Spin Out

I couldn't help myself.  When I saw this craft idea done by the 4 year olds at our main site, I had to confiscate the contraption (temporarily) so that we could try it out for ourselves.  Boy, I should have taken a picture of the instructions because I just could't figure out how to place the paper in the spinner.  I resorted to asking the kids to help me figure it out.  Eventually, we all had to use common sense, and not follow the directions. We had to cut our own paper into circles and then...the magic began.

This is the culprit that started it all.  There were no circular papers and not enough interesting paints.  This was the art the four year olds' had hanging on their wall.

I tried to show you the process of the spinning.  Do you remember the principal of centrifugal force? In case you forgot, here's a definition from the dictionary: it is the force, equal and opposite to the centripetal force, experienced by a body moving along a curved path and appearing to propel the body outward. This word comes from Latin. "Centrum" means center and "fugere" means to flee.

This was a buddy system.  One child had to push the battery-operated button to keep the spinning action. When the "painter" was finished dropping paints, the partner stopped pressing the button.

When the art was in the spinning process, what you saw spinning was not the result you ended up with.

This really looks like it could be out in the cosmos creating a planet.

There was no such thing as too much spinning!

All that spinning produced this!

This

produced that.

This

produced that.

This

eventually (because she stopped it and began again)

produced this.

This was such an awesome project; but I have to share this anecdote for you.  We started adding more paints to this project.  I found the glitter paint after a few of the kids had already finished their turn at the spin table.  When the glitter paint was added, it produced a different dimension to the art that my declarations of "this is so beautiful", "this is stunning" had produced something also.  My back was turned to the voice that loudly pronounced, "You hurt my feelings."  I turned around and found that I was the subject of the declarations. "I don't like it when you say that. "So my art work is not as good as his."

The little girl walk away, she looking at me and I looking at her.  I was thinking to myself "what did I do?" She went over to my co-worker and told him why she was sad; I returned to my work to finish up with the last remaining kids because it was toward the end of my shift.  

As the second shift was preparing the snack, the little girl didn't want anything to eat.  She went to the sofa and laid down, her eyes closed and cloching a toy to her chest.  I cleaned up my work area, put on my coat.  Before leaving, I went over to her and placed my hand on her stomach and told her that I was getting ready to leave.  At that point, I should have apologized for unintentionally hurting her feelings; but I didn't.  When she opened her eyes and I looked into her clear blue eyes, I told her that I hoped that she had a good weekend...and I ended by saying "I love you".  Then I walked away quickly to catch my bus.  When I got to the middle of the room, she sprung off of the sofa and I heard voice behind me saying," Did you hear that? Ms. Cheryl said she loves me!"   Man, did I make that little girl's day or what? :)

So, the moral of the story is everyone must receive an equal measure of praise.

Supplies:

1. Spin Art kit

2. circular paper (perhaps CD size or a little less)

3. paints in small squeeze bottles

Directions:

1. precut circular papers

2. place in slots on tray

3. drop paints while tray spins

Note:

Don't forget the GLITTER paint

Duration:

Ten minutes at the most for each child, depending on elaborateness