Potato Stamping Art

​Dear Little Atelier families,

How are you doing? Have you tried the activities we've been sending? 
At school, the teachers take turns and prepare group works or art activities each day. 

Monday : center activities
Tuesday: art (Ms.Soyeon) 
Wed: group work (Ms.Stephanie)
Thurs : group work (Ms.Esther)
Fri : art (Ms.Soyeon)

We've been sending emails a day before the days we are in charge so you can have time to get supplies if you need and plan your time ahead. For example, if you don't have enough potato for tomorrow, you can get it today. 
When working with children, organizing yourself is the key (minimize back-and-forth supply grabbing time, neatly organize supplies on the table so the children want to grab them and explore them), so you can minimize the distractions and the children can focus for long time without interruption. 

Here is an art activity suggestion for tomorrow. 

Title : Potato stamping art

Supplies :
                 Potatoes, 
                 Paring knife for carving shapes (or cookie cutter can work, too!)
                 Pen or pencil to draw shapes
                 Paint and small brushes 
                 Plate to use as a pallet 
                 Paper to stamp on

1. When you are showing or working with sharp tools with the children, give them enough explanation about how you are holding it, what it does, and how it can be dangerous when it is handled wrong way and carelessly, Then, children will understand and they will be careful more than we do 😊.
2. You can make simple shapes like triangle, circle, and square. Cookie cutters can make more intricate/precise shapes if you want to challenge (carving it out will be challenging). 
3. Or you can have your child draw a simple shape on the potato and you carve it out.
4. Younger children can bring the potato stamps directly on the pallet plate and stamp it on the paper. Older children can use paint brushes and paint relief or engraved part separately and stamp it (like the ones in the link). 
5. You can have the children enjoy stamping freely. For older children, you can suggest them to stamp it in pattern so they can use the final artwork as a wrapping paper. ​

5. You can also carve your child's name letters and have them make their names.
    For example, you can carve  S  O  Y  E  O  N (6 letters).
    If you are working with more than one child, you don't have to carve the common letters twice or three times. Have them share. That's another way of learning commonality. 

(source: https://www.brit.co/potato-stamps/)

I don't want you to be overloaded with activities 🙂, but it is good to have resources. 
Enjoy the time with your children. It passes away fast. 

Warm regards,
So yeon