create (with kids): upcycled sponges

Everything in my house starts out in its proper place. For example, our sponges start out at the sink doing their faithful dish-washing duty. But then, when they begin to get worse for wear (or sometimes, when they're two shades beyond worse for wear, ha!) they get promoted to our art supply trunk. Where they wait... and wait until...

it's time for me to come along and cut them into something for Isia to print with. There's actually a lot of fun upcycling happening in this picture. The paper is easel paper that was previously drawn on, and our paint tray started out as a vegetable tray first. The paint itself is actually the last dregs of the bottle which I added water to and shook up one last time. Can you tell I teach art? I hate to get rid of anything that could possibly become art- especially when I know I'll think of a use for it right after I do! (wink)

I just stuck to the basic shapes. All of these shapes came from one sponge, and I kept them pretty big for small hands to grasp easily. For older kiddos you could make the shapes even smaller and let them create tiled or concentric patterns with them. My daughter is more of an abstract kind of gal right now.

Here's Isia alternating between stamping and painting. Note the thin layer of paint in the vegetable tray, the prints turn out best if the sponge only has a light coat of paint. 

 And here's the final painting of her masterpiece! I'll have it hanging for awhile, but I already know it's final home. My holiday stash has begun, and this is going to make great wrapping paper in December!

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