Utopia Preschool

This week at the Art Table the children are creating Mark Rothko-inspired paintings. This style uses color blocking and bold hues that cover the entire page! We set up easels at the art table, with a variety of paint brushes and colors for the children to express their ideas onto paper. This simple act of painting not only allows the children to be creative, but helps develop strong fine motor skills.  It also teaches the children to focus on a specific task for extended amounts of time, to wait for their painting to dry, and to compare and contrast!  Many of the children returned to the table each day to make multiple paintings. Each painting is unique and different, just like each of us. We love seeing their pride when their work is completed.  Special thank you to Melissa, Avery's mom, for telling us about Mark Rothko!     Below are some of Rothko's actual works!  Mark Rothko,  Orange and Tan , 1954

We honored our passed loved ones this week by creating an ofrenda (altar) for Dia de los Muertos. We read some stories about the holiday to prepare the children for its history and how its celebrated around the world! We also made marigold flowers, papel picado, and calaveras (skulls) to adorn our altar, then placed our loved ones photos on top. The children also placed plates of food on the altar as a way to remember what our loved ones liked to eat, followed by faux candles to light a path for them to visit.  Thank you to the families who sent us in photos. We are honored to remember your family together and share your love for them.