *Ü*

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  4. Kerri, when we were looking at clouds one day, I told her that I always imagined as a child what it would be like to jump from cloud to cloud and play in them (not knowing I literally couldn't, lol) so I think she was "playing" in them. *Ü*

    Thanks for stopping by!

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  5. I love all of your ideas! I will have to do this cloud row with our kids!! Thanks for sharing. I am Aria at http://growing3godlygirlz.blogspot.com.
    Blessings!

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  6. I love your cloud descriptions and it is hard to believe you are having a little snow already. :)

    Thank you so much for sharing your weather study and everything else too!

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  7. This one is one of our favorites!!! You might like the book "God Says I Am" from Focus on the Family. http://tinyurl.com/2vvs7gz

    Heather

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  8. What fun! I love the whipped cream sensory tub. Also, thanks for reminding me about the star in an apple. The girls will be working on Autumn activities this week. One of our subjects will be apples, so I will have to show them the star!

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  9. Just found your site link on Homeschool Creations, I love what you are doing! I wasn't planning on clouds this week but I'm changing my plan to include your ideas. Thanks! Can't wait to search the rest of your site. You have a beautiful family.

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  10. Thanks Cara! I've been gathering lots of apple ideas for FIAR (Autumn is the perfect time!) ~ so I will look forward to seeing your apple fun!

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  11. Happy to include it whenever I can. :D Now, I wish I would have braved it and took the little ones out ~ at least to get a few pictures! Next time for sure.

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  12. Thank you! I hope you are blessed by it. Be sure to share a link back to your blog ~ I'd love to see what you do! *Ü*

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  13. What a fun Row! I love the edible sensory tub :-)

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  14. Great activities! We love all of those clouds books. I would never have thought of using a clothes pins to help holding the cotton balls. So smart!

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  15. Amazing lesson plan. I really like your sensory and discovery tubs.

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  16. Isn't this a great book? I love your idea for the edible sensory tub. I am going to have to save it for when we do this book again with Joe.
    And, what a perfect book to read before having a new baby... what better to appreciate than a beautiful new baby! I love how this book reminds me to slow down and see the beauty of life.

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  17. What wonderful ideas!! I love the edible sensory tub- our kids would love this too! :)

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