Learn Together
By encouraging your child’s artistic choices you are helping them develop the confidence and self–esteem needed to express themselves creatively.
Materials
- Computer, tablet, or phone to watch the video
- Coffee filter or paper towel
- Markers
- Cup of water
- Dropper (optional)
Make Together
Enjoy a reading of Angelina Ballerina by author Katharine Holabird.
What did Angelina’s parents get her in the story before she went to her first dance class? What kind of outfit would you want for your first day of dance class?
- To make your very own mouse-sized dance costume, you’ll need to select your favorite marker colors.
- Next, fold a coffee filter or paper towel in half and color on it with the markers. What shapes can you make? Can you design a pattern
- Let’s make the colors on your costume run like Angelina ran around the playground!
- Put the tip of your artwork in a cup of water and watch it soak up the liquid. You can also dribble water onto it with your fingers or use a dropper. The process of the colors running and separating is known as “chromatography.”
- Unfold the coffee filter or paper towel to let it dry out. How do your shapes, colors, and patterns look different now?
- Once dry, you can cut, crumple, or fold your creation into the kind of costume that you would like to see.
- You can secure it onto a spoon, a popsicle stick, a drawing, or even one of your small toys to make a dancing puppet.
Let the ballet begin!!