BLOCKS!
Wooden blocks, foam blocks and wooden shapes with the trays are all a FAVORITE of every grade level. I'm fortunate to have most of these at all four schools. My students use them when they finish early on a project. They ask me before they get them out and I know that sounds like an interruption but it's better than if I announce at the beginning of each class "You can use the blocks if you finish early". Then they all would hurry just to get to the blocks. I usually have a day or two per year where we spend the entire art session just using and creating with the blocks.
I have become a crazy woman buying BLOCKS! My students love to build when they have free time at the end of class and whenever I see a cool set of blocks I can't help myself! If it makes them happy, then I'm good with that! As an art teacher, I can see the value in providing these types of experiences for my students to help them think 3-dimensionally and transfer that knowledge to their drawings.
ReplyDeletePat, I totally agree. Every grade loves to work with blocks and my other go to item is modeling clay with inexpensive tools.
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