The Empowered Educator

Inspiring ideas, training and resources for early learning.

Another Use for Feathers!

by 6 Comments

I have a quick and easy play activity to share with you this week. We are still working with the Occupational Therapist on Ruby's sensory issues so i like to keep finding different textures for her to get involved and messy with.
She is better with harder textures so i wanted to challenge her a little with a softer tool so introduced both girls to an old favourite of mine…. Feather Painting!
My plan had been to collect some feathers on a little nature walk with the girls as they are always lying around the block…of course when i went to collect some i couldn't find one. Typical nature!!! So short of plucking the chooks for a few feathers i turned to the craft stash and came up with a few little coloured feathers which were actually probably a better size for little toddler hands anyway!!!
I mixed up a little edicol dye (you could also just use food colouring drops) and water and poked some feathers through the paint pots. We are learning to use paint pots at the moment which is why they are featuring a fair bit lately!!
The toddler twosome were straight into it although Ruby looked quite intrigued when she pulled on the hard feather end and then found something flexible and soft attached with paint on it!
I added a little bubblewrap taped to the table for added sensory fun and experimentation!
Ruby enjoyed pulling them all out to inspect further before she began painting with them…..
They both got the hang of it pretty quickly though…it is a different way for them to experience painting as the feathers are very flexible and harder to control…great for those developing fine motor skills!
We started talking about the colours of the paint as well as the feathers…..still trying to work on Ruby's speech as well….she seemed quite interested in trying to name some colours and kept holding them up for me to say the colour once we started that game!
Tara became very busy making strokes with the feathers and experimenting with more and less paint on the feather and paper…
She then reverted to the brushes for awhile (which they found on the ground as i had obviously missed a few when cleaning up from the day before!) it was very important that she pick the paper up to paint both sides!
Ruby did quite well with the softer texture…it did take a while for her to paint with the feathers…she had to do quite a lot of touching the feathers to her arms and face first (this is what she does with unfamiliar foods and textures)consequently she got a lot of paint everywhere but it was worth it to see her finally becoming confident with a different texture and medium.
Goodness….i am going to have to figure out how to get her to sit at a hairdressers soon…my little ‘trims' just aren't cutting it anymore are they!!!(oooh..did you get the unintended pun there?)
The bubblewrap and paint were another challenge to explore…lots of poking
 and pressing….
and wonder……
I love it when an activity and my purpose for providing it come together!!! The toddler twosome just saw it as another way to paint and have fun outside on a chilly Winter's morning…and i wouldn't have it any other way!!
You can find lots of other great toddler sensory activities and fun on my Pinterest Board and if this is your first time stopping by you can follow us on Facebook too. Thanks to those new friends who have been stopping by x

Warm Wishes….

Comments

    • Jode says

      The chicken feathers was my original idea but i couldn’t find one!!! Sounds like you might have better luck Jaime!!

      Reply

  3. thismummaslife.com says

    I organize a toddler art group at the Library i work at, and we did painting with feathers a few months back. It was a huge hit! I love the idea of changing up the obvious art projects. Next time, I want to use pine needles for brushes with my son.

    Reply

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