SPECIAL CARE “Paint OKC”

I taught art to the 2 to 4 year olds at Special Care. The plan was to go with the flow and just let the kids enjoy working with all types of different tools and paint. I sketched out an outline of downtown Oklahoma City on poster paper that was attached to the wall. I showed the kids some of various things they could use; found objects, brayers, squeegies, stamps, etc. The kids had a great time experimenting with the different shapes and working together to create a mural. After the painting session, I cut out the buildings & other outlined shapes adhered the abstract scene to black paper.

This was my first time teaching art class there and marks the start for a new art program at Special Care. I hope to bring other local artists from the FRINGE art organization to the school so Special Care can have a multitude of both different artists and mediums.

This amazing school is dear to my heart for so many reasons. I’d like to thank Michael Collins, Pam Dean, Kelly Clark, the teachers, parents and everyone involved. I am so excited to have the opportunity to share art with these amazing kids.

Below is my lesson plan:

“Paint OKC”
A TACTILE MURAL
Ages 2 – 4

Special Care Students will discover how different found objects and tools create different textures and patterns while creating a cityscape of downtown Oklahoma City. There are plenty of sensory elements to this project, such as textures, color and movement. Students with fine motor skills limitations will benefit from the pre-cut shapes, larger surfaces and larger tools, such as squeegee or brayer (roller) & we will also have paint brushes. Children with sensory issues, autism or visual impairments will benefit from art projects that use vivid colors and textures.

Materials
Poster Paper (attached to wall w/ packaging tape)
Tempera Paint
Flat dishes
Aprons
Paper Towels
Stamping and texture making tools (brayers, squeegees, found objects / anything to dip in paint)
Paint Brushes

How to
Set up a paint station with a large piece of paper and flat dishes filled with several colors of paint. Before class, trace an outline of OKC on the butcher paper. In addition to other elements like clouds, sun and trees. Students dip the objects and tools into the paint and apply them to the paper. As students paint, I ask, “Do all of these things paint the same way?” Point out the different spots and say, “You painted here with a stamp and here with a brush.” Ask, “Do they look the same? How are they different?” When the paint has dried, students can feel the surface of the painting. Ask, “How does it feel? Is it smooth or bumpy? What object made the smooth part? What object made the bumpy part?”
Set up your own mural displaying the city the students created.