Snowflakes, Snowflakes Everywhere!

One of the cutting exercises on the art shelf this month is cutting snowflake designs.  This is a lesson which I showed at circle time and have a couple of different options from which the children may choose.  First, the children were shown how to gather the necessary materials to complete the lesson.

White construction paper circles, folded into fourths then unfolded; colored paper squares;  on the sliver tray:  small container with scissors, glue stick and pencil.  Under the tray is a small gluing mat.

The child chooses one circle and one colored square, places them onto the silver tray, and takes everything (including the gluing mat) to a table.  Next, they fold the circle (into fourths) on the lines and begin cutting into the folded edges.  Some children found it easier to draw cutting lines first.  We found that the youngest members of the class had the most success cutting on pre-drawn lines.  Therefore,  a selection of circles with pre-drawn lines was also placed with the blank circles on the shelf:

Example of an unfolded circle with pre-drawn cutting lines.

Here, the child has folded the paper and is cutting on the lines.



Next, the child uses the glue stick to adhere their snowflake shape onto the colored paper...

 

Here some of them lined up in our hallway along with the snowflakes from a gluing lesson.

Each shape is truly unique.  I am saving these snowflakes for a special group art project which you will learn about in the near future!