Transient Art
Transient art describes anything creative or imaginative that doesn't stay in one place for long and involves the use of collections of loose, moveable parts.
You will need:
- Natural resources such as moss, flowers, petals, grass, stones, seeds, fir cones, twigs, small pieces of wood, shells, feathers... the list goes on
- Seasonal resources such as pumpkin seeds, conkers, horse chestnuts, acorns, autumn leaves.
- Mini pom poms Cotton wool
- Plain or coloured pasta
- Beads
- Buttons
- Pieces of cut up drinking straws
- Coloured aquarium gravel
- Cotton reels
- Craft sticks
- Corks
The activity:
- Go on a hunt in the garden to collect items that could be used
- Find an old photo frame or even make a frame out of sticks
- Provide a range of resources listed and allow the child to be free to create whatever picture they like; this may be a portrait or even a pattern.
TOP TIP: This is a fun, exciting and imaginative activity that allows children to create their own masterpieces - without bounds. Outdoor materials make the best pictures!
Extending the activity:
- Why not try the activity on a mirror too, allowing you to explore symmetry.
- Encourage children to place items using tools
Enrich vocabulary development with related words such as:
Crispy Texture Round Oval Crunchy Dimension Rough Smooth Collect Natural Soft Hard
How this supports knowledge & development:
- This creative activity is great for exploring mathematical possibilities. During the activity talk to your child about shapes, patterns, colour and textures.
- You can use positional language such as ‘on', ‘under' and ‘next to'. Children will develop their fine and gross motor skills and hand-eye coordination through actions such as holding, grasping, and pinching.
- It supports children's creativity, exploration, and concentration.
- Collecting natural materials will help your child to learn about nature, patterns, and colours within our natural environment.
- The activity allows both you and your child time and space to focus on your senses.
