Designing with DIY colored glue in preschool

In my previous post, I shared how we explored glue bottles and brushes. Although we do use the small glue jars with brushes for some activities, we will most likely use squeezable Elmer’s glue bottles more often…

To introduce the process of using the squeezable glue bottles, we invited the children to make their own designer glue collages…

I had lots of partially filled glue bottles left over from last school year so Mrs. Courtney prepared the colored glue by adding Colorations liquid water color (purchased at Discount School Supply) to the partial bottles of glue and then used a skewer to mix the glue and color up a bit…

Once the glue bottles were all filled, they made a very inviting process for the children to explore…

The canvas we chose to use for this process was a styrofoam plate which gave the children plenty of room for designing but also gave a simple and somewhat natural boundary as to how much glue the children should use…

We did not have to tell the children to stop or to not use too much. Instead, we invited the children to use all the colors and allowed them the freedom to explore the glue, the flow of glue, and the squeezing process…

Every child enjoyed this experience and took their time exploring the glue bottles and all the beautiful colors on their paint canvas…

And every child approached this process in their own way. Some children preferred to add glue on top of glue or color on top of color….

While other children preferred to spread the colors around their paint canvas…

Along the way, the children would find that the glue was hard to squeeze or that the lid had been closed. This process invited a little problem solving and the opportunity to discuss why the glue might not be coming out as they expect it to…

This was a wonderful way to introduce and explore the gluing process. The children were able to freely explore and create while we were able to talk with the children about how to manage the use of the glue bottles…

As the children continue to use the glue bottles throughout the school year, we will begin to draw on their experience and help the children to regulate the flow of glue and the amount of glue needed for each new process…

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Links to Grow On

To see more ideas on how to use glue, check out these ideas on Pinterest!

Deborah J Stewart

Deborah J Stewart

Every time I think I know everything I need to know about teaching young children, God says, "Hold on a minute!" and gives me a new challenge.

Let me tell ya...

With each new challenge that you overcome, you will find yourself better equipped and more passionate about teaching young children.

God didn't call wimps to lead, teach, or care for His children. Nope, he has high expectations, so get ready. You will have to give your very best but after teaching for over 30 years, I can tell you that it is a wonderful and rewarding journey.

Whenever your calling feels hard, just remember, 'He who began a good work in you (and in the children you serve) will be faithful to complete it.'

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