Painting for St. Patrick's Day

Sophia Painting Her Potato Print Shamrock
Originally uploaded by Pictures by Ann

The girls look forward to St. Patrick's Day each year. This year I had them try something new.

I gave each one a heart stamp carved from a half a potato. Told them to stamp the hearts next to one another to create a shamrock. They were so excited to see how simple it was to create a printed image of a shamrock.

Once they printed a couple of shamrocks, then they took their paintbrushes and added some other elements to their paintings.

Sophia is painting her St. Patrick's Day picture of the shamrock, with flowers, sun, and blue sky. This is part of homeschooling art time which she and her sister (Olivia) enjoyed.

Connecting Literature through Play

Sophia with Snowman Bird Feeder
Originally uploaded by Pictures by Ann

Her snowman and pinecone heart are all done. She was so happy with how both turned out.

There is birdseed in the snowman's hat so the birds have another feeder to visit. The carrots she left on the ground for the rabbits or deer.

She told me after she made the snowman that she was thinking about the book, "Stranger in the Woods" as she was making the snowman.

It's interesting to see how Sophia and Olivia both are inspired by books that I read to them as part of homeschooling, and how that translates into their play and learning.

Learning How to Needlepoint

Olivia Learning to Needlepoint
Originally uploaded by Pictures by Ann

Olivia and Sophia are learning five different needlepoint stitches this week.

Growing up, I had simply learned the tent stitch (the standard one that is commonly associated with needlepoint).

It was fun to learn some additional stitches and teach the girls how to do them.

The girls enjoyed learning how to needlepoint and are excited to learn more stitches and do a small project.