All of them decided to spend a few moments sitting around drawing pictures and I found it enjoyable to be able to look at the little artists that had turned my living room into an art studio. It really brought home the last two posts that I have made about your budding artist and it sparked my interest in finishing off the stages of art.

The stage that I am going to talk about today is the stage of art development between the ages of 4 and 5. Again, I like to stress the “range of normalcy.” I know I have said it before but it is very important to repeat this point since it can alleviate any worries for parents that may be comparing their children’s art with what I am talking about in these posts. For those of you who are just joining us, the “range of normalcy” is the normal range of age where a skill or milestone is developed. Drawing, during the early years, is separated into three stages.

“With art, as with all milestones, a child may fall before or after the range of normalcy. I have seen 5 year olds that are only beginning to grasp the ability to form simple shapes; a skill generally developed between 3 to 4 years and I have also seen 3 year olds using symbolic representation, a skill usually developed at 4 or 5.” -this was taken from my first blog on the first stage of art: Scribbling.

Since we have already covered scribbling and basic forms, today we are going to cover the third stage, which is the representational stage of art development. This is the stage where the first drawing is believed to take place.

Generally, the first drawing will occur during the ages of 4 and 5. Children will begin to look at the world around them and try to incorporate them into their drawings. A box is a house, a circle a face, a triangle is a roof. These basic shapes will begin to become more defined and the child will begin to create more detail in the pictures. No longer will a square simply represent a house, the square will also need windows, a door, flower pots, etc.

Also during this stage, children begin to pay more attention to the detail and will begin to make shape more representational to things in the world around them. A dog is smaller than a person so in their artwork, the dog is smaller than the person walking it.

The world is a big part of this stage of development and children will draw images from their own “world”. A child who has never seen a zebra will not draw a zebra since it does not have any symbolic meaning in their own life. They are more likely to draw items that interact with them on a daily basis. People such as friends and family, are often the first drawings, or symbols as it is often called, that a child will draw. From there the child moves onto trees, houses and other things in their world.

During this stage, as well, children will begin to label their drawings more often. You will see less artwork that is labeled after the drawing takes place and more pre-thought going into the artwork. A child will sit down and say, “I’m going to draw my dog,” before he or she starts drawing a dog.

From this stage of art development, a child moves into perfecting his or her skill in art and drawing and this improvement in basic skills will continue as long as the child continues to practice it. Art is an enjoyable pastime for any child, regardless of age and allowing them the time to explore their creative sides, is a great way to help your budding artist flourish into a creative individual.

Sirena Van Schaik

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What you need:

• Ice Cubes (you can use simple ice cubes or freeze some with Popsicle sticks in them for holders)
• Paper (construction, card stock or mural)
• Powdered Tempura Paint of various colors (you can get this at any craft or art store and stores like Scholars Choice also offer it)
• Small dishes or shakers (if you use dishes, provide some spoons)

Directions:

1. Place a piece of paper out for the child to paint on.  (If you are using the sidewalk, skip this step.)
2. Place all the dry tempura paint in separate containers and the ice in a bowl by itself.
3. Allow the children to sprinkle dry paint onto their paper.
4. Have them pick up the ice cube and use it as a paint brush

The ice will melt and mix with the Tempura Paint making it turn into a liquid paint.  The children can move it around the paper to create designs or even start with a design and carefully melt the ice on the paint to make it into an actual painting.

Children really enjoy the cause and effect of this art experience and I find that it is a fairly clean activity, unless you are like me and always seem to spill the tempura paint yourself.

Enjoy,

Sirena Van Schaik

*The photo is a picture that my son painted with ice cube painting when he was two and a half.  He said it was a “Halloween Picture.”  Take a few moments and capture the idea behind the painting from your child’s words after they make the picture, it truly is amazing when you look back at it years later.*

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If you want to review the first part of these posts, please click here but to give you a recap, Freud is the father of psychoanalysis and he believed that the human personality was made up of three parts: The Id, the Superego and the Ego. Each one works to temper the other and the ego works the hardest to fulfill the needs of the Id.

Freud also went on to explain the stages of development which included Oral, Anal, Phallic, Latency and Genital stages. Each one occurs at a specific age of development and if you are interested in learning more, please read Theorists of Child Development Part One.

So why the little recap on Freud, the main reason is that Erik Erikson (1902-1994) was a psychoanalyst that not only studied Freud’s theories but expanded them. He felt that our development was affected by the social and cultural influences that are around us. He also believed that even a child who suffered during some of the developmental stages has the ability to overcome the obstacles and deficits from the earlier stages.

Erik Erikson felt that each stage in development was faced with a crisis and that successfully overcoming the crisis would help build the skills necessary to good mental health. He also believed that each resolution was a combination of both positive and negative experiences and the key was to find a balance between the two.

Many of the theories of child development are the result of Erik Erikson’s work and for the purpose of this post, I will look at the developmental stages that Erik Erikson identified and a short little explanation of each one.

Erik Erikson had 8 stages of development, but he did not focus on child development only. These stages span the entire life of a person from infancy until old age and ultimately death. For the purpose of this blog, I am going to stick to the stages of development which affect children from infancy until 18 years of age.

Erikson’s Stages of Development:

• Trust vs Mistrust: Since Erik Erikson looked at the outcome at the end of a stage, his stages are labelled differently than other theorists. He believed that the ego would suffer or benefit from each stage and gave the desired outcome to the stage. For Trust vs Mistrust, it is fairly obvious that the positive outcome would be trust while the negative outcome would be mistrust. This stage occurs between the ages of birth to 18 months and is the stage when a child learns that his needs will be met. The bonding that goes on between parent (or primary caregiver) and child is important to fostering the trust necessary to build on greater self esteem and self worth later in the child’s development. If needs are not met or the child is not held, comforted or cared for properly, mistrust begins to form and can lead to even more detrimental feelings as the child grows.
• Autonomy vs Shame: This stage occurs between the ages of 18 months and 3 years of age and as you may have guessed, this is the toddler stage where children will begin the process of autonomy. Toilet training occurs during this stage, along with many exciting and frustrating aspects of development such as dressing and feeding one self. If there is a balance of positive experiences, a child will come through this stage with not only autonomy but a strong feeling of self esteem. If the experiences are negative, such as parents becoming frustrated and angry at potty accidents during toilet training, feelings of shame will be evident.
• Initiative vs Guilt: Spanning the ages of 3 to 5, this stage is when children begin to take the initiative in activities. This may be small things or they may be large but the key is that children are taking the lead and parents are allowing them to do so (as long as everyone is safe). If initiative is not allowed or encouraged feelings of guilt may occur, and as with all the other stages, may lead to feelings of worthlessness.
• Industry vs Inferiority: Occurring between the ages of 6 and 12, children are beginning to branch out and interact with peers and at school. There are moments of industry where the child is learning and creating and there are moments when children may feel a little inferior to the other people around them. A balance between both builds on feelings of competency.
• Identity vs Role Confusion: The teen years are always confusing no matter how well the other stages of development went. During the ages of 12 and 18, children are in a limbo of sorts where they are expected to act more grown up, actually feel the need to do so, but are still limited in what they can do since they are not grown up. It is a stage where limits are tested, more than others, self identity as both an individual and a peer takes place and morality is developed on a more personal level. It is no longer a simple matter of “Because my parents said it was wrong.” Again, self esteem, self worth, independence and many other traits can be harmed if there are too many negative experiences.

Erik Erikson went on to explore stages after these but they deal with adult development and not child development. It is interesting to note that for all of these stages, Erik Erikson identified key relationships that are important in the development of the child. From infancy to the age of 6, the important relationships are with parents and family. After 6 there is a shift in relationships from family to school to peers, and although family is still important it is not the key relationship.

So that is it for Erik Erikson, in a few weeks, I will look at Jean Piaget and go over his theories. After that, I will touch on a few other theorists, although not in the length that I have done with Erikson and Freud.

Sirena Van Schaik

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Since everyone loves bubbles, why not have a recipe ready to create gallons upon gallons of bubbles for hours of fun.

What you need:

• 10 cups of Water
• 1 cup of Liquid Dish soap (Any type will work but many bubble solution makers swear by Joy or Dawn.)
• 1/4 or .25 cups of glycerin

Directions:

1. In a large container with a lid, pour in the water.
2. Stir in the cup of liquid dish soap
3. Stir in the 1/4 cup of glycerin. Stir until it is well blended.
4. Use with any type of bubble blower. For best results, let the bubble solution stand overnight.

After that, all you will need to do is make more whenever your child either uses it up or if they are anything like mine, spill it.

Sirena Van Schaik

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It is always amazing how quickly a child grows. One moment they are nestled safe in your tummy and you are worrying about the delivery, being ready and a whole number of other things. The next, they are raiding the fridge and asking you why you forgot to buy the volcano flavored Yogurt Tubes.

It can be overwhelming at times but usually it is a constant state of wonder as you watch your infant grow from newborn to new adult.

For many parents, the amount of development seen in the first three months can be mind boggling and you quickly realize that this isn’t just a cute bundle of joy but also an individual with a personality. Sure there will be times when your child will show larger developments such as walking or potty training but all the small developments that are taking place now are the first in bringing your baby from the cute, sleep all day newborn to the rambunctious preschooler.

Below is a list of what your newborn should be doing by three months of age. Remember that this is a range of normalcy and many factors can come into play when you look at the rate of development. Also remember that if your child is premature, he or she may not develop as quickly as a full term infant but eventually (usually around age 4 or 5) he or she will catch up to other children in that age group.

• Is able to lift head while he is enjoying tummy time.
• Can turn head from side to side
• Should be able to lift head when he is resting against your shoulder
• Recognizes mom and dad (or any main caregiver).
• Begins to tract objects and will look at them and follow them by moving his head. He won’t track objects with his eyes only.
• Turns head towards sound.
• Watch people in his life when they are feeding him, playing with him or simply holding.
• Is able to be calmed when he is comforted.

At this age, a baby will still need lots of attention and one on one time. There is no such thing as “spoiling” a baby and you shouldn’t listen to those who say that you can. This is a time when trust is being development and reaffirming, through actions, that you will be there when your baby needs you, is the best way to help nurture the bond that you have created.

Sirena Van Schaik

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When it comes to Volcanoes, it can be pretty simple to explain them. They are, after all, mountains that spew lava, right?

In many ways that answer is yes, but not all volcanoes are mountains, in the exact sense of the word, and not all mountains are volcanoes.

Volcanoes are usually formed at the spots where platelets either collide or pull apart. Generally, there is a gap where the plates border each other and a lake of molten rock is trapped in the space between the platelets. This is called a magma chamber if you were to look at a volcano. Once the magma collects in the chamber, a series of eruptions will occur. Each time it erupts, the lava and ash that comes out of the eruption cools and begins to form a pile of igneous rock. With each passing eruption, more height is added to the pile and eventually it begins to form a mountain. This process can take thousands of years and some volcanoes can become extinct before they even gain significant height.

Volcanoes can also form at hot spots, such as those found in Hawaii, which are found above a feeder channel, or magma plume, that feeds magma from the Earth’s core up into a chamber in the Earth’s crust. The last place a volcano can form is over thin spots in the Earth’s crust.

Since the platelets of the Earth are constantly moving, volcanoes can and do become extinct. An extinct volcano occurs when the platelets have moved far enough from the magma plume that it is no longer attached to it. In the case of the Pacific Ring of Fire, you will find many volcanoes that are now dormant, no longer attached to the magma plume that created it. However, when it shifted, a new volcano began to form over the magma plume and the cycle was begun again.

There are several types of Volcanoes and I’m not going to get into the definition for each one since this is after all a cheat sheet. I don’t want to load you down with too much information but I have added a link that will explain each one to you in more depth.

The types of Volcanoes are:

• Mid-ocean
• Shield
• Strato
• Flood Basalts
• Monogenetic Fields
• Rhyolite Caldera Complexes

When a volcano erupts, there are two types of flow. These are the Dome Collapse where there is a thick crust of lava that blocks the top of the volcano shaft. When the lava reaches the blockage, it begins to flow sideways out of the top of the volcano. The second is the Collapsing Vertical Eruption where the eruption forces volcanic ash and other objects up into a cloud before it collapses and begins to flow down the sides of the volcano.

Lastly, there are several types of eruptions and these are:

• Hawaiian
• Peleean
• Vulcanian
• Strombolian
• Plinian

And that is all I am going to go into about volcanoes, although I could go into much more. If you would like more information on Volcanoes, I suggest using the wikipedia site on Volcanoes or going to the site, Volcano World. This is a great site that has a section for teaching and a section for Kids. One of the books that I used for a lot of my research on volcanoes was a Visual Dictionary that I bought for my class and then brought home. If you have a chance to find a good visual dictionary for kids, don’t hesitate to pick it up.

Sirena Van Schaik

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If you remember, I have already posted about the development of artistic skill already. If you haven’t read it yet or need a refresher, you can read it here.

Just to recap a few things, when I talk about any type of development, I am really looking at a “range of normalcy.” I know that I have mentioned this before but for anyone new that is joining us, I really like to reiterate my points. “Range of normalcy” is a term used to describe an average age range when a child develops a skill or reaches a milestone.

“With art, as with all milestones, a child may fall before or after the range of normalcy. I have seen 5 year olds that are only beginning to grasp the ability to form simple shapes; a skill generally developed between 3 to 4 years and I have also seen 3 year olds using symbolic representation, a skill usually developed at 4 or 5.” -this was taken from my first blog on the first stage of art: Scribbling.

Since I have already written about the first stage, scribbling, I am going to move on to the second stage called Basic Forms.

This stage usually occurs between the ages of 3 and 4 and again, some children may experience this stage sooner or later than what is the expected “range of normalcy.”

Much like the scribbling stage, I probably don’t need to really define what I mean by basic shapes. This is the stage where children begin moving away from scribbles and start forming shapes such as circles, ovals, and all the other shapes that are the staple of geometry.

This is also the stage where children are gaining more control over their fine motor and hand-eye coordination skills. Things are happening both physically and intellecutally which is enabling him to create more concrete drawings and more controlled strokes with the pencil and/or brush.

Like scribbling, this stage is still a very experimental stage in art. It is a gradual progression of experimenting with the lines that he is creating on the page and you will see it throughout that year. The first part of his 3rd year, he will draw circles and ovals and then he will progress into creating the curved line. This can often be referred to as the rainbow stage (at least by me) and I remember with my oldest, his love of drawing rainbows with any type of medium that I gave him. Rainbows was where he saw true manipulation of his lines and it pleased him to not only create one curved line but many connected to each other in a layered pattern. My youngest son is at this stage right now and I am back to a world of rainbows once again.

After he has learned to control his drawings, a child will begin drawing more complex forms such as squares and rectangles.

Also in this stage, a child begins to understand that what he is thinking and feeling is responsible to what he is placing on the paper. He is not going to sit down and say, “I’m going to draw a 5 star hotel with ocean vistas,” but he will sit down and draw a tower of squares. When he is finished, he will often tell you what he drew but it is usually a end thought. Sort of like, “My picture looks like a truck so that is what I drew.”

After this stage is the third and final stage that occurs between 4 and 5. This is considered to be the stage where the child’s first drawings take place and it is the stage where representational art begins.

Until then, I hope you enjoyed this post on your budding artist and I hope that you have already filled your shelves with art materials.

Sirena Van Schaik

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No, you are not going to be painting your child’s tongue or having your child paint your tongue.  You aren’t even going to be painting a big construction paper tongue.  You and your child are going to be using your tongues as paintbrushes and you will be surprised how much fun this activity is.

What you need:

• Vanilla Pudding
• Food Coloring
• Paper Pie Plates (or strong paper)
• a camera

Directions:

1. Mix up some instant vanilla pudding.
2. Place the vanilla in 4 seperate bowls.
3. Mix in a few drops of different food coloring in each bowl to make colored pudding (check the back of the box for the formula to making some colors).
4. Have your child put a few spoonfuls of pudding on a paper plate (this works better than paper since it is sturdier but you could probably use a thick card stock as well).
5. Now get your child to make a picture by moving the pudding around the plate with his or her tongue.
6. Take lots of pictures of the event and the finished work since this is one masterpiece that can’t be saved.

This is a great activity that I have done with my kids and my class.  I have found that some children will lick the plate clean while others will make intricate designs with the pudding.  The faces that the children make as they paint is very funny but nothing makes this activity as delightful as the moments when the children erupt in laughter at the silliness of it all.

Enjoy the sillier moments.

Sirena Van Schaik

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As I have mentioned in earlier posts, my son and his dad are making a model together for a contest that is being put on by the local museum. The model that he chose to do was the Battle of Vimy Ridge and in particular Hill 145.

It has been an adventure and after 2 and a half months, he finally finished it this weekend. (I will post pictures when I can get the feature working again,) It looks really good and we decided that he would have a little plague beside it explaining what his model is about and what Vimy Ridge is.

Over the last two months, I (and Dad) have been talking to him about Vimy Ridge and World War I but I decided to gather a few print outs and read it to him over the weekend. I then had him tell me about Vimy Ridge in his own words.

This is actually a great way to get your children to remember what you are reading. Asking questions like, “So what happened when,” or “What part did you find interesting,” or even “Why is this important,” will help your child put some order into their thoughts on the subject while reinforcing the learning. It also prepares them for when they have to start writing reports and will have to think about those questions on their own.

I have done this with both of my children since they were very young and it is simply a way to recall learning. It is also a great way to remind me what we are learning because many times the subject is pretty new to me too.

So with that, I thought I would post his report today. It gives you some idea of what he retained, even at 6 (just about 7), and is an example of how effective these projects are.

Battle of Vimy Ridge: Hill 145

April 9th to 12th, 1917

My model is about Vimy Ridge. This is Hill 145 where the Canadians won against the Germans and no other army had won there before.

During World War I on April 9^th, 1917, Easter Monday, at 5:28am, the Canadians began their battle to win the Ridge. It was a hard battle and they had to fight machine guns, artillery, cannons and Germans. They had to get through barbed wire and lots of mud and dirt.

They won Hill 145 on April 10^th, 1917 and they won the Battle of Vimy Ridge on April 12^th, 1917.

Many brave Canadians fought at Vimy Ridge and there were over 7,000 injured soldiers and 3,598 soldiers who died.

Why is Vimy Ridge important to Canadians?

- It was the “birthplace” of Canada!

- It was where Canadians became proud.

- It was the first time that the whole Canadian Army fought together and commanded its own soldiers.

- Canadian Soldiers invented the Rolling Barrage, the Platoon System, better communications, Indirect Machine-Gun Fire and many other things at Vimy Ridge that are still used today by soldiers.

- Canadian soldiers did what no other soldiers had been able to do before at Vimy Ridge.

I am proud of the soldiers who fought there because they fought for Canada. We should never forget them.

“In those few minutes I witnessed the birth of a nation.”

-Brigadier General A.E. Ross

The quote was one that my son really liked and was one that he wanted on his plague. So now he is ready and in two weeks he drops of the model and we will know if he wins by July 1st. Even if he doesnt, it was a great experience for both him and us and a lot of learning was done on all of our parts.

Sirena Van Schaik

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