As we experience “Art in Italy” in week one of Mother Goose Time’s Art Studio, we learned about how buildings and structures are designed and planned through play and creative architecture activities for preschoolers.
An architect decides the shape, size and what the structure is made out of.
Children are block building architects!
The Colosseum Invitation to Create
The Roman Colosseum is one of the most famous and historic structures in the world. We used a beautiful image of it for our Invitation to Create 3D art structures.
The idea is the image will inspire creatively, not that the children will build a mini Colosseum. If nothing else, my little learners will have been introduced to a historic structure and may recognize it again someday.
We used starch noodles and toothpicks to create our structures. I supplied half sheets of colored paper as a surface to build on. That gave the projects a base and a little stability.
Starch noodles stick together very quickly if they are slightly dampened. We used a wet paper towel on a little paper plate to dab the starch noodles on.
I had some leftover starch noodles and colored toothpicks from previous activities that I added to the supplies provided in Art Studio.
Some just pushed the noodles onto the toothpicks. A great activity for fine motor skills, eye-hand coordination skills and using both sides of the body.
Don’t worry about little ones poking themselves. They didn’t. Even if that happened it would cause much damage. My youngest will be two this month and she loved this activity!
You can also supply glue to connect the noodles. I prefer to limit the liquid with the starch noodles or they crush and clump up quickly.
This structure is simple but colorful.
Creative Construction
In addition to our starch noodle structures, we attempted to create structures with clothespin clips and jumbo craft sticks. What can you make with a bowl of clothespins and craft sticks? We made a structure to keep in the lions and the tigers. Now I’m guessing this fence wouldn’t keep the lions and tigers in but in our play world, yes!
This boy spent a lot of time creating this structure.
Cup Stacking Structures
Building structures with cups is so fun! Did you know that cup stacking studies show that cup stacking improves reading test scores and cross patterning brain development?
This fun and intense game actually “forces” the child to cross the midline with their hands as well as their eyes, which engages the right and left hemispheres of the brain needed for higher learning concepts.
I found these “mini Solo cups” at the Dollar Tree. The cups come in packs of 50 and they are heavier duty than the regular sized cups so they hold up well.
I thought cup stacking fit in well with our architect activities for preschoolers. I have one more idea relating to architecture activities for preschoolers that incorporates building structures and sensory play – check out Structure Building with Pool Noodles & Shaving Cream.
Beth
Monday 15th of June 2020
Loved the architecture activities, but how do you create starch styrofoam noodles?
Stacy
Monday 15th of June 2020
Hi Beth, these are purchased. You can get them on Amazon. https://amzn.to/2UMJG98
You can also find them at craft stores like Michael’s & Hobby Lobby.