We're going on a bear hunt! We're not scared! Are you? Only the bravest bairns joined us on this Art Attack Angus adventure! Find out how we explored the famous story by Michael Rosen through arts and crafts below.
Have you been on a bear hunt?
This super popular children's book by Michael Rosen is a fantastic adventure for little ones. Toddlers and pre-school children will love to swish through the grass, splash through the water, and tip toe into the cave! So we thought why not extend that learning and explore the Bear Hunt through art?
How do you explore a story through art?
Art and crafts are a brilliant way for children to explore their imagination. It can also help reinforce the learning of new ideas and vocabulary! All you need to do is choose a story you love, pick out the important themes and base your activities around it. If you aren't sure how to get started, why not come along to a class at the Art Attack Angus studio? The activities will all be planned and set up for you. You can even enjoy a hot drink while your child gets stuck into the art project!
We're going on a bear hunt!
This particular class was very popular. The families who attended went on an adventure and recreated the story. First we made a map, then we made the family members, and finally we recreated the story itself!
Making your own Bear Hunt Map
The first art and crafts activity we explored in class was to make our own Bear Hunt map. We used paint, clay, sticks and other exciting art materials to create squelchy mud, splashing water, and swishing grass.
Create a Family
Once the maps were ready, there was still one more thing we needed. A family to walk through it! In the Michael Rosen book, we see a mother, a father, three children and a dog. The families who attended class could copy the characters in the pictures or they could choose to make their own family instead! We had lots of fun making each person's hair and clothes using paper, card, tissue, sticky tape, paint and more! The faces were drawn or painted on and then they were ready to play.
It's time to go on a Bear Hunt
When everyone had finished creating their characters, it was time for an Art Attack Angus adventure! Lauren read the story aloud while each child explored their map using the people they had made. We had so much fun and everyone had a big smile on their face when the story finished! It was a loud finish in the studio as we all ran away from the big scary bear and got our model families safely home to bed!
What makes this class so special?
I think everyone can agree that our brave bairns had a special moment when they realised they had created their very own toys! But it isn't just the way this class sparked their imaginations that made it so special. These art activities actually provide a huge opportunity to support your child's development.
How do these classes support my child's development?
Basing an art project on a story is a great way to boost your child's speech and language development. You are reinforcing the language used with exciting experiences and creative projects, so your child is more likely to process the new words and move them to their long term memory.
This project also asked the children to plan out a map and decide what materials to use, therefore they were problem solving and making decisions which are important aspects of cognitive development.
At the end of this class, we were also enjoying acting out the story together which is a wonderful way to introduce social skills like turn taking, sharing and conversation.
So why not come and enjoy an Art Attack Adventure yourself?
Art Attack Angus offers classes for children and adults of all ages. The Mini Crafters sessions described above are brilliant for younger children and a great opportunity to bond with your child through art and story telling. So check out the website for all the details! You can also find Art Attack Angus on Facebook or email lauren@artattackangus.com with any questions.
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