Outdoor Fun: Pendulum Painting!

Spring has surprised us this year with a stretch of unusually warm and beautiful weather. With it comes the desire to do everything outdoors. Mixing a little physics with art and a whole lot of fun, Miss Tamina set up our "pendulum painting" activity under the gazebo in the back garden.

On a sunny April morning I set up an outside pendulum painting activity to explore different techniques of being creative. The gazebo in our backyard was the perfect place for it. All I needed was a cup with a hole and some paint. I placed some paper on the ground and filled the cup with paint. Then the kids pulled back the string and let go to make the paint run through the hole. While creating wonderful art the children showed a great interest in exploring cause and effect of pulling and pushing the cup. I built on their interest and exchanged the cup with a ball. The pendulum activity promoted social skills by sharing material, taking turns and interacting with each other. It was a wonderful opportunity to practice hand-eye coordination and gross motor skills. The children enjoyed being physical active and felt confident in, and control of their bodies.