The Preschooler

Head in the Clouds

When I think back to my elementary school days, I can clearly remember being told to stop daydreaming.  I was one of those students whom a teacher made a special point not to sit next to the door or, heaven forbid, the windows.  I loved to stare at the clouds using my imagination to create pictures in the sky.  Although my timing was not appropriate, encouraging a child to use their imagination can foster a world of creativity.

The next time you notice fluffy clouds in the clear blue sky, encourage your child to look out the window or even go outside and observe the cotton candy creations above.  Show her how to use her imagination to find pictures in the clouds.  Once her attention has waned with this activity, come inside and make some cloud artwork of your own.

Use a piece of blue construction paper for the sky.  Fold it in half, open it back up and place a glob of white paint in the middle of the crease.  Fold the paper in half again and have your child squish the paint in the middle of the layers.  Open the paper back up again and you will have a new cloud.  Ask your child what picture she sees in her cloud, and add her answer as a label for her masterpiece.

You can also begin or conclude this activity by reading Eric Carle’s book, Little Cloud.  See if your child can finish the sentences by looking at the pictures which Little Cloud has created in the sky.

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Written by Laura on January 29, 2010