Guest Post - Collage with a Mixed Age Group of Children

 


Sarah shows how to get a large group of children of mixed ages involved in fun collage activities using leftover craft materials, whilst making something unique to them. Here are the links to the templates we used in the projects below:

Out and About with our Scavenger Hunts


Two Group Collage Activity Ideas

By Sarah

As any organiser of children’s group activities knows, the return to group after a break means two things.

Firstly, it means you can no longer put off the big tidy up that you have been ‘planning’ since you crammed the still packed bags in the cupboard after the last session! The tidy up is usually accompanied by lots of wondering about how and why you have so much stuff and what you can do to use some of it up. This year my tidy-up revealed no less than 15 new and partially used bottles of shaving foam and 7 bags of cotton wool balls – there must be a fun (and very messy) activity there!

Craft supplies in mid tidy-up!
Craft supplies in mid tidy-up!

Secondly, it means a return to early morning (or late night) crafting when, despite thinking you are all prepared and ready, you realise that you probably should test the activity and make an example in advance. This was me at 6.30am preparing for a group I had to leave the house at 9am for.

Making an example at 6am!
Making an example at 6am!

The Many Advantages of Collage!

We love collage at Activity Village and you’ll find lots of inspiration in our craft section.

For children’s craft groups I find collage is not only an excellent way to use up all those left-overs from other crafts, but it allows children to produce something entirely unique to them. There isn't a huge drying time involved so the kids can stuck in straight away and take home their artwork at the end of the session. In addition, collage works well with a wide age range.

Our Group Collage Activities

I had 15 children at my group who were aged from 2-9 years.

Over the years I have collected a huge bag of wool scraps. Most balls are full of loose ends now, making them just right for collage activities.  I printed off a couple of sets of our coloured picture frames and gave the children instructions to cover the inside of the frame with glue and stick on pieces of wool to ‘paint’ their picture. Inspired by my example it seems we ended up with lots of lovely trees!

Collaged trees in picture frames
Collaged trees in picture frames

For the second activity, however, we got a huge variety in outcome. I printed and cut out our ‘quirky’ upper case letter templates for children to decorate their initials or names. I provided coloured card on which to draw around the letters and supplies of fancy card, paper, feathers, buttons, foam pieces, sequins, gems etc.

As you can see, children decorated their cut out letters with bits and pieces, stuck them to backing card as part of a bigger collage, drew around them and then decorated, and even created a very elaborate double-sided E. It was wonderful to see what unique creations came from the same materials and suggestions.

Collaged letter E
A wonderful collaged letter E, full of feathers!

Another letter E with corrugated card and sequins
Here's the other side of the E, decorated with corrugated card and sequins

This T is pretty in pink and decorated with lovely butterflies!
This T is pretty in pink and decorated with lovely butterflies!

Star studded letters! The outlines were traced and then lots of fun was had sticking...
Star studded letters! The outlines were traced and then lots of fun was had sticking...

Bright colours and extra spiral patterns make this letter J special!
Bright colours and extra spiral patterns make this letter J special!

Collage Activities with a Mixed-Age Group

This is a guest post from Sarah. Sarah has been helping with Activity Village for over 10 years, providing most of our lovely craft ideas as well as many of our printable resources. She home educates her son, blogs at Life, Love and Literature and organises regular Group events and workshops.

You can find more guest posts by Sarah, and a list of all our guest posts, here.

Collage with a Mixed Age Group of Children
Thursday, 7th September 2017

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