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I got this idea from MaryAnn Kohl’s Math Arts, although I think the math connection is pretty weak it sounded like fun from a sensory perspective. The version in the book was more involved, but what we did was paint with glue and then sprinkle spices over the glue. Then there was a lot of spice layering, and then we were making ‘mudge’ according to Rebecca. Mudge being a paste of white glue and aromatic spices apparently. Although I was not deemed competent to make mudge, maybe someday if I practiced enough, but I was just making spudge. Which was fine with me. I don’t care what you call an art activity if it lasts for almost two hours, which this did!
So find those five year old spices in the back of your pantry, put them in jars with shaker tops if they aren’t already, and some paint brushes and watered down white glue. It may look like, uh, awful, but it smells really nice. Ours is hanging on the kitchen wall for Rebecca to sniff. I think we’ll do this with our artfriends on Friday.
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Add Yours →That looks so fun!
What a great way to use up spices that really are wasting their tastes and odours at the back of the pantry! Also, I’m right there with you, a two hour art activity is A-OK by me!
I love seeing the photos of your children involved in creative art. Priceless photographs of your treasures. Thank you for mentioning my book, MathArts, and the open-ended art within. Your blog is inspiring!
MaryAnn Kohl, author
Oh! I can think of several little ones who would like to do this! Thanks so much for sharing!
An art activity that lasts two whole hours? Sounds wonderful to me! I’ll have to check our cupboards for old spices…
No promises! 🙂 Rebecca is always the most engaged in projects when I am willing to sit there and work along side her, and we can talk about what we are doing. Things usually eventually devolve into pretending the paint brushes are people racing around a park or making beds or something like that. 🙂
Very interesting. I think my daughter would love this. One of her favorite activities since she was a toddler is smelling my spices.
Working with spices is so great for them too in terms of sensory integration, I’ve been thinking about making little cotton ‘tea’ bags with different spices for my kids to play with, sounds like your daughter might like that too.
I enjoyed doing this years ago and we would have the children decide what each number smelled like after doing one through ten for preschoolers. The answers were great with things like “Number three smells like my Grandpa’s backyard” for oregano or “Number six smells like apple pie” for cinnamon. Often the answers were hilarious wit answers like “my dog after he has a bath!”. I would print the comments on the bottom of each card stock to be re-read later to the group.
We then had them put on low cupboard doors so the children could go right up and smell them which led to some good discussions. Also works with letters and textures ie. “S feels like sandpaper”….you get the idea!
ohmygosh, this sounds like such a fun activity!
Do you mean you drew the numbers with glue and then covered them with spices? That does sound fun.
Sure did! Just simple white glue worked well and allow them to dry flat overnight. Did need a SHWACK of sticky tack to get them to stick to a wall since they can get a little heavy.
We had an inclusive play room and it was an excellent experience for little ones to interact with their peers.
That does sound like a lot of fun! I’ll have to think if there is a place in our house where we could fit it. Might have to be hand sized rather than 8.5-11 to fit in our few not-covered-with-bookcases wall spaces.
what a great idea!
i’ve been wondering if it’s possible to color with cinnamon sticks… have you ever tried that?
You can draw with cinnamon sticks on the sidewalk, but I don’t think it would work on paper. You could probably find some fine grain sandpaper that would work though.
thanks for the sidewalk idea… i teach preschool at a nature center, so drawing outside would be better anyway 😉
What a great idea – can’t wait to try this with my boys!
xo
cortnie
Thanks, I really need to try it again now that I have a ‘new’ two year old.
This is a super cute idea! I love the sensory experience! I wanted to invite you to link up to my TGIF Linky Party – http://livinglifeintentionally.blogspot.com/search/label/Linkey%20Parties
Beth =-)
Thanks! I am way too busy right now to figure out your link parties, but they look fun! Seems like you have a lot going on.
[…] Spice paintings made with glue and the old spices in the back of your cabinet. […]
I love love love your blog! You have so many creative ideas. It’s crazy that only this one gets all the traffic because the other posts are just as creative! I featured this post over on my blog as part of a five senses round up http://www.myoatmealkisses.com/2012/03/five-senses-weekly-round-up.html Come by and grab a button!
-Kate
Thanks so much! It isn’t the only post that gets referenced, but given that it is two years old it has been around a few times! So many of your ideas sound like so much fun too! I admit, that after my older daughter started preschool (I had been pushing for homeschooling) I stopped with so many preschool-esq activities around here, other than our Friday art playgroup, which has been going strong for over 3 years now!
Sorry! I didn’t mean to say your only post, sometimes I put my foot in my mouth! All that I meant was that you have tons of great activities on here and they all should get as much traffic as this one gets!
A friday art playgroup! That sounds like so much fun! Have you posted about it? I would love to know more!
Thanks for the great ideas!
-Kate
Oh, I wasn’t offended or anything! 🙂 Most of the posts that fall into the ‘Art Activities’ category (http://oneinchworld.com/blog/index.php/category/art-playgroup/) are from our Friday art group. We’ve been going for three and a half years now, a little longer than this blog. Seems like such a short time!
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[…] don’t use and painted a paper with watery glue. Then they went to town! We learned about this spice painting project at One Inch […]