To continue learning about National Hispanic and Latinx Heritage Month the book Green is a Chile Pepper: A Book of Colors has lively pictures that presents a slice of the Latino culture through food and fun for children to discover a world of colors all around them. Continuously reading stories that honor cultures establishes an inclusive environment. The more children learn about all cultures in classrooms or our homes, the more knowledge and understanding we provide for everyone within our communities.
To extend the literacy experience through the arts inviting children to create a collaborative mix media collage inspired by all the colors of the books helps deepen the connection of the story, enhance color recognition, and ignite creativity through process art. To set this invitation you will need butcher paper, glue, washi tape, pom poms, foam shapes, crepe paper, craft sticks, and fabric. Invite the child(ren) to create a collage full of beautiful colors just like the book.
Experimenting with different medias and varying textures always brings a special spark of interest and engagement because of the open ended process for children. Children who engage in process art such as this learn to think with an open mind, to look at situations creatively, and empower their talents. They develop critical-thinking skills through making self directed decisions, how to use different materials, or how to work with one another to make a collaborative piece. By creating freely children gain confidence while acquiring the foundation to look at the world with the confidence that they can accomplish any goal. When children create art, they are proud to be unique and take risks, while honoring their innate creative artistic style.
"The basic law of children's creativity is that its value lies not in its results, not in the product of creation, but in the process itself. It is not important what children create, but that they do create, that they exercise and implement their creative imagination.” Vygotsky
Here are some other ways to invite a children to learn about the culture through open ended play based invitations.
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