Process art has a beautiful way of transforming into STEAM experiences. This @friendsartlab inspired invitation makes a child or children feel able to experiment, to make mistakes, feel free to invent or use different techniques which provides new ways of thinking, which extends well beyond the art.
To set this invitations you can use these brown paper pumpkins or real pumpkins which you will lay flat or elevated on a stand in a sensory bin. You will need to dilute Tempera Paint with water to get the right consistency to drip down. Provide spoons for the child to scoop and pour over the diluted paint.
When children experiment with materials, they dabble in science. Through the process of experimenting and exploring the child is using creative and critical thinking skills. Scientists, mathematicians, engineers and artists all use the same critical thinking skills to find new and innovative solutions.
Since the tool is a spoon where a child is able to pour paint onto the pumpkin and this can lead to the child to watch the dripping paint intently. During those moments of observations you can have amazing conversations explaining what gravity is, what keeps people and objects on the ground and causes objects to fall toward the Earth. By pouring the paint on top of the pumpkin it is using the Earth’s gravitational pull to direct the paint. This is also a great opportunity to talk about dripping, lines, color mixing, and what techniques you are using to cover the pumpkin.
Tip: If you use real pumpkins you can wash the tempera paint off and do this activity again. If you want a more permanent process and your child is old enough use acrylic paint instead of tempera.