Colourful Self Portraits
Self-portraits are a fantastic way for children to explore their sense of self and build their self-identity. I love doing self portraits at the beginning of the year with my class when we are getting to know each other. We learn about ourselves, each other and they foster a sense of belonging within the classroom. When I posted this activity on my Instagram page, I had lots of people asking different questions. This blog entry will show you step by step what to do to create your own beautiful self portraits with your littles ones and hopefully answer any questions you have.
You will need:
- Crepe paper (different colours, cut into squares)
- Spray bottles (filled with water)
- Cardboard paper (A4 for backgrounds, A5 for portraits)
- Black marker pens
- Glue
Step 1: Cut your crepe paper into squares. I used crepe paper, rather than tissue paper, as this material ‘bleeds’ better when applied with water.
Step 2: Invite children to cover their page in crepe paper squares and spray with water. I usually spray a bit of water on first to make them stick to the page better. Spray as necessary throughout to create a bit of stickiness. Be careful not to spray too much as too much water on the page will make it rip. I don’t have a picture of the spray bottles we used, but I recommend these ones from Kmart and have them set so light, misty water comes out.
Step 3: Put the finished pages in a tray in the sun. I recommend using a tray because as the crepe paper dries, it will peel away and blow everywhere (believe me, I learnt this the hard way haha!)
Step 4: Remove any excess crepe paper that hasn’t fallen off by itself. I keep the crepe paper for other art experiences because they are so beautiful and its a great way to recycle and reuse items in the classroom (Check out our PASTEL RAINBOWS we made using the left over crepe paper)
Step 5: While the colourful backgrounds are drying, on a separate piece of cardboard paper, have your little ones draw a portrait of themselves. Encourage as much detail as possible. We drew ours on a smaller piece of cardboard (about A5) to make sure they weren’t too big.
Step 6: Cut around the portraits and use glue to attach to the colourful backgrounds. The simple black and white portraits create a wonderful contrast to the colourful backgrounds!
What did we learn?
- Building our self identity
- Developing a sense of awareness of ourselves and others
- A sense of belonging in the classroom
- Cause and effect
- Fine motor skills
- Drawing skills
- Pencil grip
This experience was carried out with 3–5 year olds. Adult supervision is recommended at all times, particularly when engaging with water in the spray bottles.
