Inspired by this perfume-making blog post from Meri Cherry, this smelly activity has become a year-round addition to our class line-ups. Depending on how it's presented, it can be anything from magical fairy potions--to exotic perfumes--to spooky witches brew. This past week, we set up a perfume-making invitation for our Fundmentals classes to go along with the reading of The Story of Ferdinand by Munro Leaf. In the book, Ferdinand loves to sit and smell the flowers.
The Set-UpWe had a decent amount of prep work to get ready for the activity. More prep than a typical class but so worth it! FLOWERS + SCISSORS Remove from bouquet, trim stems, and place in vase/jars for easy access. FRUIT Cut into small squeezeable pieces. Keep in mind that smaller hands can squeeze big wedges! We used lemons, limes, oranges, and grapefruit ESSENTIAL OILS & DROPPERS Fill small glass jars with colored water (liquid watercolor+water) and a few drops of oil. We used lavender, bergemot, tea tree, and patchouli. Each color was a different scent. Each artist got a small mason jar to use as a mixing bowl (for our Halloween potions, we use miniature cauldrons) and a popsicle stick for stirring. The ProcessThis is the best part. Put everything out at the tables so your little perfume mixologists can make a custom concoction. Some tips:
The best thing you can do is step back and just enjoy the show. There's no wrong way here. Finishing UpThis step is optional. This perishable perfume isn't going to last long on the shelf anyway. But because we like our kids to take home something from their 90 minutes with us, we poured their finished perfumes into small glass viles.
Need a quick art activity to whip at home? This one is super easy and super satisfying. Minimal effort. Maximum impact. Watch our facebook live video archived here: We're always on the hunt for unique painting tools! This week, we set out tempera paints and some faux flowers from the dollar store. The invitation included the faux flowers, paint palette, paper, and a paint brush. Most of our artists choose to dip their flowers into the paint and then print the flower onto the paper. We thought they looked like fireworks! A few of our artists used their brushes to add details to the printed flowers. Other ONLY used the brushes to make their paintings, using the flowers on the tables for inspiration. Once the artist were done painting, we through all the flowers into a wash tub and let them soak for the duration of class. A couple swishes in the soapy water and a rinse was all they needed to come clean! We laid them out on a bath towel to dry over night and they were ready to use again in the morning!
Video Tutorial |
Orange EaselContent inspired by the artists and art created in our studio. Orange Easel began as a small art studio in my basement and continues to grow and serve our community. Read more about our story here.
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