Materials
Putting a color to a feeling can help little ones learn to express what they are feeling inside, and turn it into a piece of art. We use My Many Colored Days by Dr. Seuss to introduce the concept, but let children make their own color association to base their project on. Another excellent resource is the Disney film Inside Out, either viewing the film or using the characters to help the children make a connection.
Colored paper or tissue paper (collage option)- Crayons or coloring pencils (drawing option)
- Cardboard or thicker paper for base
- Scissors
- Glue
Instructions
- Readings of My Many Colored Days can be found on YouTube, with adult permission watch one prior to starting the project. Otherwise go over some feelings the artist may have (joy, sadness, fear, anger, etc.) and assign each one a color.
- Select your backing material and draw out the shape of a person, make it your own by adding a preferred hair style if you want. Create multiple backgrounds if the artist may want to make more individualized projects or would like to do more than one.
- If making a collage, as we did, select the construction paper or tissue paper in the colors the artist wants to use to represent their feelings. Cut or tear these into smaller pieces, like creating your own confetti.
- Glue down your homemade confetti onto your base to create the final product.
- Not making a collage? Select the colors that represent the artist’s chosen feelings and use those to color in the person.
- Feelings frequently change, so turn this project into a series and do it every day or once a week and see how the artist’s feelings change over time.