Expressive arts and design! Ideas for engaging boisterous boys.

[Guest]

I am just looking for some good ideas to help engage my boys a bit more,the girls love making and creating and just want some inspiration for my boys.

 

Thanks

[Panders]

I suppose you have looked up all the superhero type stuff you could do, i.e, Superhero skills school, Ben 10 omnitrix watches, superman logos etc. We also do the Superman dance - Sunnyday's favourite from the 70's - Black Lace wasn't it?

 

Our boys were making a train track all round the hall last week - we had some narrow pieces of paper and taped them down and the children, mainly boys drew on train tracks, made cardboard box tunnels, level crossings, signals all from card and paper, they did want the proper trains tho.

 

Others were using cardboard tubes which had been cut through lengthwise to make car shoots or marble runs. One also used a wrapping paper tube as a light sabre and decorated that.

 

We also had a feely box on the go, to begin with we were putting one item in for them to have a go at guessing what it was, this was done throughout the morning when anyone felt like picking it up and having a go. It became quite popular and the children took ownership of it on day 3 and they were either finding items for adults to guess, or each other. Occasionally they even let us have a few guesses before they told us what they had put in there ::1a ::1a When we are back next week we are going for textures in a big way and I am making some resources for the feely box this week.

[finleysmaid]

favourites of the mo ....fly swatter painting/salad spinner art/marble painting......one ive wanted to try for ages ...skateboard painting (like car painting but on a bigger scale!)

[green hippo]

I got out our tub of halloween dressing up today which mainly consisted of witches hats and dresses! The results of which were that we had a number of boys dressed-up in dresses and hats, making wands, casting spells and making spell books - boys that have previously shown little interest in using the creative area or making any marks! They were also dancing (but to tumble-tots!) want to find them some halloween music but can't think of anything and can't play anything unless on CD as we have no classroom computers at the mo .

Have you tried a large cardboard box day?

Green Hippo x

[Guest]

junk modelling may be a way in. we have staplers, selotape dispensers, string and hole punches in our creative area and on graphics table and these seem to support interest, and boys/girls seem to access areas in equal numbers - nursery class x

[Guest LornaW]

...all of the suggestions so far plus hammering nails in logs, sawing pieces of wood to then nail back together, rearranging tyres across the outdoor by hauling them with ropes, building with the large hollow blocks, whittling sticks to a pont to make marks for ghosts and ghouls who may be lurking in the outdoor at halloween. Races around the outdoor, grand prix on the bikes.

 

Lorna

[Guest]

Some fab ideas guys thank you. X

[Panders]

favourites of the mo ....fly swatter painting/salad spinner art/marble painting......one ive wanted to try for ages ...skateboard painting (like car painting but on a bigger scale!)

 

Is it you on the skateboard Finleysmaid? or do you just push it off across the paper? Might try the fly swatting for firework pictures next week - thanks for that!

[finleysmaid]

have fun panders ....i would suggest you do it outside if you can it is VERY messy!

the skateboard idea is that the children lie on their tummies on the skateboard with a large brush in each hand...then they are pushed across the paper making tracks as they go! but i quite liked the idea of doing it like the cars too and push it through paint and then across the paper. (i'm afraid i have never got the hang of skateboarding so no good with me on it i have however promised my children that when i am old and grey (next year then ) that i will be a skateboarding granny :blink:

[Guest]

favourites of the mo ....fly swatter painting/salad spinner art/marble painting......one ive wanted to try for ages ...skateboard painting (like car painting but on a bigger scale!)

 

This ones great. I've also used the bikes and have them ride across very large sheets of paper to create pictures. Also garden sprays/empty washing up liquid bottles to spray watered down paint onto large paper.

 

Also marble rolling on a large scale using footballs that they can kick and pass to each other across paper.

 

So much mess but so much fun and they even enjoy cleaning up afterwards!!

[Beau]

I would definitely think big and physical for boys. Tap into their current interests and you'll be well away. I remember one group of boys who really got stuck into making dragon eggs in a large 'nest' once - the range of techniques used and the level of engagement was wonderful. They also enjoyed painting and decorating cardboard dens or castles made with very large cardboard boxes - we had a mum who worked in Tesco's overnight who used to save all the biggest ones for us!

[melc]

My boys are currently into digging the planters - they then transfer into the wheelbarrow usiing spades etc. Last week it became concrete which they sprinkled on the bricks then turned into ash from our 'bonfire' (made with community blocks). They then loved sweeping it up and returning it to the planter.