Toddler Dot & Dash Painting

From heart beats to tree leaves, children notice patterns and rhythms in daily life. When they draw what they observe, kids develop sorting and classifying skills.

1. Find a pattern that appeals to you: Listen to a friend's heart, the rain, or the beat of a drum in rock or Native American music. Ask an adult if you can make your own rhythm by banging on empty pots and pans. Look at a necklace with beads, or notice a bridge you built with blocks. How might you show this pattern on paper?

2. Cover your work area with newspaper. Choose your favorite colors of Crayola® Washable Kid's Paints. On a large piece of white paper, make patterns with colors or shapes using Crayola So Big Brushes or Paint Brushes. Dry.

3. How could you read the patterns-maybe by singing or tapping them with a wooden spoon? How could you dance the pattern?

Adult supervision is required for any arts & crafts project.

Crayola Washable Paints—Not for use as body/face paint.

Hauntingly Boo-tiful Halloween Garland

Blow 'n' Go Paint

Magical Charm Bracelets

Crafts

crayola supplies

• Paint Brushes
• Washable Kid's Paint
• So Big® Brush

household supplies

• recycled newspaper
• white paper
• paper towels
• container(s) of water

"Making music beforehand helped the kids feel the patterns. Afterwards, we danced the rhythms they painted."
Bonnie K., preschool play group organizer.

"This project connects art, music, math, history, and science! We tied it to Samuel F.B. Morse's birthday on April 27, 1791. Did you know he was an artist?"
Farida B., home school mom of three kids ages 3, 7, and 9.

Mathematician Leonardo Fibonacci observed patterns in nature. In 1202 he discovered a way to describe these patterns with mathematics. To create Fibonacci's series of numbers, each number (except for the first 1) is added to the number to its left. The sum becomes the next number in the series.